Moving Home With Pets: How To Succeed?

Already in the previous days it is evident that something is changing. Men and women arrange things from here to there, there are cardboard boxes everywhere and the climate is tense. And to this is added that strangers come and take the furniture.

But instead of finally having peace and quiet in a familiar environment, it ends at night in strange rooms. “For naturally anxious dogs, the world tends to collapse”says Patricia Lösche, President of the German Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and Trainers.

Obviously also there are dogs that really don’t care where they are, as long as the person who usually takes care of them is there with them. “And wherever he is, the world is in order,” says the veterinarian and horse, dog and cat psychologist.

But, above all, dogs that come from animal protection centers and foreign countries they often have difficulty finding guidance where they belong. Especially when they have been in the new space for a short time. “They can have real problems with a move,” warns Lösche. The specialist points out that this begins already when packing the first boxes, because the environment changes relatively quickly.

According to the vet, some dogs may react to this insecurity, even aggression. The animal behavior expert recommends observing pets from the beginning.

“When the dog is already panting a lot when he begins to pack, he is restless, retracts its tail or does not separate more from its caregiver, the best thing would be to take it to another place for a while ”, he advises. And not only on the day of the move, he adds, but preferably already in the days before.

“When the dog has problems, it makes sense to take it into account, otherwise people will also start to suffer problems,” says Lösche. For instance, when the four-legged pet develops marked separation anxiety and persistently barks in your new home or start destroying things.

André Papenberg, President of the Association of Certified Dog Trainers, also advises keeping suffering dogs away for a while, preferably a trusted person, if not to a dog kennel or an animal shelter.

“Nevertheless, if the dog has never been there, you have to practice with it before and take it once or twice to see if it works”, He clarifies, after which he adds that these places must also please people.

Those who move should not only think about animal welfare. “If you own a dog and hire a moving company, it would be good to address the issue directly and say that a dog will accompany you on moving day”Says Daniel Waldschik, spokesman for the German Association of Moving and Logistics Companies (AMÖ). Company workers they might naturally fear dogs. “But generally companies have experience with it,” says Waldschik. “When the boss is aware of the matter, he does not entrust the work to this type of person.”

Already in the new home, Lösche recommends, the dog should find something that he trusts when entering. For example, a constellation of furniture with its bowls, its toys and its place to sleep. “Naturally, he smells familiar smells on furniture, rugs and the people themselves, but it would make sense not to clean things that belong to the dog much earlier“, advise.

Pets they also adapt more quickly to the new environment when pleasant things are done with them there, such as playing with them or feeding them. “That generates a positive climate from the beginning,” says the veterinarian.

And if after every walk through the new neighborhood is given a treat, adds the expert, then everything will be quickly in the past.

However, it is different when you have a very sensitive and even fearful dog. In those cases, Lösche points out, it could help to take a few walks around the new neighborhood days before the move, so that you can gain confidence in the surroundings of the new location. “Basically, you don’t have to say, ‘The dog has to go through this!’ approach the matter with tact and sensitivity”, Recommends Lösche.

In Papenberg’s opinion, the new place he goes to also plays a special role. “If I make a cultural change and move from the countryside to the city, many external stimuli are completely foreign to him and I have to sensibly lead him to the new situation”, dice.

And for safety reasons it would not hurt, says the dog trainer, pre-search for a new vet in the new destination, “That way you know where to call if something happens.”