I brought my deerhound from the UK 3 years ago and he has been fine. When it is too hot he refuses to get out of the car when we get to the beach. There are 2 western vets here and you can get decent food such as Royal Canin and Eukanuba. The only thing I think would be a problem is the walking, you can't just take your dog out on the streets or the corniche. I live in Dukhan so haven't encountered any problems but living in Doha means you have to plan where to go in advance. Shop around for flights, I paid £1,700 but could have paid less than half that but was too busy to research it.

Make sure you do Rabies vaccination 3 months before travel and while your at it get a EU Pet Passport made up, then you can fly into Europe with no quarantine. You need to get an Import Licence to bring the dog in, for that you need a scan or photocopy of the rabies vaccination and your ID. It's up to you whether you pay a relocater such as Doha Vets or QPR or clear customs yourself. If you are a teacher you may arrive during Ramadan, if so I would pay for a meet and greet service, I brought my dog during Ramadan and he had a long wait in a hot warehouse while everyone was waking up.

If you are living in Doha, it's a good idea to get your landlord or employers permission first.

On the whole, I am glad I brought my boy, apart from a pathological hatred of his flight box he doesn't seem to have been affected by the whole thing and was so pleased to see us. He doesn't mind the heat and is more bothered by the heavy rains but that only happens a couple of weeks a year.

Sorry I know you only asked what it's like for the dogs but I have typed all this now so I'll leave it in, all the best, JJ