Dogs may appear to be happy-go-lucky creatures, but they can experience stress just like people. When things change in a dog’s life, they can become confused, frustrated and sometimes even despondent. Moving houses shakes up a dog’s life quite a bit, and can cause them a lot of stress.

Thankfully, there are steps you can take to ensure that your dog comfortably adjusts to a move, leaving you time to focus on the tasks at hand. To help you move your pets into a new home, we’ve assembled a list of tips on how to help your dog cope with the stress of moving.

Familiarize Your Dog with Their Travel Method

If you’ll be traveling over a long distance, it’s important to get your dog familiar with their travel method. For instance, if taking a plane, get your dog familiar with the air crate. Or if traveling by car, go on a few short drives with your dog in the months leading up to the move. Dogs generally dislike traveling by any method that doesn’t involve their paws. Getting them used to their travel method reduces stress and makes them easier to handle during a move.

Keep Dogs on a Regular Schedule While Preparing to Move

Dogs crave routine. As creatures of habit, it makes a big difference when their schedule gets shaken up. Moving may be the number one priority in your mind, but since dogs don’t know that, a change in their schedule is a big deal.

Staying on a regular schedule helps comfort dogs in the days leading up to a move. You won’t be able to keep everything in the same place that your dogs are used to them being. But you can still feed and walk them at the same time each day to help them deal with moving stress. Going on regularly scheduled walks has the added benefit of giving you a break from the stress of moving, too.

Reduce Feeding Amount

Dogs can get car sick just like humans. If you’ll be taking a long car ride, or even taking your dog with you on an airplane, reduce their food intake beforehand. This way they’ll be less likely to experience an upset stomach during travel.

Hire a Pet Sitter or Doggy Daycare

The actual day of the move is the most stressful day for everyone, but dogs have a particularly difficult time with it. If you hire movers, dogs will have to deal with the stress of unfamiliar scents and sounds in their home on top of leaving that home behind. Consider hiring a pet sitter for a day or sending your dog to doggy day care. This gets them out of the way and lets them play instead of stress out. Once you’ve completed your move and unpacked to a satisfactory level, bring the dog into their new home.

Let Your Dog Explore the New Home

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it comforts the dog. Let your dog have free roam of the house when you first arrive to become acquainted with the unfamiliar space. Remember that dogs may not have aspirations, but they still have wants, likes and dislikes. Allowing them to explore the new home gives them a chance to choose the spots they like. This freedom goes a long way towards reducing the stress of moving for dogs.

Get Back into Your Regular Routine Quickly

Once you’ve settled in, it’s time to get back into a routine. Maintaining the same feeding and walking times you always have reassures your dog that things haven’t really changed. Plus, they’ll want to explore the new neighborhood. So snap on that leash and fill up that bowl right on the dot!

Ready to Move Your Dog into a New Home?

Now that you know how to help your dog cope with the stress of moving, you’re ready for the real deal. If you need help during your next move, Alliance Moving & Storage is ready to lend a hand. Our expert moving teams have years of experience helping people just like you achieve moves with minimal stress. Contact us today to see how our relocation experts can make your next move easier for you and your furry friends.