Moving house is widely acknowledged as one of life's most stressful experiences, and when you share your home with dogs, the challenge multiplies. After recently navigating a house move with three dogs following 19 years in the same property, I've learnt valuable lessons about supporting our canine companions through this upheaval.
Our dogs are remarkably attuned to our emotional states. When we're stressed, anxious, or unsettled, they pick up on these feelings and often mirror them. During the months of preparation, clearing out, and packing boxes, my dogs were acutely aware that something significant was happening. For Rem, the packing process itself proved most stressful. He'd position himself between me and any box I was filling, clearly concerned about the changes unfolding around him.
One crucial mistake I made was failing to plan proper dog care for moving day itself. I'd organised for one dog to stay with family, but hadn't thought through the logistics for the other two. This resulted in them being passed between different team members throughout the day, travelling in various vehicles, which created unnecessary stress, particularly for Fred who already finds car travel unsettling.
My top recommendation? Arrange for someone trustworthy to care for your dogs for the entire moving day, ideally someone they know well. If possible, extend this to overnight. This removes the worry of managing their needs whilst coordinating removals and cleaning.
Different dogs respond differently to moving. Observing how your dog behaves on holiday can provide useful insight. If they settle easily in unfamiliar environments when you're present, they'll likely adapt well to a new home. However, if they struggle with new surroundings, expect a longer adjustment period.
Practical tools made an enormous difference to our transition. Stress jackets, based on T-Touch principles, helped tremendously in those first few days. We also used Pet Remedy products extensively, including plug-ins and wipes. For Rem, I tucked a Pet Remedy wipe into his stress jacket, ensuring he had calming aromatherapy throughout the day.
Two weeks post-move, the dogs have largely settled, though Fred remains slightly on edge. New sounds, like the half-hourly bus passing our garden, initially startled him, though he's gradually adjusting. This illustrates the "rule of three" concept: dogs can hold stress from events for approximately three days, and prolonged stress naturally takes longer to dissipate.
Don't forget the administrative tasks: updating microchip details, informing your vet of address changes (or registering with a new practice), updating insurance policies, and ordering new identity tags with current contact information. I learnt this lesson the hard way when I misplaced our new tags for two weeks.
Finally, remember that stress often manifests as behaviours we might label "naughty". Increased barking, humping, digging, or chewing are frequently stress responses rather than deliberate misbehaviour. Allow your dogs several weeks to fully settle, maintain calm routines, and employ stress-reduction tools generously.
Moving house with dogs requires thoughtful planning, but with preparation and patience, you can minimise their stress and help them embrace their new home as confidently as old Dave did, who simply walked in and decided everything was absolutely fine.
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