Although framed as a momentous milestone in many people’s lives, moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do. Not just for your family, but your dog too!
This big life change may be scary and stressful for both you and your dog, but there are lots of things you can consider to help the process run smoothly - and get your pooch adjusted and settled as quickly as possible.
With the help of Pooch’s Vet Linda, we’ve brought you all the expert tips, tricks, checklists and advice you’ll need to prepare your dog for moving day - and what to expect as you work at getting their life back on track in their new home.
How can moving house affect your dog?
As you ponder over your moving checklist, and all of the stuff you’re yet to pack, you may be looking over at your snoring pooch, jealous they’re none the wiser. However, they’re paying more attention than you think.
Here’s Vet Linda to tell you exactly how dogs can be affected by moving house:
“Moving house can be a stressful occasion for all, but particularly pets. Most dogs crave routine and like to have a structured and predictable home life. So, when we pack up their belongings and show up in a whole new place, it can be overwhelming.
In the early days, you may notice your dog seems worried as they display behaviours such as:
- Lip-licking
- Yawning
- Pacing
Your dog may also initially show their stress by acting clingy or by hiding away. Some dogs may start "acting out" and displaying more unwanted behaviours, such as barking, chewing and digging. This is why being mindful to include your dog’s wellbeing during the moving process should be a priority, especially when wanting to avoid some of these behaviours long term."
Conducting house viewings with a dog
A crucial part of starting the moving process is making your home look as pristine as possible while you host property viewings.
But having strangers coming to your house more than usual, and keeping a house looking tidy with a rambunctious pooch in the vicinity, can prove to be a little tricky.
So if you’re trying to give the best impression to a potential buyer, here are a few things to consider:
-
Arrange a dog sitter at the time of viewings. It’s impossible to imagine, but not everyone’s a fan of dogs!
- Alternatively, ask your partner or a family member to take your dog for a walk during the viewing.
-
Tidy up your dog’s space to not completely eradicate your dog’s presence, but to make it in-keeping with the rest of your home.
- Ensure your garden’s poop free!
-
Vacuum and get rid of any excessive dog hair.
Preparing your dog before moving day
With packing being such a busy and stressful part of the process, your dog’s probably clocked onto your change in mood and behaviour, which may lead them to feel on edge. So how can you make sure you’re not adding a stressed-out, misbehaving pooch to your list of things to worry about?
Here are a few things you can include in your moving day prep, to help keep your dog calm and happy:
-
Create a calm atmosphere. Try not to fuss over your dog too much as you pack as they’ll quickly feel that something’s not right.
The best thing to do is act as normal as possible; going about your daily routine amongst your prepping and packing, while using calming speech and body language to keep your pooch as zen as possible.
Looking for a little something to give a helping paw for a relaxed dog? Our extensive Calm and Relaxed range including dry and wet food, dental sticks, treats, fish hide chews and deliciously chewy supplements, are packed with natural ingredients like chamomile, hemp and valerian root to help turn nervous dogs into chilled-out pooches.
So, why not treat your pup to Calming Probiotic Meaty Treats or a Hemp Chewy to help them kick back whilst you pack?
-
Lots of distraction. Keep your pooch busy! Take some time away from packing to go on a big walk, visit some family and friends, play ball in the garden or do whatever they love to do. This way they’re getting some well-deserved attention, and they’ll be too pooped to notice you collapsing the dining room table.
-
Enrichment and mental stimulation. Whip out the treat stuffers and snuffle mats to keep your pooch busy. Not only are they mentally stimulating, but they also ensure a tuckered-out pup.
-
Leave their favourite things out. While packing, remember to keep your dog’s stuff out until the last minute. This way, whilst the rest of the house is being packed up, they can enjoy the familiarity of their belongings and most importantly, their scent.
-
Visiting your new area. Take trips with your dog to the area around your new house. This will help introduce them to their new neighbourhood, and provide some fun enrichment to break up a day of packing.
-
Make plans for moving day. If moving day would be easier and safer without them there, ask family or friends to watch them for a couple of hours. Alternatively, you could take your dog and their belongings to the new house first or last. This way they can explore in their own time without any distractions.
What to do with your dog on moving day
So the big day has arrived!
With so much to do and people in and out of your house all day, the last thing you want to be worrying about is your dog getting lost amongst boxes or going off on an adventure through an open front door.
That said, here are a few things you can do on moving day to ensure it’s smooth sailing:
-
Get your dog sorted first. Start their day with a delicious calming treat like a Hemp Chewy or Calming Fish Hide Chew and get them settled in their own space with their belongings (whether that’s at the new house or the old).
-
Hand them over to a friend or family member for the day. Alternatively, give them a break from the madness at a family or friends’ house, and pick them up when the chaos has settled.
-
Make a safe zone, informing everyone helping you move of their whereabouts. Wherever you decide to set-up your pooch, be sure to create a calming, secure area away from the chaos, and full of their belongings and fun distractions. Also, make everyone aware to avoid any escape opportunities.
-
Stick to your routine as much as possible. If you walk them every morning, walk them on the morning of your move.
-
Let them explore at their own pace. Whether they get first looks before anyone gets there, or they run around once everyone’s gone - give your pooch time to sniff and get acquainted with their new home.
Travelling with your dog
Moving with a dog inevitably means travelling with them too - whether that’s in the moving van or the car.
Travelling with your pooch also takes some preparation, especially if they’re not used to it. That said, here’s how you can tackle travelling with your dog:
-
Make sure you have the right accessories. This includes their seat belt harness, car seat, blanket and seat cover. Dogs have to be suitably restrained in a car by law, to ensure no distractions and everyone’s safety.
