One of the major challenges that you’ll face early on is how to keep your dog calm and stress-free while you’re getting ready to move out. Make no mistake – your pet will know that something BIG is underway as soon as they catch a glimpse of the pile of moving boxes. What’s more, your puppy will most likely get worried and start to feel anxious and uneasy as soon as they pick up the tense and anxious tone of your voice and sense the obvious changes in your behavior.
Moving home with a dog also means having to deal with another difficult task – how to keep your dog safe and healthy during a chaotic house move. Making an appointment with the family vet is a must-do task – not only do you have to know that your pet friend is healthy to make the trip to the new home, but you’ll also need to obtain the necessary documentation for registering Fido with a new vet specialist in the destination town or city.
Still, moving to a new home with a dog is mostly about making sure that their daily routine stays the same – dogs thrive on their routine and they should feel calm and secure when things keep happening in a set order that’s perfectly familiar to them.
Moving a dog across the country often comes down to surviving Moving day without any major accidents. Again, you’re the one who has to decide about the best transportation method for your pet dog:
Will you take them in your car? A good option when you’re moving locally.
Will you fly with your dog to your final destination? Airplane travel can be a lot of hassle for both of you.
Or will you trust one of the best pet transportation companies in the country to deliver your pup to the new home safe and sound?
Keeping your dog safe on Moving day will also be a struggle because the period when complete strangers (your movers) are going in and out of the house carrying heavy furniture and a multitude of moving boxes is definitely not a good place for your frightened doggie.
And yet, in most cases, the biggest challenge when moving a dog across the country comes after the move is complete. In effect, the moment your pet animal steps inside that new home – a completely unfamiliar and strange environment for them – is the official beginning of the post-move adaptation period for your pup.
Oftentimes, dogs will feel disorientated and confused in the new home, as well as sad and even scared of all that strangeness and unfamiliarity. Luckily, there are many ways in which you can help your dog adjust to the new home and help them get back to their former happy and cheerful self in no time.
How to get your dog ready to move out: Preparation Stage
“Hi, my name is Thai and I have recently survived a move to another home. To be perfectly honest with you, there’s nothing to be afraid of, really. Let me share with you the secret to the perfect relocation: find a kind, caring and understanding master, and everything will be just fine.”
The first thing to understand is that moving is stressful for dogs, so your pup may not welcome the relocation news the way you think. And that’s understandable, for a house move means a drastic change for your pet in terms of daily routine and familiar environment.
Expect your dog to get anxious and stressed out when they sense that something BIG is approaching. What’s more, your pup can also get frightened when they notice that you’ve started to pack up your things. In their eyes, you might as well be leaving for good without taking them with you.
Learn what you can do to chase away your pooch’s fears in order to calm them down a notch or two. Having an honest conversation with your pet in which you assure them that everything will be just fine could help a bit but it’s what you DO for them that will actually matter the most.
How do you keep your dog calm and stress-free when you yourself are worried and stress out? The answer may catch you by surprise: just keep their daily routine unchanged.
You’ll also get to learn what specific things you should do to keep your pup safe, protected, and healthy when moving to a new home with your dog. Your best bet is to set up a safe place where your pet friend can go to every time they feel relatively unsafe or threatened in any way – the so-called method of crate training that’s proven to work.
The visit to the family vet before moving to a new home with a dog is really important too. Even when you can see that your pup looks healthy enough to make the trip to the new residence, a licensed vet can prescribe anti-anxiety medications for Fido that will make the actual move more pleasant for everyone.
Learn what documents you have to obtain from the vet to register your dog with a new animal doctor after the move. If you’re traveling by plane and you’re taking your pup with you, you’ll also need to present a special health certificate to the airline company.
How to move a dog across the country: Relocation Stage
Transporting a dog to a new home may prove to be more challenging than you think.
The day of the move can be rather dangerous for your frightened pup due to the fact that too many people – carrying heavy furniture pieces and large moving boxes – will be going in and out of the house. The worst possible scenario during that perilous stage is to have your dog loose in the house, running around the movers’ feet, and eyeing the front door that’ll be wide open almost all the time.
