Things to consider when crossing the border from the U.S. into Canada

It's been awhile since I had the fortune to travel  to Canada so I had to do a little bit of research about crossing the border into Canada via car. Complicating the issue is that I am taking my dog. So that is a separate area to research. You'd think that this border crossing would be easy. Canada and the U.S. are friendly nations. But if you don't study up, here are some things you may not know:

1. You will need your current passport. Canada does accept other forms of identification as follows: If you are a U.S. citizen, ensure you carry proof of citizenship such as a passport, birth certificate, a certificate of citizenship or naturalization, a U.S. Permanent Resident Card, or a Certificate of Indian Status along with photo identification.

2. If you have liquor or tobacco products, you will be limited as to what you bring in. For example, you can bring in two bottles of wine but not more.  So much for gifting very many people with some great Oregon Pinot Noir!

3. Within reason, you can bring in quite a bit of spending money. Well, under $10,000.

4. It is wise to declare items you are transporting into Canada so there is a record when you exit the country. This makes things clearer and helps avoid paying duty.

5. Be sure and read up about prohibited goods. Much of the regulations are to protect Canada against agricultural insects and pests. In addition, you cannot bring firearms, fireworks or certain types of ammunition into Canada. I found that I could not bring any dog food in that might have beef products in it. And, I'd better have the packaging that states that.  Be prepared to declare any food or plant material that you might be bringing in. Read up on the rules.

6. As far as my dog, I found that I needed to have a carefully worded rabies certificate for her. Here's more about documentation for pets. 

More Information
You may have more questions about crossing the border into Canada. The best website is the Canadian government border services agency site. About.com's Canadian Travel writer has an article of advice for border crossing.