Helping Your Dog Transition to a New Home
No one likes to move and it can add a lot of unwanted stress on our lives. But have we ever wondered or even considered just how much it also can and does affect your poor dog? It doesn't matter whether you dog is a pug, chihuahua, bulldog or rottweiler, all dog breeds not only sense stress but experience it for themselves.
So when you are moving, you need to make sure that you include the feelings of your dog, and whatever you do, never think that moving is an excuse to give your dog up. Make sure that wherever you move your best friend can come with you.
Probably one of the first things you can do is before you even have the dog, we all know, that most of us are going to move sometime in our lives, so it's important that before you choose a dog, do your research on what kind of training they require and how much time you will need to care for the dog. Then before you bring your new friend home make sure that you have everything he needs to feel safe and comfortable so that the moment he steps into your home he is completely free from stress from day one.
Once your little friend has grown accustomed to you and being part of the family you should always consider training your dog to be willing to stay calmly in a dog crate. This will be important in the future for any type of travel or moving that might arise.
You should also make sure that your dog is properly house trained. If you have a yard make sure to train them to know that is where they should go. You should also include training them to go when you are walking them on a leash, this is good for those who have no yards or who may end up moving to a place that no longer has a yard. This way, your dog will be well trained either way. Once they are house trained, it doesn't matter where you move to, they will know that they need to ask to go outside to do their business.
Make sure that your dog is trained how to act safely and politely around other people in your family, around your friends as well as around strangers. Knowing how to behave in a polite manner is going to really relieve their stress when you are moving to a new location. If they are not anxious about being around strangers this will help them transition to a new neighborhood.
Make sure that your dog is use to lots of different things early in his life like riding in a car, staying in a boarding kennel for a night or two, how to socialize with other dogs, how to react when there are loud noises or unexpected things that might crop up at any time. A well prepared dog is a dog that is able to cope with anything new to them.
When you begin planning for your move, remember, your dog is by now a true member of your family and you need to include him in your decision on where to move. First and foremost make absolutely sure that your kind of dog will be allowed where you are moving to. Some dog breeds are not allowed in some neighborhoods. And always have a back up plan in case the worst case scenario arises where you absolutely cannot take your dog with you.
Be patient and take extra time find the right place that will take you and your dog. There are going to be many places that will reject pets but you can't give up, your dog is an important part of your family and you can't let him down.
Make sure that when you know you are really going to move that you get a nice dog crate for your dog and make sure there are plenty of treats, favorite toys and something comfortable to lay on already in the crate when you need for him to get in the crate on moving day.
When the day of the move arrives make sure that your dog has had plenty of attention and love during the day and ask for your dog to get into his crate with encouragement. Before doing so however; it is important that you give your dog the opportunity to relieve himself before you start your journey. After this you can put him in his crate. Make sure that the crate is in a quite spot away from all of the hustle and bustle of those who are helping you move boxes and furniture, this will help ensure that your dog remains calm, this will also keep him safe and out of the way.
Once you get to your new place you may need to give your dog a quick house training refresher course. This makes sense since he yet knows the area nor where the areas are that he can exit to do so. So make sure that this is one of the first things that you do so that he knows where to go to let you know when he needs to go out.
Make sure you allow your dog to explore and smell all around the house and the yard if you have one. This allows him to feel more at home and to see that there is nothing to be afraid of. Make sure that you try to go with him while he explores. And never leave him in the new yard a lone until you have had a chance to see how his behavior is in his new surroundings.
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