getting a dog with a house move sort of on the horizon

[bouncealeen]

Probably stupid that this hadn't occured to me before, but reading a book about dogs this afternoon which says getting a dog before moving house is a bad thing to do (along with being pregnant).

We are in a rented house at the moment and we do intend on moving house at some point in the somewhat future. However the house we own elsewhere that we need to sell isn't even on the market yet, and we aren't actively looking for houses where we want to buy. I would guess that a move is about a year away at the earliest. Is this time frame okay?

It's common for dogs to find a house move unsettling. For instance, my rather highly strung dog stopped letting visitors through the front door and we had to have a session with a behaviourist to sort it out. Other dogs can need refresher toilet training. Some, of course, take it in their stride.

With the house move at least a year away I'd be unconcerned as the dog will be settled within the family at that point; if we were talking 6 months I'd say to wait.

However, if you're looking for a rescue dog and aren't overly specific with your requirements, you can often get through the adoption process quite quickly. If you're after a puppy then by the time you've researched and picked a breed, found a good breeder and reached the top of their waiting list you'll probably be in the new home anyway.

Do you have permission from your current landlord to get a dog?

Thanks Avocados. I've taken on board that it might be a difficult time for the dog, and to keep it in mind with our timeframes. At the moment we are leaning towards a rescue dog so I suppose it could be quite soon.

Yes, our landlords are happy for us to get a dog. They are great animals lovers and think animals are essential to life.