Moving To A New Home With Your Dog.

Chance says, " Take care of your best buddy when you move! Or you could have Major Trouble."

Are you planning to move to a new home? Are you worried that your pet might be stressed or stressing out about the move? Here are some tips to help you ease this traumatic experience for your pet. And, by the way, moving is one of the 3 most traumatic things a person can do in their lives. (My family owned a successful moving and storage company in WV for over 75 yrs. and I can attest to that statement, seeing it first hand.)

Review crate training. If a dog is crate trained, it is most likely going to take moving in stride better than a dog that isn't crate trained. Start a week ahead of time by putting your dog in its crate for one minute, then increase in 3-minute increments until you are up to 3o minutes. If your dog begs to get out, don't let them out. If you do, you are rewarding the begging. i.e. crying, whining.

Nip the nervousness in the bud. They have a great product out called a DAP diffuser or DAP collar. This contains a dog-pleasing pheromone which is similar to a mother dog nursing her puppies. Also start a week early to help keep your dog calm.

Introduce the new house. Getting your dog acclimated to your new home is smart. Before the move, take your pet to the home and let them explore the place. Take them on a lead or in their carriers. Let them explore for a few hours and then take them back to their familiar surroundings.

Get your new house ready for your pet. Before you move everything in, plan where you are going to put everything for your pet. Also, get the fencing up, if your new place doesn't have it.

Keep your pet out of the way of the movers. Moving men are their to do a very hard job. They have to deal with the home owner and make sure they don't damage anything. If your dog is running amok among them, it just makes things too hard for everyone involved. So, I suggest that you take your dog to a doggie daycare or a friends house. Even your vet is a great place to keep your best friend through the whole thing. Also, the most important aspect of this is keeping your pet safe. A nervous pet will bolt out an open door in a second, and don't think yours won't. Even the best trained dogs will bolt if scared.

Be conscious of security. Moving may prompt your dog to go into what I call "survival mode." Your pet may tap into its inner escape artist and bolt. All the chaotic energy may cause your dog to want to escape all of it. Fear does a lot, remember that. Keep doors closed and locked, and see that your dog doesn't try to "leave" with you when you leave the home. Remember, moving is stressful not only to humans, but especially to your pets.