At Fawn River Doodles, we have the opportunity to work with a wide range of people from all over the country. In some instances, we even get to work with people outside of the country.
This was the case with one of our recent puppies that we sold to a customer in Dubai of the United Arab Emirates.
Yep, you read that correctly. Someone from Dubai, UAE, over 7,000 miles from little Goshen, Indiana, bought one of our prized Bernedoodle puppies.
Are you curious about how this all came about and what went into it? If so, you’re in luck, because we’ll tell you all about the process, from start to finish, in this article.
The Purchase
It’s no secret that dog people will go to great lengths to get their dream puppy. This was the case with some of our recent customers from Dubai. The process started roughly a year ago when a lovely couple from overseas was attending school at Michigan State University.
She was from China, and he was from Dubai, and their plans were to start raising puppies in Dubai upon their return to his hometown. As such, they ventured into the Goshen area to scout out the Bernedoodle scene, as Goshen has some of the top doodle breeders in the Midwest.
Long story short, they found our little farm on Google or Instagram, liked what they saw, and ultimately chose one of our female puppies to purchase. They’re so happy with their decision that they’re even planning on buying a male from us in an upcoming litter!
Is the cost different of selling to someone overseas?
Although we don’t charge more for selling to someone overseas, we do charge more when we’re selling a puppy to another breeder. As such, we upcharged them slightly for their purchase.
In retrospect, however, due to the amount of work that went into the process, we’ll likely charge people overseas buying one of our puppies more in the future.
Did you think you were getting scammed?
The customer initially contacted us via a text message and informed us about their interest in buying a puppy.
While at no point did I think that it was a potential scam, I was skeptical about whether or not they were actually serious buyers.
Luckily, I was dead wrong about them not being serious customers, and I’m glad that I followed through with them the way I did.
What was the communication process like?
Although three different languages were involved in the purchase process (English, Arabic, and Chinese), the communication process was very easy.
We communicated primarily through text messages, and we actually only spoke to each other once. This was done in person when they paid a visit to our farm, and there was little to no difficulty speaking to one another.
We did have a current litter of puppies during their visit, so they got to visit those puppies and play with them and took a look at our facility to make sure they were comfortable with the environment in which our puppies are born and raised.
From there, they reserved a puppy from an upcoming litter, chose it through videos and photos, and the rest is history!
Travel
The question that most people are wondering about is what the travel process is like when selling a pup to someone overseas.
Do they come to us? Do we go to them? Do we meet in the middle on an island in the Atlantic Ocean? It’s obviously not the last option, but you get my point: the process is complicated. Here’s how it worked.
How we got the pup to Dubai: The complete process
To be perfectly blunt, getting a puppy from a farm in Goshen to a penthouse in Dubai is a very long process. Here are a few things we had to address before we could even think about sending a puppy to Dubai.
- They had to get the leptospirosis vaccine
- They had to have a rabies shot
- They had to pass a titer test
Where it gets complicated is that you have to wait 21 days after a rabies shot before you can take the titer test. The lab that checks the titer test then takes 3-6 weeks to process the results.
This is a 6 to 8-week period where we’re still feeding and caring for the puppy, which was an unexpected added expense.
Unfortunately for us, we didn’t realize you had to wait 21 days after the rabies shot to do the titer test. As such, we performed and submitted the test 11 days after the shot and made our travel plans based on those results.
Suffice it to say, we were a bit miffed when we found out we had to redo the titer test and wait another few weeks for the results to come in.
Long story short, she failed the second titer test, which meant we had to do another rabies shot, wait 21 more days, do a third titer test, submit the test, and wait for the results. When it was all said and done, the whole process took nearly 3 1/2 months instead of 1!
Needless to say, we were extremely frustrated, as were the future owners of the puppy. However, it all worked out in the end, and we certainly learned from this process for future situations.
The process continues
In addition to the rabies shot and titer test, we also had to perform several vet checks to receive health certificates before our puppy could travel. Once we had those, we were ready to hit the road and begin the transfer process.
