How avoid traumatizing your dog when moving to a new house is important because moving to a new house is stressful to every member of the family, and that includes your dog.
We assume children are the most affected because they are apprehensive about leaving their friends and worry whether they would be able to make new friends in the new place. Similar feelings of unsettlement and insecurity affect dogs too, but they cannot voice their concerns and we cannot explain things to them.
Dogs Take Time to Settle in a New Environment
We can only imagine how the dog views the world around him. He must be having certain places in the house and the yard he loves more than the others. There may be many people in the neighbourhood that he is friendly with.
He must have established an unspoken hierarchy among the dogs and other animals in the neighbourhood. When he is taken to a new place, an entirely new set of sights and smells greet him. Many familiar faces like that of the mailman and the milkman would be replaced by new ones.
His routines may have become disrupted if you have been lax in dog care responsibilities due to unpacking, and cleaning chores.
Stress Symptoms in Dogs
It is not rare to find dogs developing physical problems such as loss of appetite, diarrhoea or vomiting when their family is moving. It may not be due to any stomach bug, but just stress symptoms in the dog.
If he makes a mess, it will be extra work for you, but try to understand that the dog cannot help it. Talk kindly to him as you clean up the mess and cuddle him reassuringly.
Your dog may show his anxiety by behavioural changes too, but you should not be impatient with him. He may start doing potty on the carpet or try to tear apart your furniture.
He is not doing it out of spite. He is simply confused and unsettled because his schedule has gone haywire. You cannot assure him verbally that everything will be fine, but you can try to make his schedule as regular as possible.
Unpack his things and some of his favorite items like the couch or the rug first. Arrange these essentials after removing all clutter from some part of the house.
Take Care When Walking Your Dog
You can give a miss to bathing and grooming rituals for a while but continue with other dog care responsibilities as usual. Get a member of the family to give extra attention to the dog while others are busy unpacking things.
Take the dog out for walks frequently, but always have a tight grip on the leash. If something unfamiliar scares him and causes him to take off, he may not be able to find his way back to your new home.
Your Local Vet Can Help Your Dog Calm Down With Medication
If the stress symptoms in the dog do not get resolved within a few days, you can take him to the vet to rule out any physical problem. He may prescribe some calming tablets that would help your dog feel better.
But, more than anything, what your dog wants is your reassuring presence and show of affection. Your dog will eventually settle down as the household returns to normalcy.
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