Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Egypt]

Hi there,

I'm bringing my dog to Korea and I'm wondering:

a) Can you bring a dog on the subway or in a taxi on a leash? What about in a travel bag?

b) Do they sell brand names of dog food or korean brands? About how much? Where do you get them?

c) Do people walk their dogs there? Or are they kept inside?

d) How expensive are vets? Are there any english speaking vets you know of in the Seoul area?

Thanks for any info!

[pet lover]

What size dog are you talking about? Answers vary according to size of dog.

[matthews_world]

If he/she's a breed that's a working or hunting dog and accustomed to being outside and are large, don't bring them. Most of these kinds of dogs have owners with their own Korean style homes and they usually have cars that they can transport the dog around in, go to the park, etc.

Sounds like your wonjonim doesn't have a beef with you bringing it over. I'd have him check with the landlord of the place you'll be staying for apartment size information for starters and to see how big of a pet you can have.

Transport from your country is another story.

Bringing one's own pet over is admirable. Adopting/buying a dog in Korea and having to give it away due to unforseen circumstances is stressful enough on the snimal.

[DRAMA OVERKILL]

I live in a city with no subway, so I can't offer any advice there...

Regarding taxis - My dog is medium/large in size, and every other taxi will pick us up (although I generally try to avoid doing this) - I think it all depends on whether the cabbie likes dogs or not, and if the animal appears to be clean and well-behaved...

Regarding dog food - you can buy North American brands of dog food here, but it's gonna cost you... There is a Purina "Jindo-gae Menu" here that I buy for my dog... A big bag lasts my dog about 3 weeks and costs 13,000 to 15,000 won - great price... Apparently, most Asian made pet foods are grain based (as opposed to meat based in most Western countries), so a couple of times a week I'll feed my dog something extra that's high in protein... You can buy dog food at any large supermarket, or at any vet clinic or pet store... Dog treats and toys, etc. are very expensive here - most seem to be imported from Japan... I recommend you stock up and bring as much as you can with you...

Regarding walks, inside/outside - I walk my dog at least twice a day (on a leash!)... I don't have much of a yard at my place, so getting him out often is important... My landlord doesn't like my dog (or me either, for that matter), but they are willing to tolerate him (us)... Many Koreans are weary of bigger dogs, and some are just scared to death... As long as you keep your pup on a leash you won't have any problems...

Regarding vets - they are overly expensive here... I don't put as much faith in the vets here as I would back home... I don't think they are as thorough... I visited 3 or 4 vets until I found one I was comfortbale with... Since I keep going to the same vet, I always get discounts and preferred treatment when I go there... I don't live in Seoul, but if you were to find a good English-speaking vet, that would more than likely be the place...

[canukteacher]

Taking your dog on public transport will probably depend on its size, and how noisy he or she is. I think a carrier would be preferable to it being on a leash.

I took my cat on the bus this past weekend. I had her in a carrier. She quieted down pretty good on the trip to where we were going. Coming back she would not stop crying. Finally, the bus driver pulled into a rest stop and screamed at me and told me she had to go in the cargo hold. Now considering that there is no a/c in the cargo hold, and we had over an hour to go there is a good chance that she would have been very sick by the end of the trip. I was able to convince him not to make me put her in the hold, and thankfully she quieted down. She must have sensed that the driver was mad and I was stressed. You never know what might happen.

CT

[southboca]

a) Can you bring a dog on the subway or in a taxi on a leash? What about in a travel bag?

In Seoul, people bring miniature dogs on the subway during non-peak hours and hold them on their laps. I haven't seen any bigger dogs on subways, but if you aren't Korean you might be able to get away with a a slightly larger leashed dog if it isn't crowded, but a travel bag will probalby make you both more comfortable.

Access to taxis depends solely on the driver. Some of them like dogs. Some of them tolerate dogs. Some are "allergic" to dogs.

b) Do they sell brand names of dog food or korean brands? About how much? Where do you get them?
In Itaewon market, we buy 8kgs of dry Purina dog food for about 11,000 won. You can pick up fancier name brands for fancier prices at vets' offices. When we first moved here we were considering buying Science Diet, but it was running about 20,000 for 3kg at the vet near our house. If you want or need to go this route, every neighborhood I've walked through has at least one vet. Chungmuro station on line 4 has tons of pet shops so you can spoil your dog silly on payday.

c) Do people walk their dogs there? Or are they kept inside?
Lots of people take their dogs for walks while the weather is good. But, unless you walk under the cover of late, late darkness and/or drunkeness, be prepared to scoop the poop. The bags from all the little convience stores work great.

d) How expensive are vets? Are there any english speaking vets you know of in the Seoul area?

We've been to two vets in Itaewon. Both had someone who could speak English. One is across from Noksapyeong Station on the same road as Taco Chili Chili. The other is near Itaewon Station and is called the Chung Wha Animal Hospital. To get there, stand with Hamilton Hotel at your back, Burger King on your left. Walk straight down the road about 10 minutes.

We paid about $130 for our last vet bill. This covered a test for antibodies, a rabies shot, a heartworm test, 3 months' heartworm medicine, a super short haircut and nail cutting. (The antibody test showed that our dog didn't need any other vacccines 'til next year.)

Note: We may also have paid a surcharge for bad behavior. First our newly adopted cutie went viscious and tried to bite the good doctor. Then she cried and howled like they were killing her.

Lots of luck!!!!!

[krats1976]