We chose to work with a shipping company based in Chicago, as they have ample experience with shipping animals all over the world. We packed up our car, loaded the pup, and headed for their headquarters on December 20 to put the puppy into their care.
They handled the puppy care process the rest of the way, and made sure that she reached her furever home in Dubai.
The total travel process took nearly a day, as it included an 8 ½ hour flight from Chicago to Germany, a 6-hour layover, and then a final 6-7 hour flight to Dubai. The airlines kept us updated throughout the process, and the adventure had a happy ending.
Would you ship a puppy this far again?
It goes without saying that Dubai is the furthest we’ve ever sent a puppy. Although it was quite the process, I would happily do it again.
However, having learned how expensive the process can be, we would certainly make pricing adjustments and get the rabies shot and titer test done correctly the first time.
Do you typically use a travel nanny to ship puppies?
Although we didn’t use a travel nanny to ship this puppy to Dubai, we often will go that route. Travel nannies will fly with your puppy and give them a comfortable travel experience.
The catch is that the pup needs to be under 20 pounds to fly in the front of a plane. Because the process with this dog took so long, they exceeded the 20-pound weight limit and had to fly in the cargo hold of the plan. As such, we didn’t need a nanny for the Dubai trip.
When we do use a travel nannies, we use professionals. They don’t work for us at Fawn River Doodles, but instead travel with and transport puppies for a living. We always prefer to go this route unless the weight limit prohibits us from doing so.
What was the total cost of sending the puppy to Dubai?
You’ve probably figured out by now that sending a puppy to Dubai wasn’t cheap. To use the shipping company alone costs roughly $4,300! While this cost didn’t come out of our pocket, it’s a high one nonetheless.
The alternative is to pay a travel nanny to transport your pup, which includes airline tickets, lodging, and a food allowance. When it’s all said and done, the cost is similar, if not more than using a shipping company.
Do puppies struggle to travel so far?
How well puppies travel depends entirely on their personality and demeanor. Some puppies travel great, and others require calming medicine if they seem to struggle with anxiety.
Luckily, the puppy in question was fully crate-trained and one of the best-behaved pups we’ve ever had, which meant they likely had an enjoyable travel experience.Are most airlines pet-friendlyBecause of how popular it is to travel with dogs these days, most airlines are pet-friendly. This includes most major airlines, including Delta, United, Southwest, and others.
However, it’s important to check with your specific airline before traveling with your pup to make sure they’ll be able to get on the plane with you.
Lifestyle
It has now been three months since our little world traveler has been living in Dubai. As such, she should be around 10 months old and living her best life!
We’ve kept in touch with the owners and were pleased to learn that the pup is adjusting quite well to her new surroundings. She doesn’t seem bothered by the different weather and climate, or being in a different culture.
Do dog owners treat their puppies differently in Dubai than in the United States?
In general, life for a dog in Dubai likely isn’t that much different than in the United States. The main difference is that most public spaces, such as parks, restaurants, and stores are off-limits for dogs.
However, to compensate for this, Dubai has numerous indoor dog parks and spas where pups can get pampered like royalty.
This is likely the case for the pup that we sent to Dubai, as her owners are no doubt more than capable of taking good care of her.
After all, if they spent in the vicinity of $10,000 to purchase the puppy, pay for numerous tests and vaccinations, and have it sent overseas to them, they’re capable of giving her a pampered life.
What’s the owner’s plan for their new puppy?
While the owners in question are no doubt overjoyed with their new pet and the companionship it provides, they have bigger plans.
Their ultimate goal is to buy a male puppy from one of our upcoming litters and start breeding and raising Bernedoodle puppies in Dubai. Since there are no known Bernedoodle breeders in the area, they should see immediate success in their endeavor.
Final Thoughts
Overall, even though we faced plenty of obstacles along the way, sending a puppy to a penthouse in Dubai was an enjoyable experience.
We learned a lot about selling puppies to overseas buyers, and I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again in the future.
Although we won’t start marketing ourselves in other countries, we’re more than happy to send a puppy anywhere in the world, as long as they’re going to good owners who will love and care for them.