Help for 6 months in Germany with my agility dog

    Hello everyone !


    I'm a french & swiss girl, I'm 18 and I do some dog dancing and Agility with my 3,5 years old border collie.


    I'm studying at the moment and next year I might study 6 months in another country (thanks to ERASMUS programm - Exchange of students programm in Europe). That's why, so far, I'm thinking-dog-face about what country I would like to know and live in for 6 months. Obviously I would be coming with my dog.


    I'm coming on this forum hoping I could find some help here. I would like to know if any of you has an idea/advice of where I could stay for 6 months next year with my dog in Germany (BerliN?), next to a Uni but ALSO somewhere interesting where I could learn in dog dancing and/or Agility. Next to a good club or a good trainer, for exemple ?
    If possible I would like to do some agility, too....


    Here is my website if you want to know more about me


    http://speedy-letsdog.servhome.org


    Thank you so much if you could help...


    xxx


    Let's

    Hello Laetitia and welcome to the forum!


    I can't really help you with agility trainers or clubs, but if you really want to go to Berlin, it might be good for you to know that Speedy will be required to wear a muzzle whenever you use the public transport with him.
    Apart from that, I don't think you will be able to live in an official student accomodation, as dogs are usually not allowed there (at least not to my knowledge), so you have to find a room or flat that is run privately (and that might be difficult with a dog...).
    Aren't you allocated to a University by ERASMUS, or can you choose freely? If you are free to pick your University, it might be worth checking out which unis allow dogs on the campus (there was a thread about just that topic here just recently) and you might consider the more rural areas instead of Berlin, as it might be easier for you to find a place to stay with Speedy.
    Congrats on your website! Smashing!
    Cheers, Schnurri.

    Hi Schurri,


    Thank you so much for your help, it's much appreciated !


    It's good to know that dogs need to be muzzled on public transport : I will get him used to it as soon as possible ! (I do have a muzzle but he has never worn it...).


    For the accomodation, that's my main problem, indeed. I had guessed that dogs are not allowed in student accomodation. Thanks for confirmation.


    I think, the best thing would be to find somobody who already has dogs, a "doggy person", who would kindly have a room to rent for me and my dog. So I know I can trust that person, so I know that that person will respect my dog as he/she respects her own dog(s), and vice versa for me towards the person's dog.
    This is why I'm hoping that I could find that person on that forum..... hopefuly... Who knows ^^


    Wow, some uni accept dogs on the campus ??? Do you mean I could go to Uni , to the classes WITH Speedy ??? That would be more than I've expected.... ! But, if dogs are allowed on the campus, they might also be allowed in certain accomodation, no ?
    I'm allowed to find my own Uni, as long as it's a uni from erasmus programm. (There are many).


    Yes, indeed, maybe a more rural place would be better. My only concern is that I don't want to be in the middle of nowhere. But I guess there are more dogs activities (agility competitions, etc) in the countryside, isn't it ??


    To give you an idea, I went a year in England with my dog, and I started as an au pair in the north of England, country side. Au pair in a "agility family". Then I moved outside london, so not IN london, and I rent a room from a Agility person, so our dogs got on very well together, and we went to trainings and competitions together, it was really friendly.
    This is why I now know what I need for my dog : A accomodation where I know my dog is safe (even if I'm not in the house/flat), and somewhere where there is dog activity, but not too far from the cities for Uni and other socialisation activities.


    I'm just starting my project, but even before I ask for a meeting with a member of Erasmus, I know I better sort things out about my dog : I will probably be the only one going away with my dog, they probably can't really help me, and it's not their job anyway... But once I'm a bit more sure about the dog, I will be able to see them and they will give me more information about unis, cities, etc.


    Oh, yes, and the other problem is that... as you've noticed, I can't speak german... I have very little knowledges but I know that I will not be able to take a course IN german... I can LIVE in Germany (shop in German, go to the pub in German...) but if I want to be succesful in my studies, I need them in French or English... So the other condition is that I need to find a english-speaking-univeristy... But I've heard that it's quite common in Germany.
    On the other hand, the advantage (a very big one) is that I can choose more or less "any" course. I'my studying Educational Science at the moment, but next year I will have 6 months of "free" studying, so I could even study English, or psychologie, or anything ... That's really helping !



    THank you SO MUCH again, I didnt expect a answer that usefull that quickly :) !!! And sorry to be hopeless in German....

    Hello Laetitia,


    maybe you should look for an university in Dusseldorf or nearby. I know that there will be a lot of possibilities to to Agility, DogDance and also Frisbee. Maybe you can send me an email and I will provide you with some addresses.


