I have moved so many times in my life I've lost count.
The biggest distance was my move from my hometown of Niagara-on-the-Lake in southern Ontario to the West Coast, but the largest move is the one I just finished going through.
I'm sure everyone can attest that moving the contents of one house to another is stressful, so it is fair to assume it would be for our dogs as well. The best advice I can give is: do your best to not show that stress to your dogs, because they will pick up on it. The last thing you want to do is create separation anxiety in your dog when you move from one house to another.
My two dogs have moved many times in the last decade of my life. This will be their fifth time and like the good dogs they are they take it in stride, but each time I took some precautions to ensure the move would be smooth for all of us.
During the first week I spent short amounts of time at the new house, taking the dogs with me as I dropped off a box or two and a few of their toys and dog beds. This helped them understand that this place was also part of their life because some of their familiar things were around whenever they came for a visit.
Next, we got used to the area. Our new house is on a large piece of property so we walked around the property and allowed them to mark and get used to the sights and smells such as the neighbouring horses and cows and other dogs. You can do the same thing in a more urban setting by walking your leashed dog through the neighbourhood. I don't recommend walking off-leash, in case something spooks your dog and it runs off. It doesn't know where its new home is yet to run home to and is not familiar enough with the surroundings to find comfort at a local park. It's better to be safe.
After the first week of visits, I left the dogs alone in the house for the first time for no more than an hour. They had some of their things and my things, and it was time for them to feel it was OK to be alone. So I went for a walk without them.
After about an hour I came home and was calm and indifferent when I came in the house. I did not want to reward them with any affection, in case they were stressed in my absence.
I fed them their meals in the new home and only snacks and treats at the old home
The following week was the big move, with all the furniture filling the house. Once that had happened the dogs settled into the new house rather quickly.
When I felt relaxed and settled the dogs did as well. In my old home I had always had concerns with Piper, as he rarely spent time in the backyard. The noise of the traffic always seemed to bother him and he would just sit at the back door sniffing the air whenever a big truck would rumble by.
The quiet of the country has breathed new life into him - much like me, he seems to feel like he has finally come home. Spending his days in the backyard watching the birds, sniffing through the pasture or sleeping in the sun has given both him and Zumi a degree of contentment I had not seen in them before. They are truly happy.
Changing homes with your dog need not be a stressful event if you take your time and introduce the new home to your dog a little bit at a time.
The more positive experiences you can create in your new home, the sooner your dog will settle and accept the big change in their lives.
