The idea of moving into a new home is wonderfully exciting, but the actual labour involved can be quite tiresome and stressful. And while wrapped up in the new endeavour, you may not notice just how ruff your four-legged best friend is taking it.
Before the Move
We’ll assume that you have already found a pet-friendly home, but how is the rest of the area? Here are some things to take into consideration before you make the big move, regardless of whether you’ll be a homeowner or renter:
- Is there a park or nice walking route nearby?
- How is your dog’s new spot? Where will his food, water, bed etc. go?
- Where is the nearest vet?
- Garden safety: is there a possibility of a great escape? How visible will your pup be from the outside?
- Howl your dog fit in to the neighbourhood? Take a walk around and note what other animal life is around – other dogs, roaming kitties or bunnies etc.
During the Move: Packing & Unpacking
You may think that your pup is lucky that he doesn’t have to be part of the painful packing process, but all the commotion is very likely to cause a bit of anxiety (for the both of you)! If you’re tense and highly strung, you can bet that your furry companion is going to pick up on that and mirror your feelings, so you’re going to have to be cool, calm, and strong for everyone. Also:
- Try to maintain his routine as much as possible to reduce stress
- Pack up his favourite room last
- Don’t wash his favourite toys/blanket: the familiar scent will comfurt him in the new home
- Consider keeping him away from the physical moving process completely: all the coming and going and commotion can cause unnecessary panic or make it easy for him to flea (maybe a friend can look after him for the day, or keep him in a separate room with treats and toys)
Getting Settled
This is the time to establish the new rules, routines, and boundaries so hit the ground running! It is inevitable that routines will change but try to stick as close as pawssible to the old way of how things were done (same eating time, walkies, playtime etc.).
Lastly, and very importantly, make sure that your buddy’s tags and microchip information is updated where necessary so that if he does a runner it’ll be easy for someone to help reunite him with his family.
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There’s nothing quite like a tasty treat to keep a dog’s mind off the commotion going on around, and we have quite a selection available at all PETWORLD branches and our online store!