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.

Moving On: Remember Your Pets When Relocating

Chance says "Remember your pets if you have to move. They want to go, too."

The HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) urges all pet owners faced with foreclosure to take their pets with them when they relocate. It's a tragic occurrence that's happening every day in America—families are being forced out of their homes when banks foreclose on their mortgages. But just because a family loses its home doesn't mean that the family pet must lose both his home and his family.


With a foreclosure crisis sweeping the nation, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is disturbed by reports that some residents forced out of their homes are simply leaving their pets behind. The HSUS urges all pet owners faced with foreclosure to take their pets with them when they relocate. Remember, abandoning your pet(s) is both irresponsible and illegal!

Pet owners may feel financially unable to care for their pets or are overwhelmed by a sudden move, but there are many alternatives to leaving pets behind. Abandoned pets face a grim future. Many pets trapped inside abandoned homes aren't found until they're on the brink of starvation. Those lucky enough to reach a shelter have about a 50 percent chance of being adopted. No one likes to think of leaving their pet at a shelter, but if you can't take him/her with you, it is by far more humane than leaving them in an apartment or a house alone.

Too many animals die alone this way every year. If people are absolutely unable to care for their pet any longer, they should take him or her to their local animal shelter or animal control agency. The shelter can provide food and housing while they try and locate a new home. Plan Ahead! These outcomes can be avoided by planning ahead as much as possible and finding pet-friendly housing.

The following steps can help in the search for pet-friendly rental housing: Give yourself enough time. If possible, check ads and contact real estate agents and rental agencies at least six weeks before you plan to move or when you first learn that foreclosure and/or eviction may be in your future. Make use of available resources. Contact the humane society or animal care and control agency serving the area into which you are moving: the agency may be able to provide you with a list of apartment communities that allow pets.

Gather proof that you're responsible. The more documentation you can provide attesting to your conscientiousness as a pet owner, the more convincing your appeal will be to your future landlord. This can include statements from current property managers and neighbors that you maintain your pet responsibly, as well as copies of veterinary records showing ongoing pet care.

Get it in writing. Once you have permission from a landlord, manager or condominium committee to have a pet, be sure to get it in writing. Comprehensive agreements protect people, property and the pets