Moving house - how do I make it stress free for the dog?

[ozzia]

After a bit of advice. We're moving house, only 10 minutes down the road, but I want to make it stress free for the dog. He's 2.5 years and we're his 3rd home as we got him from someone who couldn't look after him. He's pretty relaxed most of the time but isn't sure when boxes and suitcases start appearing. He will have to go with a different dog walker too which I'm sure he'll get used to but may add to any stress.

Is there anything I can do to make it easier

[pigsDOfly]

If you think the experience is likely to stress him out you could try getting the Adaptil diffuser or collar, never used them myself but a lot of people on here have recommended them for others.

I moved not long ago with my 4 yo dog. We move to a flat for just over a month and then moved into our house - we've been here nearly 2 months now and she's been fine and settled in really quickly. We also moved when she was about 4 months old.

I've had my dog from 8 weeks so she's had a more settled life than you little chap, but I really got the impression that as long as I was with her and we had our walks and she was fed at more or less the same time as usual in her usual bowl she was pretty pragmatic about it.

Obviously, I made sure she had her bed and her favourite toys as well.

I don't think dogs are as territorial as cats, for instance, and as long as they have their people they'll be ok with going pretty much anywhere.

I've read it's a good idea to put them in kennels during the actual move, but that would have really stressed my dog out, so she, together with her bed etc, was given one of rooms - previously empted - in the house I was moving from to stay in while all the activity was going on.

[tinymeteor]

You can get an Adaptil plugin that goes into a wall socket - could be worth using in the new room where they will be sleeping, to help them relax there. For the move itself I'd keep them out of the way while boxes are being banged around - can a friend or relative have them for the day? - and introduce them to the new house once you're in that evening and things are calmer. A dog will take its first impressions of a place with their sense of smell, so perhaps hide some treats for them to sniff out as they explore, to give them a positive experience of the new place.

[ozzia]

He may well be fine as he will be there with us. I think not being there and suddenly going to a new place could make it tougher but it's hard to know isn't it. If only he could talk!!