Pups on the Move

As I prepare to move into a new residence, I wanted to share with you the emotional roller-coaster that moving can be for your dog as well.

Moving in itself can be a stressfull project. It can also be a time of cleansing and reorganizing. We get a chance to throw out old and unused items, we find items we had thought were lost and we begin to organize our disarray. Our pups look at this situation as change. Change is terrifying for most dogs. Most dogs are not naturally use to change. They are creatures of habit, and we are about to uplift them from their comfort zone. In doing this, one can experience behavior problems. Separation anxiety, excessive panting, drooling, or drinking of water, pacing, destruction, chewing, digging, defication or urination in the home, loss of appetite and loose stool are all examples of what you may experience with change. The best way to prevent or keep these behaviors from revealing themselves is to keep routines and habits as normal as possible.

Keep exercise routines in place: daily walks or runs will help keep the energy level low and prevent anxieties from building up. Don't just substitute with backyard playtime. They need their workout too, even if you are exhausted from the move.

Feedings and bathroom breaks: If you have them on a regular feeding schedule, keep the schedule as constant as you can. Don't overfeed or offer more water. They will most likely want to drink more, but that will only encourage more bathroom breaks.

Immediately start consistent routine in your new home: Show your dog the exit and entry points in the new house.  It may have multiple entry ways, so make sure your dog knows the bathroom exits and keep it consistent.  Also, begin to set exactly where you want their things like toys, beds, food and water bowls, crates, etc..  You want to avoid moving things around too much.  Your dog needs to know where his things are and where a good place is for them to settle away from the commotion.

Training training training! Take a break from moving and spend a little time with your dog training. This will mentally exhaust them and keep them a little calmer during the process.  When you keep the bond of training going through a move, it helps offset things that may lead to separation anxiety and other unwanted behaviors.

Keep them away from the hustle and bustle: There are going to be a lot people coming and going during the actual move out/move in. Keep your dogs safe and secure and away from the commotion. Play a radio or tv so they don't hear as much of the activity, this will help to keep the anxiety at bay as well.

I hope these tips help out in any future moves you may have. These tips also will help with vacations or pet sitting. Change does not always have to be a bad thing, but it can be scary and ALOTof work. Happy Training!

dJf