If a move is a stressful event for humans, it is just as stressful for the pets that accompany them. Loss of bearings, new environment: moving can be a source of anxiety for a dog. How to facilitate this change of life for your faithful companion? Here are some tips to help you get the best of it.
How to prepare your dog before the move?
For everything to go as well as possible for your dog on D-Day and in the weeks following his arrival in his new home, a few precautions must be taken before the move.
If you have the opportunity, show your future home to your dog, so that he can start to take new bearings and that the change is less brutal. You don’t have the keys to your future home yet? Walk your dog around the neighborhood so that he can familiarize himself with the sounds and smells of his new environment.
To avoid too much stress for your animal, try to organize yourself as much as possible in advance. Start preparing the boxes quietly, one piece at a time, leaving all your dog’s belongings accessible. Do not change his bowls or bedding so as not to disturb him.
Do you have no choice but to carry out these emergency preparations? If your dog is naturally anxious, it will be best to entrust him to relatives for a few days to protect him from the haste and ambient stress.
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Moving day
D-Day has arrived! The ideal solution is to keep your dog away from the bustle, so that he is not disturbed by the comings and goings, the transport of furniture and all the inevitable noises during a move.
Again, if you can, entrust your faithful companion to relatives for a day. Preferably choose people he knows, with whom he has already been and with whom he feels confident.
If this is not possible, isolate your dog in a room of your old house by installing his things there. Even if the situation seems difficult for him, it will however be much less stressful than if he found himself in the middle of the move. What’s more, familiar and reassuring smells are still present in this house, which will help him to calm down.
Once all the back and forth between your old home and the new one is over – provided of course that you are not moving to the other side of the country – pick up your dog and put all his belongings in an easily accessible box.
If there is still unrest in your new home, isolate it again in a room, but for as short a time as possible. This time, no smell is familiar to him and the lack of landmarks will be a source of anxiety. Come see him regularly, talk to him calmly and put his things at his disposal, as well as water and dog food or mash.
How to reassure your dog after the move?
Once calm has returned, make sure that all doors and all exterior accesses are closed to prevent your dog from running away, and let him discover his new home at his own pace, staying by his side to reassure him.
Arrange his living space, and keep the usual schedules for his meals and outings to help him find small landmarks. If you have the possibility, the ideal is to take a few days off after the move to be able to stay with him, until he understands that you are sharing this new living space together and that you are not going there. give up on it.
During the first weeks, walk him preferably on a leash in the neighborhood, the time that he gets used to the places, the smells and the noises. It is possible that he develops, temporarily, certain behavioral problems. For example, he can go back to doing his business in the house like when he was a puppy. In this case, go back to the basics of toilet training, taking him out more frequently to do his business.
He can also show his stress by attacking objects or furniture. Play regularly with him to allow him to channel and evacuate his anxiety, and leave him occupation games when you are away.
Finally, if your dog barks often, do not worry: he is only reacting to noises to which he is not yet accustomed. In any case, do not scold him so as not to increase his concern. If after a few weeks, these symptoms do not improve, the help of a behaviorist can be very useful.