Traveling with Tofu

Canine Coach LouLou shared info about traveling to Egypt with her Service Dog Tofu, assisted by Canine Coaches Penny & Ashlynn.

In this Webinar we discussed lots of the prep that went into making this trip including the training required to be successful, the paperwork required to fly out of the country, gain access to other countries and return to the U.S., and we also discussed some of the unexpected struggles they went through.

Training Skills Highlighted

• Ability to hold a long settle.
• Ability to hold a down/stay at a distance away from the handler.
• Ability to follow another person away when cued by the handler, yet ignore other people trying to lure the SD away.
• Ability to work completely naked without any gear at all.
• Socialization to things that may be normal in the culture of the place you are visiting. Eygpt had lots of soldiers carrying guns, therefore dogs would need to be able to be calm around military and police personal.

Paperwork Highlights

• Start at least 6 months prior to your flight with CDC (U.S. Center for Disease Control) Paperwork, Vet Clearance Paperwork & Vaccinations.
• Check the SD laws for every country you will be in, including those that you might only have a layover or transfer planes in. Each country and airline has their own forms that need to be filled out!
• Create a folder with all your documentation included printed copies of all forms submitted incase the airline staff, security or customs has questions. And keep this folder in your carry-on bag!

Some of the struggles they had

• People trying to steal Tofu or demand LouLou pay them to have the dog in their country, airport or city.
• Customs having their own rules about how you and your SD go through the line, even separating you if they wanted to.
• Dealing with street dog aggression to Tofu.

Please watch the video to find out more about their experience!

We plan to do a follow up video that includes packing for travel to another country.