Moving with a pet takes work. With a dog, anything can happen, and you want to be prepared. Not only must you be involved with listing, packing, relocation, and settling into a new home, but your dog must also be taken care of throughout the journey. Moving between properties is the first step before your dog transitions to its new home.
Here is your guide to moving homes with your dog effectively and safely.
Ensure Their Crate Is Accessible
Dogs are smart. They know when they see boxes, packing tape, and everything laid out that something is happening. They might also get a bit nervous. As den animals, ensure they still have a den to go to. Their crate is a refuge. Ensure it’s accessible to them until they are ready.
Ensure Your Dog Has Their Microchip
Before a move, this is an excellent chance to get your dog a tracking microchip with your updated address. While at the vet, you should get their vaccinations and have a quick checkup to confirm your dog is ready for travel. If they are not microchipped and you don’t want them microchipped, update their dog tags.
Pack a Bag of Dog Essentials For The Move
Pack some for your dog just like you would want a bag of essentials. Their favourite dog food, a collar or harness, poop bags, paper towels for accidents, and toys for comfort that you know they’ll love. Stock up on all the essential supplies from pet stores.
You may even want to pack some treats if things turn south, and your dog needs to focus. Keep this bag close to you.
Assign Your Dog a Buddy for the Day
If you can’t afford the time to be with your dog during the move—as many people moving are busy the day of—consider contacting a person your dog already knows and likes to look after them for the day. Their buddy can either come with you for the move, or you can drop your dog off at them before the move begins. You can collect it after. This makes it easier to move homes.
Maintain Your Dog’s Routine
Try to follow your dog’s routine as you move. Ensure they’re provided dog food at the right time, given walks, allowed outside to pee, and more. A dog’s routine will let them know everything is alright and provide comfort during a chaotic time.
Entertain Your Dog During a Move
Like humans, dogs get bored. If you notice your dog is acting up a bit, it might be time to entertain it with some brain games, toys, and attention. Don’t let your dog get bored or misbehave.
A simple five minutes of attention here and there makes a long way. It’ll also prevent your pup from getting anxious if it is prone to anxiety.
Keep Your Dog on a Leash
Throughout the movie, you may see people walking around doing different activities. A dog can easily wander off, get overwhelmed, or feel cornered. To avoid any of these inconveniences, keep your dog leashed. This will keep them close to you throughout the move and, especially after you arrive at your destination, prevent them from running off and getting lost.
Where There May Be Challenges
A dog is most content if its social group and daily routine are consistent. During a move, everything is up in the air. Your dog must also contend with new scents and sounds in its new residence. Be patient with them as you move and as they adapt to their new home.
Let Your Dog Get Used to Their New Home
When you arrive, show your dog its new home. Give it time to sniff around, get used to the layout, and ensure it knows how to get outdoors to pee. Exploring its new surroundings is the best approach. Let your dog run loose around your home to map it out in its mind.
Bring In Familiar Scents
Among the first things you can do to help your dog slowly get accustomed to its new home is to surround it with familiar scents. Their favourite blanket, some scent-friendly toys, and the dog food they have always eaten can also help a dog feel safe in their first home. Lead them to dog food so they know where it is, and it’s okay.
Don’t Lock Your Pet in Anywhere Unfamiliar
Dogs can get scared when left alone without their owner. Try not to lock your dog in a room apart from you unless you absolutely must. Secluding and leaving your pets unattended will likely result in accidents, property damage, or an animal in bad headspace. This is when it comes time to let him out.
We hope you found this blog post How To Move Homes With Your Dog, useful. Be sure to check out our post Make Your Moving Stressless For Your Pets! for more great tips!
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