Are you moving home with your dog soon?  With some forethought and planning it doesn’t have to be as challenging and difficult as you think.

Maybe you’ve found a new job a few towns over and have to move, or perhaps you have finally decided to pack up your things and move to a different State or even another country where you have always wanted to live.

Whichever the case, most dog owners have some concerns about what moving day. Will it go smoothly, and will your dog adjust without any problems?  Or will your dog take a little more time to get over the move and used to its new surroundings.

Packing your boxes

Your dog will be intrigued as you start your sorting out and packing of boxes.  No doubt you’ll start to do this days, if not weeks in advance, but letting them watch you slowly pack and talking to them whilst it’s going on will help sooth some nerves and reduce possible anxiety.

Try not to upset your dog’s routine during the packing process – keep your dog’s day as normal as possible. If you have regularly scheduled feeding times and times for going for walks, make sure to keep them. Even before the boxes start to pile up interrupting your dog’s schedule can alert them to the fact that  something is about to change and can cause undue stress.

Remember to pack a box for just your dog’s things and be able to find it easily!

If you’re using a removalist to move you we recommend you make sure you have a box with you in your car of your dog’s favorite toys, its bed, its comfort blanket, and of course items like their food bowl, water bowl, their food and some yummy snacks for when you get there. 

Otherwise have this box packed last and make sure it’s well labelled so you can access it as soon as you arrive. 

Having your dog see their things being placed in your new home will help make them feel safe and at ease.

Moving your dog internationally

We think our German Shepherd Roxy was a very well travelled dog.  She moved overseas with us twice.  It can be an expensive part of your move and you need to plan and include it in your overall move budget.  I’m sure she actually was up in first class whilst we were in economy given the fees we paid!

A couple of things you need to consider when moving to other countries include

• Which dog carrier service to use – do your research and get recommendations from other dog owners – remember that the cheapest might not necessarily be the best, or may not be fully inclusive, be clear on what they are providing
• What inoculations such as rabies will be needed and what is the timeline for that – you may have to start planning this move months in advance depending on the countries involved 
• Is quarantine needed for your dog?  Can you and will you visit your dog in quarantine?  We choose not to visit Roxy in quarantine as we didn’t feel it was fair to visit and then leave her.  But boy was she happy to see us when we finally turned up!
• Do you need to provide the crate of will the pet courier you use do that as part of their service?

This list is not exhaustive but gives you an idea of how to get started.  Most professional pet courier companies will provide lots of advice and help to you.

How will your dog travel?

You may not be moving too far and will just put your dog in the back of your car with their harness.  Of course many of you will always have your dog in a crate in the car. For inter-state of international moves that involve professional pet couriers they will give you advice and guidance on what is required to get your dog to your new home location.

Check out your new place for…..

We’ll assume you have a yard if you have a dog, so take a walk around be sure that there aren’t any poisonous plants or hazardous garden chemicals for your pet to get into.  Make sure you also know where any such items that you are bringing with you have been put off the removalist’s van.

Teach your dog to get out of the pool

If you are lucky enough to move to a new property that has a pool you may want to make sure your dog knows where the built-in steps are or even the regular steps that if necesssary they can cling onto until help arrives.

Take your time….

It can be strange for everyone to move to a new neighborhood and this no different for your dog.  You might think it’s exciting to have so many new smells and things to look at, but the reality is your dog may be quite stressed by the move and event be off their food for some days or even weeks.  If this continues see your new veterinarian – which reminds us – register your dog and other pets with a new vet centre.  Ask other dog owners or check out some local Facebook groups for recommendations – or even ask your realtor.

Introduce your dog to your new place with a walk around the rooms and yard.  Allor your pet time to explore as they see fit and be patient – remember it wasn’t their choice to move and they may not be as enthusiastic about it as you are.

Dogs get homesick too

Many dogs are just happy to be with their owners at home, and while a lot of dogs (especially older dogs) do get unsettled and what we would think as being a little bit homesick, but hopefully as you establish your routine and find some great walks things will improve.  

Good Luck With Your Move