Moving With Your Dog: Common Mistakes And How To Avoid Them

Moving is always a challenge, but moving with pets can be even more stressful. Fortunately, if you hire professionals and do everything you can to make the move easier on your dog, you should be able to keep stress levels at a minimum. However, people can sometimes make some mistakes when moving with a dog that make things tougher for both master and canine. 

Mistake #1: Putting Human Emotions On Your Dog

You might love your old home and therefore, you might have mixed feeling about moving. You could also feel guilty about moving your pet away from a home he really loves. However, you should not project any negative emotions onto your dog and have them affect how you interact. Apologizing, being in a state of guilt or anxiety, or even just a state of sadness around your dog only makes them confused and anxious. Take some time to get your own emotions in check and then quickly assume the role of leader; your dog depends on you to provide social structure and security. Speak about the move in a positive way and always have good energy about the new house, moving day, and packing up. 

Mistake #2: Inadequate Preparation For Change

The general upheaval of moving can be stressful and confusing for a dog. Try to prepare for moving day and packing by keeping to your dog's schedule as much as possible. It might be tempting to forgo walks or to delay feeding time because you are in the middle of packing, but try not to do so. Keep the routine the same so that your dog can see that, even though home might be out of order, his relationship with you will not be changing. Once you get to the new house, fall into the same routine as closely as possible. 

Furthermore, prepare your dog by talking about the move in advance. Your dog might not be able to fully comprehend everything you say, so it's best to stick to simple statements like, "You are coming with us when we move," or "We are moving and you are coming too." Try not use words with a negative meaning, as these will not have the best preparation effect. For example, saying, "Don't worry," or "You are not staying here," is not as good because the words themselves (staying, worry, not, don't) are all negative and may confuse your pet. 

Mistake #3: Allowing Your Dog To Adapt Alone

Once you move to your new neighborhood, go with your dog to help them explore the new house. Place his bed, food dish, and toys in a specific place and show him where they are. Give him a tour of the house to re-establish boundary rules like "no going in the bedroom" or "no jumping on the front door." After you have walked him through the house, do the same with yard, showing him where his outdoor kennel is and where he he should go to bathroom. Your dog should be on a leash the whole time so that your relationship is still firmly established, even in a new place.

Then it is off to explore the new neighborhood. Go for a long walk and allow your dog to explore while relying on his relationship with you as the alpha to give him security. If your dog shows signs of anxiety at being a new house, let him work it out in a small, familiar space instead of putting him outside or locking him in a room. Putting him in a his crate or sectioning off an area with his bed and toys will help him to calm down. 

For more moving tips, contact a company like Walsh Moving & Storage.

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