Moving To A New House

THE PET TEACHER
In-YOUR-Home Dog Training
248-232-3655

MOVING TO A NEW HOME WITH YOUR DOG
Any move into a new environment can be stressful for your dog. Many dogs become
stressed with a simple re-arranging of your furniture, so you can imagine what a move
into a new home can trigger. A move into a shelter, a move from a shelter to your
home, moving from a prior owner’s home to your home, moving from your old house to
your new house -- all of these moves can create stress, and that stress can result in
behavioral issues, such as fear/fear aggression, destruction, barking and eliminating
inside the house. Everything is unfamiliar to the dog - there are new sights, new
smells, new doors, windows that are different sizes and likely in different places, the
room layout is different and you may even have gotten new furniture with the move.

Here are some suggestions to help minimize the impacts of a move.

First, be sure your dog has been well socialized. Make sure he has interacted with the
world outside of your current home by visiting new places, meeting new people, seeing
new sights. If that stresses him, then you can imagine how startling it will be to him
when he has to suddenly adapt to a 24/7 new environment. Dogs’ temperaments form
until they are 16 weeks old, and then that window closes. Anything that happens to your
dog in those first 16 weeks -- happy events or scary stuff -- he will carry as good or
fearful for the rest of his life. You can influence those memories, but first you need
to recognize them and then take steps to help balance your dog. Don’t wait until this
becomes a problem - socialize him before the fear embeds itself. I highly recommend
a qualified dog day care for helpful socialization.

Second, BEFORE THE MOVE, make sure that your dog learns Stay, Come, Wait At The
Door, Hush, Go To Your Spot, and Leave It. It will be far easier for your dog to learn
these in his current environment, and easier for you to practice this with him in your
new house.

Also, BEFORE THE MOVE, acclimate your dog to a crate. That way he can learn to
become comfortable in it before the move, and then have a familiar den of his own
during and after the move.

Spend some time in your new home LISTENING to the noises. This is ESPECIALLY
IMPORTANT if you are moving to a new apartment or condo where you are sharing
walls with your neighbor. Does your neighbor stomp on the floor, have a dog that runs
creating noise on your ceiling, a talkative cat, blasting music, loud tv, yelling children?
If you can hear it, so will your dog and these new noises can be stressful because he
can hear them but can’t see them. And that may cause him to bark or become
destructive. If you can do so, record the noises ahead of time and introduce them to
your dog in your current home. You can desensitize him to these noises by associating
them with happy rewards, which will help him toward better responses in your new
apartment. Same thing with unusual smells such as cooking with garlic or vibrant spices.

And speaking of apartments, don’t move into a new place with your dog if you can’t
handle the exercise that will be required when you no longer have a fenced yard to let
him out to potty and play. Just because you’ve moved to a second floor apartment, with
no yard, long work hours, and an injured knee doesn’t mean that your dog doesn’t need
daily exercise. A minimum of one hour of running each day (perhaps more depending on
your dog) or three 45-minute brisk walks, plus a way to mentally stimulate your dog is
required. Use Kong toys, Buster Cubes, Tug-A-Jugs, Waggles, and Bouncy Bones. Use a
Chase-It toy to help make play time more productive: www.chaseitpettoys.com/. You
might need to use a treadmill to help you, but make sure that it is safe for dogs with
the use of sides to prevent them from slipping off. Not all treadmills are safe for
dogs, and your dog MUST be acclimated to it: www.jogadog.com/. Please note that due
to dog fighting rings, some cities outlaw the use of treadmills for dogs. Please check
your local laws.

When you move be prepared to revisit Potty Training 101. Your dog will not
automatically know how to recognize a new door to let you know he has to go out. If
your dog is not neutered or is prone to marking, then be prepared that he will want to
mark this new environment. When you’ve moved in to your new house, hang a bell, teach
him how to use it, and take the time to ensure that he knows how to let you know that
he has to go outdoors to eliminate. You will find tips on potty training on this website.

If you are apartment living, you need to be prepared to take your dog out no matter
the weather, no matter the temperature. You might want to check, before you move,
if you are allowed to let your dog eliminate right outside your doorway. And then clean-
up immediately. Dogs are clean creatures and they DO NOT like to eliminate or even
walk through an area that is full of their droppings. CLEAN UP! Or be prepared to use
potty pads inside your apartment or purchase a proper-size dog litter box: www.
petapotty.com. Remember that dogs are not cats, and that dogs require enough room in
a litter box to pace, turn around and find just the right spot to eliminate; and if a male
dog they will need something to lift their leg against rather than your wall. These
little boxes in the stores are just not big enough for any dog over five pounds.

Practice good manners training in your new home so you can reward your dog for
learning in a fun environment. You can teach sit, come, stay or tricks -- because
everything you teach is a trick to the dog. So take the time to interact and have fun
with your dog in your new home!

If you plan enough ahead of your move, you can help your dog make a smooth and happy
transition that will be beneficial for both of you.