MOVING HOUSE?

While some doggos cruise through moving to a new house with no problems whatsoever, for some it can be stressful, even traumatic. However, if you are well prepared you can help them to cope.

BEFORE MOVING, consider these things:

• Commence crate (or pen) training, or reintroduce the crate if it’s been a while, to ensure she has a safe and familiar place to retreat to in your new home. If the crate has been introduced properly, it will be a place she has learnt to love and therefore feel secure in, something she is going to need in new unfamiliar surroundings. You may need to start this well in advance of the move to ensure it is effective.

• Toilet training (yep, even if your dog is already toilet trained). If your new home doesn’t have a garden, where are you planning to toilet her? If you are expecting your dog to hold on until she is taken outside to the council strip or a park, you might want to start work on building up control of her bladder and bowel movements. This is especially important if she currently can go in and out as she pleases and you’re not really sure how often she actually goes to the toilet.

If you are planning to introduce a dog potty, you might want to train it now while she is in a familiar place. Adding too many new requirements on top of a new environment may be stressful and make it difficult for her to learn. Teaching her to use it now will help her to know what to do in your new home and avoid accidents.

• If you are going to be living several floors up, will your dog need to go in a lift to get in and out daily? If she hasn’t been in a lift before you might need to seek opportunities to practise using one before the big move. She may struggle to cope and need to work up to it slowly over a number of sessions. There may also be other dogs in the building that use the lift daily too.

• What kind of surfaces does your new home have? Some dogs can be nervous of surfaces they aren’t used to, for example shiny slippery tiles. Can you introduce these surfaces prior to the move, at a friend or family members house perhaps?

• What other changes are going to be a part of the move? For example, if you have never frequented cafes with her before and this is something you want to do a lot of in your new area, spend time preparing her for it by teaching her a solid place or drop command with distractions (including other dogs).

ON MOVING DAY

• All the packing and moving of furniture and other items she is familiar with may be confusing to your dog. Not to mention you may be stressed, grumpy and/or emotional, which she will most likely pick up on. Keeping her out of it may be best so she doesn’t experience a build up of stress across the day that can lead to a melt down later on. Can she go to a familiar place for the day, perhaps a family member or friend’s house or to dog day care?

• Make sure when it’s time for her to join you, she has familiar items, like her crate and favourite blanket or toy, and rules and routines that she knows well.

• When it comes to your interactions with her, don’t over compensate for the fact that the change might be stressful for her. She will do much better with certainty and structure. Don’t baby or fuss over her. Stay calm and confident. She needs you to take the lead on this.

IN YOUR NEW HOME

• Try to reduce the amount of space she has access to in the first instance. Keep as many doors closed as possible. Gradually introduce her to new rooms and areas as she gets settled. This is important for her to feel secure and to ensure she doesn’t toilet inappropriately somewhere for you to find later on.

• Build confidence, familiarity and manners through the use of your dog’s lead, both inside and outside the house. Don’t underestimate the power of the lead to guide her in making the kinds if choices you want her to make in your new home.

• Pick where you want her to toilet and take her there on lead whenever you think she needs to go, or should go (ie every night before bed). If you practise it often enough, eventually she'll toilet in that area without the lead.

• Be aware of any potential safety issues around the home and garden. Is this house much closer to a road or waterway? Is there a pool? Is fencing secure? Where are the bins kept? (Rubbish bins contain all sorts of dangers for dogs and you should never underestimate a dog’s determination to get into something nice and smelly).

• Seriously consider that this is a good chance to set up a few new rules and routines that you would like. Dogs often associate certain behaviours with certain environments (for example, I am allowed on the couch at home but not at Grandma’s house). So, now’s your chance to create new associations with this new environment. Maybe it’s staying off the furniture. Maybe it’s going to her bed or crate when the doorbell rings, instead of racing to the door. Start from day one so it just becomes the norm in the new house.

• Start with short walks and build up slowly as her confidence increases in her new environment. If you haven’t spent any time in the area prior, everything will be new to her – sights, sounds, smells, and other dogs – and it could be overwhelming.

Enjoy your new home and make sures it’s full of certainty, security and trust for your dog 

The sooner you start preparing the better. Need help? Contact us.