Moving Stress

[Guest amour]

We will be moving in a couple months to a new house.My boy is a very shy and "spook" dog.

I was just wondering how you handle such a thing and what to expect? It took him quite awhile to adjust here when I got him. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Guest sorenkkg]

I think slow and steady. Start getting some boxes (empty and/or flat) and put them in the house where he can see them, smell them (hopefully not pee on them).

Then make up a box and have it around a bit.

Then fill it, and make another one.

 

ON the day of the move, see if you can get him out of the house the whole day?

 

Then in the new house, don't bring him in until the movers are gone and it's just the family.

Walk him through on the lead, and just do what you did when you first brought him home-- have a quiet day of just you guys and him (and the boxes). Then when you undo stuff, beware of packing materials and stuff he could get into.

 

Another way to go would be to have him grey-sat at someone elses house until the move is all done-- we lucked out last time and my mom sat with Haka for a few weeks (we were moving cities) and then we settled all in, got him, and he was good to go after a day or so.

 

Good luck with the move!

[Guest amour]

Thanks,

Great ideas but its just DH and myself so I have no place to put him. He will be leashed to one of us the whole time. However, I like the placing of the boxes around and can do that.

[Sambuca]

If you have access to the new place before you move, take him over regularly to start getting used to it. Also, bring 1 of his old beds over as soon as possible so that he has something to comfort him and his own spot. I would try to find a friend the day of the move to watch him, because it would be so much easier for everyone. If you can't drop him off somewhere, either set up his crate somewhere totally out of the way or babygate him in a bathroom or other room with his bed and toys and make sure you keep that room off limits to movers. Good luck.

[Guest Energy11]

When we moved from Florida, I was a little worried about all of six (had Max then, too). They loved the ride and were happy as clams when we got up here! As long as they had their familiar dog beds, and us, it was all good! Curfew my "spook," seemed to adapt just fine. As long as your baby has familiar items around, AND YOU guys, it should be fine! Good Luck with the move!

[greysmom]

If he has a "safe" spot or room, I would make sure to pack it up last at the old house and put it together first at the new one. Hopefully it would be a room you could close off while the rest of the move is going on. But most important is to give him a place where he feels less stressed.

 

Expect some backsliding with his behavior. You may have to go through the same hoops as when he initially came to you. He may not eat, he may have trouble going potty, he may have trouble settling down to sleep. Maybe not. He may surprise you. When we took our spook Cash on vacation I was expecting an entire week of completely stressed out freaky behavior, but she settled into the hotel room and new bathroom routine by the second day. I was shocked.

 

If he's on medication, talk with your vet about an additional or larger dose for the moving time. If he's not on medication, I might consider trying Rescue Remedy or a DAP spray, or even some single doses of valium to help him deal with the uproar.

 

Good luck!

[Tallgreydogmom]

Any chance you could board him while you are moving or can you crate him? Do you have a spook harness for him? We have spooks and I like them contained elsewhere for there own safety. When they get spooked they think of one thing, let me get away.

[Guest amour]

Any chance you could board him while you are moving or can you crate him? Do you have a spook harness for him? We have spooks and I like them contained elsewhere for there own safety. When they get spooked they think of one thing, let me get away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, I have a crate. What is a "spook harness"?

Thanks

[Guest amour]

If you have access to the new place before you move, take him over regularly to start getting used to it. Also, bring 1 of his old beds over as soon as possible so that he has something to comfort him and his own spot. I would try to find a friend the day of the move to watch him, because it would be so much easier for everyone. If you can't drop him off somewhere, either set up his crate somewhere totally out of the way or babygate him in a bathroom or other room with his bed and toys and make sure you keep that room off limits to movers. Good luck.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks,

I was planning to take him with me everytime I needed to go to the new house for a reason or the other before closing.I would think that somehow this would put his scent in it and hopefully, he would remember (don't know if they remember such things).