Moving can be a stressful time for everyone in the family, including your dogs.
- Boxes everywhere.
- Items disappearing.
- And now you cannot find your dog because they are hiding from all a chaos in the other room or under the bed.
Dogs love their surroundings and can tell when things start to change. But it all starts way before the packing when moving with dogs.
Looking for Your New Home
When we started looking for a new home, we had in mind what we wanted.
We wanted 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 car garage and enough square footage to comfortably live in. A fairly simple list BUT it really was not that simple.
We have 2 adorable dogs and we needed to consider what they needed. They needed a house with plenty of space to live in and run around in. They needed a yard that was fenced in and big enough to play ball in (they are obsessed with playing ball). They also needed a good and friendly neighborhood so that we could walk them. We could not just consider what we wanted, we also had to think about our dogs.
Before the Move
We found the perfect home and now it was time to start packing up.
When we were moving our dogs did not want to be anywhere near the endless stacks of boxes. They would hide in the other room or upstairs until we were done.
- Move the boxes to the garage as soon as we could so they were out of site to help alleviate some anxiety.
- Leave their favorite items for last. Their toys were the last items that were packed and even some straggler toys were the last items out of the old house.
- We also left their crates and bedding until moving day.
- They loved laying on the bed in our spare bedroom and so that stayed for them as well (they are a bit spoiled).
When moving you want to try to keep as many things the same as possible until moving day so your dog remains calm and comfortable.
Moving Day
The big day is finally here!
We like to let our dogs be the first ones in the new house before there are too many moving pieces. So, we packed up our vehicles and put the dogs in and we headed to the new house. As soon as we got to the house we let the dogs in to run around and explore the empty house.
Next we started moving stuff in to the home. We either had them locked in a bedroom or gated in an area away from the door so they could not bolt out. Our dogs are very attached to us so we felt it was better if they were able to see where we were and what was going on. You know your dog best so do what you feel is in their best interest to make them comfortable on moving day.
Your New Home
Change is always an adjustment and it is no different for your furry friends.
Our dogs are pretty good at making themselves at home anywhere they go. But with any dog you can expect to see some behavioral changes until they get fully settled in.
For us, it was the neighborhood.
- The new dogs and different people really set them off.
- Our yard did not have a fence around it. So they had to get used to going out on a leash. Rather than just bolting out the door to a fenced in yard until we could put one up.
It takes time to adjust and you have to be calm with your dog as they go through the process. The quicker you get your dog back into their routine they happier they will be.
We got lucky in that we only moved 15 minutes down the road to our new home. However, sometimes it is not that easy and there are other items to consider. If you are flying make sure you have everything ready. You will want your dog to be used to their crate they will be flying in. If you have a long drive, stop for bathroom and food/water breaks frequently. Regardless of where or how far you move, you always want to make sure your dog is comfortable.
