Smoothly introducing your dog to your new home
Moving into your new home is very exciting, for your entire
family!! But did you know that introducing your dog into a
new home can be incredibly stressful for them? Fortunately,
there are a lot of things that we can do to make this
transition easier on them, which in the end makes it easier
on us!
 There
are a lot of things that you can do to make the move less
stressful on your pet. When moving, if possible, it would be
a good idea to leave the dog with a friend they know. This
will keep the dog out of your way when you are moving
furniture, and decrease the chance that any accidents may
happen. You can also leave the dog in the backyard while you
move, as long as it is fully fenced and they cannot escape!
Can’t do either? Well then, the ‘least worst’ scenario is
to crate your dog while moving the furniture into the home.
Make sure the crate is large enough that they can stand up,
turn around and lay down comfortably, and be sure to give
them access to water and let them outside to ‘do their
business’ every few hours. Doors will be left open, items
will be dropped, there will be a lot of commotion, and the
best way to keep your pet safe during this time is to keep
them out of the way!
During the packing process, you can actually plan ahead to
make this as smooth a transition as possible for your four
legged friend. Instead of trying to cram the packing into
one or two days, planning to pack over a longer period of
time can reduce the stress on your dog (and probably
yourself as well!). Make sure that you pack their water and
food bowls, toys, and blankets/beds in a separate box that
will be easily accessible once you are at your new home.
Dogs do not like change, so the more familiar the setting,
the better! One easy trick is to make sure that they have
belongings that smell like you, their people! Having a
familiar scent in a strange place can make the transition
easier. All you would need to do is put their toys in your
laundry hamper for a few days, and they will smell just like
you!! And don’t feel embarrassed, this is like the sweet
smell of roses for your dog. These are as important to your
dog as your child’s teddy bear is to them.
For more great tips on a
successful move with your pet, please visit
The Humane Society of the United
States.
Housetraining is always a big issue, and even well-trained
dogs may not know where to ‘go’ in a new home. When you
bring them to your new house, make sure that they are taken
into the back right away, where they can ‘do their
business’. It may sound silly, but it is always a good idea
to reward them with praise, so that they know they did
something good! It may seem odd to your new neighbors that
you are congratulating your dog for successfully going to
the bathroom (you may become the most talked about person on
your street), but your dog will think that they just won a
gold medal for it!! You will want to keep en eye on them to
make sure that they are able to find the back door (or front
door depending on the home) whenever necessary. Here is a
good rule of thumb to remember: let them out after playing
for a period of time (15-30 minutes depending on age), after
they wake up, and after they eat!
For puppies, the rules need to be modified slightly. You
still want to show them where the door is, and give them
lots of praise when they go where they should (this should
be a very exciting event for them, and remember that the
gold medal they are winning can come in the form of a
treat!). Be sure to let them outside as often as possible,
especially immediately after they eat, wake up, and every
10-15 minutes during playtime! There will be accidents, no
puppy is perfect (adorable yes, perfect no!), so be patient
and keep it positive!
Another point to keep in mind is that a puppy can ‘hold it’
for approximately 1 hour for every month they are old. For
example, a puppy that is only 2 months old, can generally
‘hold it’ for approximately 2 hours at a time! This may not
apply to every puppy, as they are just as different from
each other as we are from other people, but it does give you
an idea of what to expect.
For other great tips on
housetraining your pet, please visit The
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or
The
Humane Society of the United States.
Some other great links for
advice on moving with your pet include:
Pets Welcome
– a great website for finding pet friendly hotels, for those
long distance moves
Air Animal (pet
movers) – for the really, really long distance moves
Atlas World Group
-- great advice for moving tips |