Homeward Bound - Things to Consider when Moving Houses with a Dog

Moving houses. The range of emotions that come with this situation can be a rollercoaster, even if things go smoothly (and if we’re honest, that doesn’t happen often). Everything we know can change in such a short time, and in that whirlwind of change we find that our dogs and their needs get put on the back burner so that we can deal with the main tasks at hand.

What people don’t realise is that when this happens, this can prolong an already stressful process for both us and our dogs. But don’t despair! There are a few things we can consider about the whole process, and we can reduce the effect of moving for our pups.

From the moment you decide to put your house on the market, you need to think about the intricacies of what is happening, and perhaps try and view it from a more canine point of view.

OPEN HOMES

There are now many strangers moving around your house at unpredictable times, snooping through each and every room. Does your dog have a place where they can avoid these people? 

Think about maybe lending your dog to a trusted friend or family member for when your open homes are happening, because ideally they won’t be inside and interacting with all the strangers who turn up. Think about using an outside kennel, or having a crate in your car with the boot open and sufficient airflow. You don’t want your dog loose, or feeling like they have to interact in a room with people poking their heads in, so if you have no other choice, have your dog covered in a crate in the quietest room possible (perhaps the garage). You can even put a sign up to request a little bit of quiet when viewing the room in consideration of your pup.

CHANGE OF ROUTINE

It’s not often that your dog sees you acting like a cleaning whirlwind, sorting out their toy box before they’ve even managed to finish a chew. That, and instead of the weekend adventure, you and the family are away for hours on end. Your dog doesn’t know that you are scoping out a new backyard just for him. This change of routine is unexplained and unusual, and can leave your dog feeling confused. On top of that, you may accidentally be so busy that not all their regular needs get met to the standard they are used to.

Try and consider adjusting your routine in a way that sustains the house hunt and your dog’s regular schedule. Can you get a dog walker to come in and take them? Can you reduce the amount of appointments for house hunting by one or two to make sure you are still getting quality time with your pooch?

STRESS LEVELS

Whether or not you think you are the most cool, calm and collected person on the block - moving homes is a chaotic time. Keeping things tidy, wondering if you have the right budget, thinking about everything that will come with changing locations: your stress from all these changes will spike. And your dog will be able to tell. They are masters of reading our body language, and their noses can pick up changes in hormones - so don’t think you can hide it.

There are a few ways you can manage your stress, and that’s a whole other industry, but we can give you one big tip. Slow it down, and take a few deep breaths. This advice is relevant to more than just bustling between the boxes you are packing up and feeling overwhelmed: it’s helpful across the board. Trust me when I say your dog isn’t the only one who will benefit if you take a moment to pause and slow your head down.

MOVING DAY

The day has come. You finally can get those boxes onto the truck and get everything shifted. If you’re lucky, you have more than just one day to get those boxes moved - and you can pace yourself. If not, the hustle and bustle of shifting your whole life would stress even the most resilient souls.

We highly recommend having your dog stay somewhere else in all the chaos. Moving day is not some sort of party where your dog should be around, potentially getting underfoot and sending your grandma’s precious heirloom mirror flying. 

Plan ahead, and set everybody up for success. You can reach out for your dog to stay at a doggy daycare while you are busy, or call on the dog walker or family friend once more. This accounts for the time you are moving things OUT of the old home, and moving things INTO your new place.

My personal dog, Charlie, is extremely sensitive, and moving day for her was something she just couldn’t comprehend. Because we didn’t have someone else’s house to stay at, she let us know where she wanted to be. She went to the car, then sat herself in the crate in the back seat and planted herself in that safe place to keep herself out of the way - and she didn’t move from that spot until the dust had metaphorically settled. And we let her. We shut the doors, left the windows down and had the car parked at a safe distance from all the chaos. It was the best solution for everyone.

To help with the next step, if you are lucky enough to move over a few days, adding things from your current home into the new home will make sure that even if it is a different layout and visuals, it will still smell like home. But the biggest advice we can give is to have all your furniture (as much as you can manage), where it needs to be before your dog comes in and checks everything out.

If you don’t get the chance to get your furniture in with advance notice, we recommend taking a cloth and rubbing it over yourself, and then wiping it in key areas of your new home (the more scent spread the better!). If the old house had pets, making sure you try your best to cover that up with your homely smell that will really help your pooch. Additionally, you can look at installing an Adaptil diffuser - a calming pheromone diffuser which will aid your pup when they finally arrive.

SETTLING IN

The balance between getting your routine on track as soon as possible, and making sure your dog has time to decompress and settle is one to tread carefully. 

There is a rule of three that you can follow:

•  Three days to decompress
•  Three weeks to really settle into the routine
•  Three months to truly feel at home

If you try and get your own human routine on track, that will provide the predictability your dog will be craving. But it’s the predictability of when waking up, meal times and relaxing time together that will settle your dog in. Rushing them into walking the whole new neighbourhood, seeing every park and trying to make friends with all the neighbour dogs straight away will make the whole process more stressful than it needs to be.

Don’t assume your dog will be alright immediately on their own in your new home, either. Think about having their crate or beds closer to you or indoors for those first few nights (almost like when you brought them home when they were puppies or younger dogs). They will be a little bit unsure of what all the change is, and may need your physical presence more than you realise.

If you were able to create safe spaces in your old house for your dog, you will know that having those locations in your new home are just as, if not more, important. Crates, pens, kennels set up as similarly as possible with their bedding will provide that area that they can retreat to if they need to chill out, once they start getting more familiar with their new home.

ADDITIONAL SAFETY

Most escapes from new properties occur in the first ten days of moving locations. Your dog has no concept of knowing that they are now in this new place of residence, so ensure that the fencing and containment on your property is dog proof and safe, ESPECIALLY if you intend on heading back to work sooner rather than later. The gut wrenching feeling of realising your dog is loose is one that does not need to occur, and would certainly not be conducive to a smooth transition.

Following on from that: UPDATE YOUR DOG’S REGISTRATION DETAILS. If they play Houdini on you, being returned as soon as possible is the outcome we want. If you’ve moved cities, councils, or anything similar, take the time to email and get their microchip details aligned with your current information. You may not be able to get a rego tag in a timely fashion, but changing microchip details can be done online and can save a lot of unnecessary stress.

A FINAL NOTE

Just remember to give yourself time to adjust as well, because you may also need to follow that rule of three! With all the advice listed above, it is a lot to consider on top of everything else, so try your best to give yourself some grace while considering the wellbeing of your beloved fur family member.

Moving is an exciting and interesting time for everybody involved, but as the quote goes, ‘By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.’ So make sure you think ahead, and ensure the transition into the new chapter of your life goes as smoothly as possible. Good luck!


Do you need help planning your move or want support setting your dog up for success? Get in touch with our experienced trainers for more catered advice!



Authored by Sarah Endres 
Dog Trainer and Behaviour Advisor