Moving House with a Dog

There are lots of different things you can do to prepare your pooch for a big move to help make sure they find their feet and settle into their new home properly. When being introduced to anything new, dogs need to be given time to process the change. Introducing things gradually can really help them feel happy in a new space.

Instead of waiting until the big take to move all your belongings and your life from one home to another, try visiting your new home with your pup to get them more familiar with the place. A few little visits and spending time in their new home before the move can really help cut down the time they will need to adjust. Already having been introduced to their new home will mean it’s not entirely alien to them when you move in.

Any big changes can be stressful for dogs. They thrive on routine which means knowing when dinner is, when they get their walks, and where to go to the toilet, all this routine helps to create a safe space where they feel settled and confident in knowing what to expect.

When you change one part of their routine, it can upset their whole day. Moving house tends to change more than just one aspect of their routine, the whole day will look different. They will be sleeping somewhere new, going on different walks, and smelling different dogs in the neighbourhood, it can be a lot for them to deal with.

In the days leading up to the big move, it’s important to try and keep stress levels down so everyone can be as comfortable throughout the process as possible. There are several things you will need to do before you can settle into your new home to make sure everything can go smoothly on the day. Things you should do in the days leading up to the move include:

While keeping their routine as familiar as possible you can still get them used to a few things. If the home is a long drive away, short trips to go on walks will help the car become something normal and every day for them. If you find they struggle with journeys and it raises an uneasy feeling, discover our car sickness in dogs article to help with their motion sickness.

If your new home isn’t very far away, getting to know the area by taking your usual daily walks nearby will make everything slightly less new and strange when you finally do move. Although it is tempting on your moving day to have everything fresh and clean, take your dog’s old fur covered beds with you because, to them, these beds are familiar and smell like home.

Before you’re ready to move into your new home, one important thing to do is clean out any old smells from the previous people who lived there. If the previous owner had pets, it can be quite intimidating for your dog to suddenly be living in a new home that smells of different animals. It will be hard to settle down and feel safe in a space that smells like other pets. Cleaning down your pets’ reachable places with pet safe cleaning products will help remove any smells left by other animals.

Even though you might not be able to smell or see anything left behind, our four-legged friends have much more sensitive senses of smell so they will know. Moving to a new home that smells fresh without any traces of other animals will help them to settle faster.

When the big day arrives to move your whole life into a new home, the first thing that comes out of the moving van should be all your dog’s stuff. Moving day tends to be quite chaotic with a lot of coming and going so to help your pup settle and not have to deal with the hustle and bustle, having a nice cozy safe place set up for them will help them relax.

Either set up their crate or their favourite bed in a quiet part of the house where they can have toys and treats to keep them occupied when you’re busy setting up the rest of the house. A pheromone diffuser spray like the Adaptil Pheromone Refill can be really helpful in creating a calming environment for your pet on moving day. Be sure to put time aside to take breaks and sit with them to reassure them with lots of head pats and toilet breaks so they’re cared for as well.

A nice walk around their local neighbourhood to make some new friends can help take away the stressors of the day after you’re done for the afternoon!

When you’re moving into a new home, such a big change is going to have an impact on most pets. You may notice that it takes some time for them to get back to their normal confident selves, but in the meantime, you can support them and leave some space for this period of adjustment. They might become overly attached to their safe area or even not want to go on walks initially and all of that is okay, it’s all about listening to your pup and doing right by them.

When they’re brave enough to venture out and start enjoying their new home you can take it as their speed. Everything should happen only when they’re ready. Try to keep any visitors to a minimum to start getting back into your old routine and keep things nice and normal.

One common mishap of moving home a lot of the time is that your fully toilet trained pooch might forget where they’re expected to go to the toilet. Be prepared for the odd accident while they try to figure it out but with lots of taking them outside into the garden, they should catch on quickly.

There is no blanket rule or set time for how long it will take a dog to adjust to a move. There are so many factors involved including how far you’re moving; how big your lifestyle may change because of the move and your dog’s temperament and ability to bounce back from stressful situations. Some pups will take everything in their stride and within a few days act like they’ve lived there their whole life. Other dogs can take months to really find their footing and feel at home. It’s important just to give them the space and time they need to adjust at their own speed.

For everything you need to make your new house feel like their home and all your other dog essentials, take a look online and in-store.