Moving With A Dog? Helping Your Best Friend Adjust To A New Home

Even though it’s a bit cliché, moving to a new home is stressful. But imagine all of your familiar settings changing overnight without you having the mental capacity or thought to prepare.

Here you are in your dog’s world!

Moving home together with a dog adds a new challenge to an already tough situation, but it doesn’t have to be challenging. As many of you are aware, we at Western Lettings Glasgow are huge supporters of all things furry, so we thought we’d put together an article that would assist you with tips for moving house with your dog.

Before Moving with Your Dog

It’s time to organise things like documents. This will help ease some of your stress, which your dog will pick up on, and give you more time after moving to spend adjusting to your new environment with your beloved dog.  This will go a long way to help your dog settle in to its new surroundings.

What should you focus on then? Obviously, you should update your friend’s microchip information as well as the information associated with your pet insurance, veterinarian, emergency contacts and ID tags.

Getting your dog’s prescription, if they have one, early for a repeat is another thing to think about. By taking care of it now, you will avoid future hassle and make sure that your best friend has access to their medication once you have moved into your new place.

Help your Dog Adjust on Moving Day

There is no escaping the fact that moving day is stressful. A lot of dogs will respond in one way or another to your family’s increased activity and any anxiety they may sense.

Knowing this, to make sure your dog stays calm, leaving them with someone they know and trust is by far the best course of action. It could be a friend or family member who will take care of your dog, but it should always be someone they feel at ease around.

Confining your dog on moving day is the next best thing if you don’t have access to a kind dog sitter who will take your dog and watch over them while you move out. Even if it sounds awful, it’s the best option for them. If they have a hint of Houdini about them, lock all doors and windows and place them in a suitable room.

Of course, you’ll want to make sure that your dog has access to their comforts as well, so make sure items the dog is used to, like their bed and toys are accessible. Tell the removal experts where in the house your dog is located as well. That will significantly reduce any unnecessary strain and ensuring your dog doesn’t attempt any breakouts.

Moreover, assign a family member the responsibility of being the chief dog watcher, who will be in charge of keeping an eye on your dog and important items like their food and water. In this way, you can delegate responsibility to one individual and be confident that the dog’s welfare is being taken care of.

You can start packing and moving out of your old home now that you are aware of where your furry friend is, that they are safe, and that someone is keeping an eye on them.

During the Trip

As a meticulous dog owner, you should already be aware of the regulations governing taking a dog on a trip. However, you’d be wise to keep in mind that during the moving process nothing regarding your dog’s safety has changed. Be patient with your dog and follow the same guidelines as you would on any other day of the year:

• Always transport your dog safely, ideally in a cage designed for the purpose that is fastened to the vehicle.
• If not, always secure a special dog car harness to the backseat, one that will allow your dog to stand, sit, and lie down while preventing movement within the vehicle.
• Never let your dog ride in the car unattended.
• If the trip is long, take appropriate breaks, give your dog water and walks as needed.
• Never let your dog in a car that has the windows fully down.
• If you absolutely must stop and leave your dog in the car, keep the stop brief, leave the windows slightly open and park in a shaded area. But you should never, ever leave a dog alone in a car, especially for an extended period of time.

If at all possible, try to feed your dog after you arrive at your new home rather than before the trip. If you do need to feed your dog in advance, make sure you give them enough time to thoroughly digest their meal before the trip.

How to Avoid Behavioural Issues after Moving with a Dog

Even the best behaved dogs can go a little bit off balance after a sudden environment shift, but once you’ve moved in, you can minimise anxiety after moving, help your dog to get used to their new space, and prevent a lot of behavioural issues by taking a few easy precautions:

• Don’t make drastic changes – Even though it might be tempting to treat your dog with lots of new things when you move in, they probably won’t be grateful for the thought. It is much preferable and will help the transition if they keep their old bed and toys, at least at first. Reward your dog in the following ways instead
• Refrain from changing your Routine – When you change your address, refrain from changing your routines! Maintain the same feeding and exercise schedule that you had before moving in. Keep your dog’s life progression the same because patterns are important as well.  If you keep your dog’s routine it will help your dog to adjust to their new area and help your dog feel at home.
• Just play indoors – This one is simple and fun! Play with your dog often around your home, focusing on games that require you to lower yourself in front of your dog to their level. Playing on the floor while doing so will reassure your dog in a variety of ways, not the least of which is the fact that you’re leaving behind recognisable scent trails. Important and soothing information!
• Be cautious before leaving – There will definitely be times when you’ll have to leave your dog alone in the new home, but before you do, you should consider how sensitive your dog is. Wait as long as you can before leaving them behind, and leave around plenty of familiar objects your dog loves for them to find. Your couch just might be saved!
• Be more affectionate – Another simple way to help a dog adjust is to spend additional time with your dog and show the dog more affection than they’ve ever received. It might be simple to become overwhelmed by all the hustle and bustle of moving into a new home, but keep in mind that your pet is a living, feeling creature who will want a lot of your attention to help them settle. Make sure to give them plenty of attention in the form of grooming, stroking, walks, conversations, and just being together.

Recognise the signs of an unhappy dog after moving into a new home

Naturally, you’ll want everything to go smoothly, and if you follow the above tips to help your dog adjust to your new home, you’ll be well on your way to successfully moving into a new house with your dog.

As dog parents, of course, you are the best person to know your dog, but there are several warning signs that all dog owners should watch out for as soon as they move into a new house. Early detection of distress signals is important since it can stop issues from getting worse.

Observe the following warning signs:

• Excessive paw licking and/or grooming
• More sleep than normal
• Changes in appetite
• Ignoring the owner’s attention
• Moving slowly
• No desire to go for walks or play

Fortunately, the majority of these problems will only last for a short period of time, but being aware of them is the first step in getting your dog back to normal as soon as possible after you move. Don’t freak out if you notice any of the aforementioned signs in your dog after moving in. Just pay them more attention and make an effort to reassure them at all times.

Make a quick appointment with your veterinarian if things don’t seem to be getting better or maybe seem to be getting worse.

And that’s it! Contact us if you have any queries about finding a new place to live or selling your current residence. Here at Western Lettings Glasgow we have successfully assisted many people and their pets in moving, and we would love to assist you as well.