HollyMilo Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 We are moving to a new house in a couple of weeks. It is our first move in about 20 years so it's quite daunting. Our dogs are almost 7 and 8 years old and have only ever lived in this house. I'm beginning to worry about how they will handle the move. Does anyone have any tips regarding moving house with dogs? Any ways to help them settle in quickly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aleksandra 157 Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 I have moved house frequently over the years ,and no problems with the dogs.I think as long as their family is there they settle very well. I do always make sure the new property is totally fenced etc. and for us it is easier on them and us to put them in boarding kennels for a few days so they are not upset by the movers and disruption while furniture is being moved etc.as this can upset them.Good Luck in you new house :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlet Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 I have moved house frequently over the years ,and no problems with the dogs.I think as long as their family is there they settle very well. I do always make sure the new property is totally fenced etc. and for us it is easier on them and us to put them in boarding kennels for a few days so they are not upset by the movers and disruption while furniture is being moved etc.as this can upset them.Good Luck in you new house :) I agree completely. Just to add: you may want to have everything nice and clean but don't wash their bedding before you move. Try to keep routines as similar as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 When I moved house after living there for 14 years with 5 dogs ( 2 older than yours ) there were no problems at all & the dogs were fine. I left them in the old house in one empty room Until everything was moved to the new house & unloaded & then went back in the car to get them. They were most interested exploring the new place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leah82 Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 When we moved, we moved Collie with the first load, we didn't want to leave him by himself in a half empty house. I stayed at the new place and unpacked while OH and the extra man help went back for more loads of stuff. Once the furniture is in and they have their bed and other stuff they usually settle quite quickly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaCharlie Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Dogs are pretty adaptable, they handle moves pretty easily (its cats that cause the issues :laugh: ) Some of ours are on their 5th or 6th house now and they just take it all in their stride. Our most recent move was in May of this year and moving 6 hours away meant they just had to come with us. They spent the preceding 30hours in the car pretty much as we had to travel up here to get the keys, sleep the night in the new house (not fenced so they slept in the car/ dog trailer) then travelled back to Canberra the following morning ready to pack the truck. The car was the safest place to keep them while we packed furniture, they then slept in the car again that night and travelled back up again the next morning. Once we arrived we set up some c-crates to contain them temporarily and some were allowed access to the house. They got to have a big swim at the beach the next morning as a reward for all the confinement :D If that didn't unsettle them or cause them stress, I don't know what would :) When I was moving to houses that were an easy distance I would take the dogs with me each time I took a trip between houses, they could check out the new house while I did what I had to do, then came back to the old house with me. That way I wasn't leaving them in a new house unattended while I went back and forth, I think it helped them to settle in. I also like to spend a fair bit of time with them once things have settled down, playing games in the yard etc to make them feel comfortable. It all depends on the dog really, but I have never experienced any problems with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHA Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 My number one tip - is make sure that the yard is absolutely secure and they cannot get out. Also when people are opening the front door etc. ensure you have an extra eye on the dogs as I found some of mine would try to escape due to the unfamiliar surroundings and stress. Once you've been there a while together and they learn the new routine - they'll be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Our guys are 6 and have lived in 5 different houses :laugh: they always settle in quickly but the one thing the buggers do sometimes is pee on the floor in the new house just to mark their territory :/ even though they're otherwise perfectly toilet trained. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HazyWal Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 I've had both my greyhounds for 4 years. We moved 14 months ago and Maddie was beside herself, firstly weeing on the floor when I started packing boxes and then weeing on the floor at the new house the minute I left for 4 months after we moved in. We are moving from Sydney to Melbourne next week and as soon as I started packing boxes she has started weeing on the floor again. Yes most dogs are adaptable but some just don't cope at all like Maddie and there's nothing I can do to make her understand that it'll be ok, she's just a stressy dog I'm expecting her to not settle again for quite a while and I just have to comfort her and wait until she thinks it's all ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniek Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 When we moved, we packed boxes over a few weeks and moved some in the evenings leading up to the move, leaving dog at old ouse. On the big moving day we had dog looked after by a neighbour, then we took him to the new house which of course had all of our and his stuff in it. He just laid down after having a good sniff - no stress at all. When we went back to clean the old house, we took him with us - he walked into the house, saw that it was empty and took off back into the car, and stayed in it all day. So was very easy move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyMilo Posted October 31, 2014 Author Share Posted October 31, 2014 Thanks for the replies. Our guys are 6 and have lived in 5 different houses :laugh: they always settle in quickly but the one thing the buggers do sometimes is pee on the floor in the new house just to mark their territory :/ even though they're otherwise perfectly toilet trained. Peeing inside is something I'm really worried about. They both christened the new carpet in our current house when we had it replaced even though they were both toilet trained. The new house will have brand new carpet in almost the entire upstairs area so I'm really concerned about that. We checked the fences before we signed the contract. Just a couple of spots to reinforce but otherwise good. I guess my biggest concern was just being in a new space, especially when we have to leave them alone. The neighbours are much closer, I hope they don't nuicence bark because it's all new and unfamiliar. There are a few things to be done after settlement, before we move in, so I might take them over there a few times to get them used to the sounds and smells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megan_ Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 I shipped mine off to the dog sitter the night before and picked them up when the move was complete. They had a quick look around and decided they liked it. I didn't want them here with movers leaving doors open etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjelkier Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 None of our Samoyeds had moved before this time recently and they were all fine. I was sure they'd bark heaps as well going from country to town but they were surprisingly good. My poor Lab however didn't cope at all and this dog has moved many times in his life but this time it was just too much for him. He cried for days and I was forced to give him rescue remedy just to keep him from losing it. He settled eventually and is now totally fine but those first few days were pretty shitty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumsie Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 we left our dog at a kennel for two days, this gave us time to move and check the fences, set up and cope with primary aged children. If you are concerned about the peeing on the carpet upstairs put a kid/dog proof fence across. Our dogs sleep upstairs at night with us but when we come downstairs in the morning the fence is put in place. Everything will be fine, enjoy your new place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 I thought Zig might mark in the new house as the carpets were pretty disgusting and the previous owners had dogs (we ripped the carpet up as soon as humanly possible!!!) So I only let him loose in the house when 100% supervised and took him outside to mark every few minutes with buckets of praise. When I couldn't supervise he was crated. LOTS of exercise and training as an outlet and he was perfectly fine within a few days. It was worth being over cautious initially. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esky the husky Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 My number one tip - is make sure that the yard is absolutely secure and they cannot get out. Also when people are opening the front door etc. ensure you have an extra eye on the dogs as I found some of mine would try to escape due to the unfamiliar surroundings and stress. Once you've been there a while together and they learn the new routine - they'll be fine. This!!! I've just moved again and this is Esky's (not quite 5 years old) 7th house. She was really bad at first.. escaped the yard.. I had to send her back to stay with my ex while I triple layeres the fence. . They really just wanted some more bess and shade.. I thinm thwy are happy now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty Miss Emma Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 When I've moved I've taken the dogs on trips with me to the new house, I tend not to move in on the first day but a couple of days after I get the property! So they come and check out what the place is like while I do bits and pieces. When I've actually moved I always make sure I have all the dog stuff completely accessible and the dogs have either gone to a friends place or mum and dad's when I'm actually moving. Once all the furniture is moved then I make sure the dogs beds are in a somewhat similar place to where they have always been, water bowl is in it's place and toys are around (especially the favourites!). And each time the dogs have just come in and decided that this must be home now as all their stuff is there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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