Bear in mind that in addition to the obvious and not-so-obvious perils on the move-out day, all the noise and commotion will frighten and stress out your poor pet even more. So, how do you keep your dog safe on Moving day? How do you protect your pup from the dangers that lurk during the most chaotic and unpredictable period of the move?
The answer is staring you in the face: keep your canine friend in a safe room or get them out of the house altogether – have them stay at a friend’s place or at a doggy day care center.
But Moving day is more than just making sure your dog stays safe and stress-free – it’s also the time you have to make an important decision – how to transport your dear pet to the new home. Professional household movers are not allowed to move pets for safety concerns, so it’ll be up to you to come up with the best way to move your dog across the country.
Learn more about each of the options you’ve got to do just that: 1) you can move your dog in your own car, 2) you can catch a plane to the new home and take your pup with you, and 3) you can hire specialized pet movers who will deliver Fido to the new address.
What’s the best way to move your dog across the country? And what should you do to make each dog transportation method work? Read on to find out.
How to help your dog adjust to a new house: Adaptation Stage
It may take a while before your dog feels perfectly comfortable in the new home.
Surprising as it may sound, the biggest challenge when moving a dog across the country will be after the move, when you and your dog step inside the new house or apartment.
All of a sudden, your pup will find himself in a totally unfamiliar environment that will be both strange and scary at the same time. With all familiarity gone, your dog is likely to start feeling very uncomfortable in the new home – anxious, scared, stressed, and sad. But most of all, your pet will be confused and disoriented by the new sights and unfamiliar smells.
At first, things will not make any sense to your dog, and it will take time before they start to feel OK in the new setting. And that’s the official beginning of the post-move adaptation – a period in which you need to keep a watchful eye on your pet friend and respond adequately in case of trouble.
Luckily, there are many ways you can help your dog adjust to a new house. The good news is that, in most cases, enough time is the key to a successful adaptation but sometimes things can become a bit more complicated in the process.
What are you supposed to do after you arrive in the new house with a dog?
How do you keep your pet safe and comfortable during the critical first few days?
What should you do to prevent unfortunate accidents like a successful escape attempt or a dreadful case of relocation depression?
Showing how much you love and care for your own dog is an excellent start, but oftentimes, you’re going to have to do more than that to help your pet settle in properly the new house.
Hachiko, the world-famous golden brown Akita dog, used to greet his master at the end of each workday near Shibuya Station in Tokyo. One day, the dog owner died suddenly and never made it back to the train station. However, Hachiko continued to await his master’s return for 9 years, 9 months, and 15 days, appearing exactly when the train was scheduled to arrive.
Hopefully, the carefully selected expert tips for moving with a dog to a new home will help you keep your puppy calm, safe, and stress-free when moving house. Also, they will show you how to help your dog settle in the new home after the move.
It’s a well-known secret that moving to a new home can be a nerve-wracking experience for everyone in the family, especially for dogs and cats who happen to be the family members with extremely developed sensitivity.
A smooth, safe, and stress-free house move for your dog is perfectly attainable, and it’s up to you as a dog lover to do all in your power to achieve such a problem-free transition. It’s good to remember that the effects of moving on dogs can vary greatly depending on the breed and personality of the dog, the type of move, and the cares and time you devote to them.
Do your best to keep your dog’s anxiety, stress, and confusion to a minimum before, during, and after the move by planning your steps carefully and ahead of time, and also by being there for your lovely doggie when it matters the most.
Because, arguably, nothing can shake up a dog like a house move.
Posted on November 24, 2020
Joshua Green
Joshua Green is a relocation expert and a moving industry professional, one of the esteemed contributors to MyMovingReviews.com with specialized articles and informative guides which help people organize and execute their moves easily and comfortably.
Joshua is a recognized author of two books about moving one of which is Relocating Without Breaking A Sweat - Your Personal Handbook For A Perfect Move. Both books are well received and help thousands of people make the right relocation decisions.
He is known to skillfully incorporate his never-ending energy, utmost dedication and raw passion into his works.
You can contact Joshua Green at: joshua@mymovingreviews.com | Linkedin
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