    Regards Kerstin

    Welcome to the forum.
    I don´t know what possibilities are in Berlin but not in all of the cities in every state dogs need to be muzzled. I live in Göttingen and I know that every year heaps of students come to study for example organic agriculture and if you check the link you can see that some subjects are completely in English. It´s not that easy to find accomodation with a dog but Göttingen is a nice student town and there are student accomodation where dogs are allowed. Around Göttingen there are also possibilities to make agility. So if you like check the link and aks if it´s part of the erasmus program.
    http://www.uni-kassel.de/agrar/?c=269


    Greetings from Nicky

    Dont' worry, you'll learn German once you are here... :D
    The restrictions about dogs inside university buildings have become stricter over the last couple of years. There are only very few universities left, that allow dogs inside the buildings (and consequently, into the seminars). But that very much depends on the professors, too, as they apparently have the last word on dogs in their seminars.
    If you are totally free about your subjects and your place of study, then it should be far easier for you to find accomodation. Trying to find a room with someone who is into agility, too is a pretty good idea I think. If you don't find someone non this board, then maybe you can get in touch with agility clubs or pet obedience schools in the town you end up studying in.
    About languages: classes are normally taught in German and I believe the number of seminars held in English (unless you want to study it as a language) is very limited. But you can find out about that on the universitie's websites, when you look at the list of courses they offer (You might have to enroll towaards the end of the semestre before you actually come to Germany!).
    Isn' there sth. like an ERASMUS-community on the web? Maybe somebody else went "abroad" with a dog before you and can give you some input on what do to there.
    I think you are going the right way and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you'll find a good solution for yourself and Speedy.

    Ohhh my god, you are aaaalll lovely, thank you so much !!!


    I've just found out that they update the Erasmus part of my uni website and now I can see every single university part of the programm. (I couldnt before). So indeed, there is Gottingen University, with a few courses :
    Biologie, german, philosophie... I'm not sure if I can take a course THAT different to my Bachelor, I think I need to stay in a social course ... Although German could be useful to become a teacher in Swizerland (it's demanded), but can I study German, from nothing, honestly ?? I don't think I'm able to, i'm afraid... It has already been very difficult for me to study English...



    Nothing for Dusseldorf :( (SHame, because I liked very much the fact that it's closed to the nertherland and belgium borders!!!)



    The other problem is that I don't have a car... So is it easy to get to agility competitions in germany without a car ?


    Yes I definitely think that staying with an agility/doggie person is really important and useful...


    THank you so much for your encouraging, it gives me even more motivation to manage :) !!

    Zitat

    Dont' worry, you'll learn German once you are here... :D


    I'm sure I will, indeed, that's the aim ;) To learn a big of German, in the "city", but I really need my course in English, I'm not good enough with language to be able to follow a uni course in german,...
    But I'm aiming to learn as much german as possible outside the university, then :)

    Zitat


    Isn' there sth. like an ERASMUS-community on the web? Maybe somebody else went "abroad" with a dog before you and can give you some input on what do to there.


    This is a brilliant idea, thx.


    Well, I personaly have already been abroad with my dog, and not in the easiest country : England ! The country where you need to do a serological test 7 months before you pass the border !!!
    But indeed, I wasnt at Uni, and I don't know much about Germany... (well, I didnt know much about England either, before I went there)

    Hi!


    I'm sorry I can't really help you, as I'm not german (I'm austrian) and so don't know Germany at all!


    But I have been on Erasmus... with my dog! I have begun my studies of Civil Engineering in my hometown in Austria. After two years I have decided to go on Erasmus to France (Lyon) for a year. It was clear to me to take my dog with me if possible.


    I went to France without my dog (he stayed with my parents meanwhile), where it took me 3 months to find an appartement (I had a veeeery bad french, not so simple when you have to phone all the time to finde an appartment!). After these 3 months I knew my daily schedule at university (where dogs were strictely forbidden) and so could finally get my dog to France.


    I absolutely loved my Erasmus-year. Even if I have to admit, that it took me about 3 months to be able to understand most of what was said to me in french, and about 6 months to be able to really express myself fluently.


    And I have to admit, I was a real looser for the Erasmus program! Contrary to what I was supposed to do, I never came back to Austria... I found a french boyfriend, moved in with him after only 4 months (WITH my dog ;) ), finished my studies at a french university and now we are married and have bought a house in the french countryside!


    And have 5 more dogs... :D

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