Settling a canine into a fresh abode: Veterinarian offers five indispensable strategies, emphasizing the crucial aspect of number three
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Moving to a new home can be a stressful experience for both humans and their four-legged friends. Pooch & Mutt's resident vet, Dr Linda Simon, has offered five tips to help dogs settle into their new home smoothly.
Dr Simon explains that there's a lot for dogs to take in when moving, such as new smells, a new sleeping space, a new garden, or a new walking route. To help your dog adjust, it's essential to create a designated safe space with familiar bedding or toys, maintain a consistent daily routine, manage separation anxiety patiently, monitor behavior changes, and gradually retrain and rebuild comfort areas like sleeping quarters.
Setting up a comfortable, secure area such as a crate or dog bed in the spot where you want your dog to rest, using items with familiar scents from their previous home, can help reduce anxiety. Maintaining the dog's regular feeding, sleeping, and play schedule provides stability and reduces stress during the transition.
Addressing separation anxiety is crucial. Showing patience, consistency, and slowly increasing alone time can help the dog feel secure. Watching for behavior changes such as fear or stress, and introducing new areas of the home (including the yard) gradually and under supervision, can prevent overwhelming them.
Retraining basics and rules consistently helps the dog understand expectations in the new environment and rebuild trust and routine. Ensuring safety by removing hazards before arrival and keeping updated veterinary care and identification like collar tags and microchips current can prevent loss during the adjustment.
To provide mental stimulation and serve as an effective boredom-buster, Dr Simon recommends the Outward Hound Nina Ottosson Dog Worker Dog Puzzle. It's also important to provide dogs with their best dog treats during a move.
Dr Simon advises allowing for behavior that's out of character in dogs during the adjustment period. It's possible to ease separation anxiety in dogs by working from home for a little while after moving.
More tips on easing separation anxiety in dogs can be found here. With these vet-recommended strategies, you can support a smoother, less stressful transition for your dog settling into a new home.
- Creating a safe space with familiar items for your dog can help reduce anxiety when moving to a new home.
- Gradual retraining and rebuilding comfort areas like sleeping quarters can help your dog adjust to a new home.
- Providing mental stimulation, such as Outward Hound Nina Ottosson Dog Worker Dog Puzzle, can serve as a boredom-buster for your pet during a move.
- Allowing for behavior that's out of character in dogs during the adjustment period can help ease separation anxiety.
