Removals and Dogs

 HOW TO PREPARE YOUR DOG TO CHANGE HOME? 

For a dog, the moving process is similar to the one he lives when he first comes home, so it requires the same patience, care and affection. There is something that is essential to understand: the place you are leaving is not only your home, but also your territory.

To facilitate the transition we must:

• Keep your dog's routine to the fullest and better than ever (daily walks and at the same time are vital).
• Prepare the means of transport where you will travel.
• Practice a general health exam.
• Make him a nameplate with the address of the new house.
• Do not wash your dog's objects, but move them intact to the new home to preserve important odors for him.
• Do not change or renew your bed or blanket.

A great idea is to take him for several walks to the new house before moving, so he will begin to identify the new space and mark it with its smell. Also, increasing your interaction with it will make this change easier and faster.

 HOW TO ACT AND WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR DOG ON THE DAY OF THE MOVE? 

It is best to keep your pet away from all the chaos. Plan the routine of the day very well and take your dog to a dog nursery or spend the day at friends or family's house before the moving truck arrives and starts to empty the house. Remember that with the moving truck strange people get to take everything they find in “their” territory, which could be a rather stressful experience for your dog.

When you leave your dog, be sure to wear his favorite toy, bed or blanket and some piece of yours (preferably a T-shirt you slept with the night before and is impregnated with your smell (your natural smell, no perfume or lotion). All that will help decrease separation anxiety.

At the end of the move and before your dog arrives at the new house, hide his favorite prizes between the boxes and corners of the new home. Ideally, go for your dog until the move is over and they are all quiet at home. When your dog arrives, let him smell all the boxes, walk around the whole house and entertain himself looking for the prizes you previously hid. This will make your first experience in the new venue enjoyable and fun. Constantly happy it and feed him up.

 HOW TO HELP YOUR DOG ADAPT TO HIS NEW HOME? 

Well, the move is over. And now? We must help our pet to adapt to the new house as soon as possible! To do this, we recommend you to follow these practical tips:

Regarding the new home:

• Allows you to explore the new house (position of old or new furniture, stairs, rooms, bathrooms, garden).
• Assign rules and spaces where your dog can be.
• Prepare the place where you will sleep, it should be comfortable, warm and safe (choose a place with little traffic but from where your dog can listen to the family. That will prevent you from feeling lonely and unsafe).
• Set the right place for your dish of food and water, that site should be accessible to him at all times.

Regarding the new environment:

• Take it to explore the new neighborhood little by little, block by block and the first few weeks always use the same walking route.
• Check if there are neighboring dogs and present them with your pet (to present them try to make it on a neutral ground for both dogs, that is not near the house of either and much less in the house itself; a nearby park would be a good idea).
• Locate all the parks, gardens and open and safe spaces where you can go for a walk.

The most important thing is to restore your pet's routine as soon as possible, it will be the key for your dog to adapt and feel full again. He'll need your attention and perseverance. In some cases and especially when a routine is not established, the mood of dogs is seriously affected and may fall into depression. Don't let that happen and remember that for your dog change is as strong and important as it is for you.

Source: Super Puppies