-
Make the car a positive space. If your dog only gets in the car to go to the vet, start taking some fun trips on the build-up to moving day, to lessen the stress on the day.
-
Tackle nausea. Car sickness is common in dogs, so be prepared. Ask your vet about nausea medication to be taken before the journey, as well as making sure you’re equipped with cleaning supplies.
-
Tire them out before the journey. Take them out for a walk or get in some playtime to tucker them out, so they’ll hopefully sleep during the journey.
Helping your dog settle into their new home
Whether it's new smells, a new sleeping space, a new garden or a new walking route, there’s SO much for your dog to take in.
So, after the chaos of moving is settling down, consider the following when helping your dog adjust to their new surroundings.
- Stick to your usual routine as much as possible, whether that’s walks, feeding times or playtime.
- Vet Linda also recommends ‘arranging to stay home as much as possible with your dog for the initial settling period’ to avoid separation anxiety.
- Allow for behaviour that’s out of character, which could include whining through the night or having little accidents around the house. With the right approach, they should revert to normal once settled.
- Prepare for some retraining, especially at night.
- Rebuild their own area/sleeping quarters, with their belongings that smell like your previous house.
Managing your dog’s first night in their new home
You may feel like you’re back at square one when it comes to sleeping separately or putting your dog in their crate for the night.
The move may have triggered some separation anxiety, meaning they fear being away from you and may
whine, bark, howl or
display destructive behaviour when alone.
When it comes to their first night in your new home, you could consider getting off on the right foot with your new neighbours - warning them of potential (but temporary) excessive noise.
Approach crate training or sleep training as you did the first time around. As they settle into their new environment, they should pick it back up in no time.
Check out our crate training article for the best approach to whine-free nights, as well as our exploration of separation anxiety to swot up on your knowledge. The more you know, the better equipped you’ll be to tackle anything your pooch throws at you!
Your checklist for moving house with a dog
At this point, your post-moving checklist is probably looking pretty chocka! So, it’s easy to leave some crucial bits of admin off, especially regarding your pooch.
Here are a few things you should be checking off your list once you and your dog are moved in:
- Change/update your address on your dog’s microchip details, and at your vet.
- Update the dog tag on their collar.
- If you’ve moved a fair distance from your original vets, be sure to research and register with a more local practice.
- Find all your new walking spots, whether that’s around your neighbourhood or local dog-friendly fields and parks.
- Find a local dog groomer.
- Double-check the garden for any toxic plants/flowers, and any pooch-shaped holes in the fence.
Our moving stories
However stressed or anxious you may be feeling about moving with your dog, know that you’re not alone. And no matter how chaotic the moving process has been with your dog, you’ll be able to look back at it with fond memories.
Eventually anyway!
Just take some of these moving stories from our honorary Poochers:
Phill and Chuck’s story
“When my partner and I moved house with our Cotonpoo Chuck, we were surprised to find that once we got to our new house he couldn’t be left on his own anymore. Living in our old place, we had trained Chuck over time to be on his own, and we could leave him to entertain himself for a while.
Once we tried this in our new home, we had some disgruntled messages from our new neighbours complaining about incessant howling. This change in behaviour from Chuck was completely understandable since we’d lived in our other property for so long, and we just approached his training from square one. Now he’s completely settled and back to his usual self!”
Charlotte and Eddie’s story
“Before we started packing things into boxes, our Jackapoo Eddie would sleep throughout the night in his crate, and had done for most of his life. In the weeks before the move when we were living out of boxes, Eddie started to wake us up in the middle of the night howling, and wouldn’t stop till he was with us.
We deduced that this sudden bout of separation anxiety came from all the changes that were happening around him. Now we’ve moved, we started up his training again and he now sleeps through the night! Plus, now his crate is on a different level of the house, we’ve retrained him on how to let us know when he needs to go out, which he picked up pretty quickly.”
Cat and Tilly’s story
“My father-in-law left the door open when helping load the van - our dog Tilly saw an escape route and took herself for a walk. We learnt our lesson and took her to my sister’s for the days following. This made packing up much simpler, especially knowing that she was safe elsewhere!
One thing that did work well though was having her at the new house with us before we officially moved in. We’d do this when waiting for appliance deliveries or decorating, so she was used to her new surroundings come move-in day! We also took her for walks in the new area before moving, to help her settle in and adjust.”
FAQs: Moving with your dog
How long does it take for a dog to adjust to a move?
The amount of time it takes for them to settle and adjust will be different for every dog. For some it may take a week, for others, it may take a month, or even longer.
It also depends on how you’ve approached the move with your dog, and what you do to help them adjust. Helping your pooch to gradually get acquainted with their new space, whilst sticking to their routine as closely as you can, AND creating positive experiences should help speed up the settling process.
What signs show your dog is adjusting to the move?
After some time, your pooch will become adjusted and settled in their new home. Some signs of this happening include:
- Out-of-character behaviour ceases.
- The behaviour they used to display in their old home continues. I.e. waiting at the back door to be let out for the toilet.
- They begin sleeping through the night.
- They sleep more during the day around the house.
- They’re open to playing more.
- They’re eating and drinking well.
- Poops are normal and healthy.
Do dogs get homesick?
Those who move with cats may have stories about their homesick cat trying to make their way back to their old house. Whilst it’s less common in dogs, there have been instances of dogs attempting an escape not long after moving to their new home. More commonly, dogs who’ve recently moved house usually kick up more of a fuss than they once did when left alone.
However, this is most likely due to stress and separation anxiety caused by the move, and a change of routine and environment. When moving with your dog, you should prepare as much as you can to make the move as stress-free as possible. This can be done using scent swaps, gradual exposure and positive reinforcement.
Comments (0)
Leave a comment