Moving Across The Country

[Guest Shermanator]

Hello!

We are moving across the country in 6 weeks, from AZ to PA. And we have several challenges with the dogs.

Travel is 7, and she is a sweet, timid little girl. She is very timid and shy. She has been in our home 5 years.

Chase is 5, and is is an exuberant, silly boy. He is rather outgoing. He has been in our home 9 months.

 

First, we are moving from a home with a fence and a dog door, to a home without a fence. Putting a fence in is not an option, since we are renting.

Travel and Chase are dog door trained, and are accustomed to coming and going as they please. How do I train them to potty while on walks? We do not take regular walks, since they have the entire backyard to romp in, so they are not used to going potty while on a walk. In the past when we have taken them out, Chase has demonstrated he will potty while on his lead, he's a boy, he'll pee anywhere. Whereas Travel is a dainty, shy little girl, and refuses to potty outside of her backyard. She'll hold it all day until she can potty in her backyard. She has even peed in the car on road trips, since she is holding it.

I thought I could close the dog door off, and start a schedule of when they can go in the backyard. Once we have a schedule nailed down, I would start taking them out on their leashes. The problem is its still in the 100's out here, too hot for prolonged walks. Not sure what to do.

 

That is my main challenge right now.

 

Of course, we have other challenges:

- How to navigate stairs. (The new house has stairs, whereas the current house is a single story.)

- How to comfort them while moving across the county. We are moving ourselves, and I am driving my SUV with them in the back.

- How to adjust them to the new home.

- How to adjust them to the colder climate

 

I love my babies. and not taking them is not an option. We will get through these challenges. We just need some advice on how to do it.

 

Thanks!

Kelly, Travel and Chase

[Remolacha]

My first grey was bounced from her first home because she was shy & timid and did not like to potty on leash. Her first owners tried, but they lived in an apt, so she came to me. I had a fenced yard, but not a dog door at that time. So, right away I would close the dog door and get them used to the idea that they have to be on a schedule. You can still let them out into the yard. Also, start walking regularly (hard, I know in this heat) Try finding quiet times and places, that helped my shy girl if their weren't a lot of distractions. When we went on a road trip, she did eventually go on leash, but we had a quiet, somewhat isolated place to go.

 

I am sure others will have some more ideas, good luck!

[RedHead]

Dogs are amazingly adaptable. I bet your pups will settle in just fine once they know the new routines. I have moved several times with mine (the last time from a 2 acre country property to a 20 by 20 foot townhouse backyard). They have adjusted far better than me

 

One thing I always do is to take them for a walk around the new neighbourhood right away. Maybe it is me imagining things, but it seems like once they have explored their surrounding "territory" they seem to settle better in the house. Since they won't have their old yard, hopefully they will get into the routine of pottying on walks.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about the temps. It won't suddenly get cold, it will be gradual so they usually don't even seem to notice. Teague came directly up from Alabama. He loved the cold from the start.

 

Good luck with your move!!

 

 

[schultzlc]

Best of luck on your move! I know that cross-country moves are exciting and nerve-wracking times, but you will find that your hounds will adapt well to your new surroundings.

 

In regards to the stairs, I moved from a one story house to a third floor apartment, and now to a two story townhouse. Back, before I moved to TN, and was living in the one story house, I was able to foster some hounds (read: my landlord there was awesome). I wanted to make sure that my fosters had the opportunity to learn to use stairs, so I went in search of a public place with a decently long staircase. For me, this place was the university campus where I taught. We would go early on a weekend morning when students are scarce, and walk up and down the stairs. Each hound learned fairly quickly.

 

Again, I wish you the best as you embark on this journey!

Edited August 28, 2015 by schultzlc

[bradymom]

Good luck on your move. Travel may take some time to learn to potty on the leash. I would start by walking her in your fenced in backyard and then praise and treat when she goes. Some dogs are shy about it so you may want to double up on 2 6 ft leashes to give her some privacy. You want to walk her where it is quite and little distractions so she can go. You may need to walk her separate from Chase to get her comfortable.

 

With getting Brady to do stairs one of the best things I did was out side stairs that have no open backs. Churches and schools have stairs and I made a game out of going up one side and down the other. Inside stairs with carpet or treads are easier than wooden stairs. A person in front with treats and a person behind placing each paw on each step.

 

Coming down my inside stairs I always walked in front of him to regulate his speed and in the beginning I baby gated the top of the stairs at night so he did not try to go down during the night.

 

This is exciting for you all.

[cleptogrey]

we just did 4k miles with our dogs, ny to NOLA-HOUSTON-SAN ANTONIO and back to NY via ARK,TN,VA,PA,NJ,NY. They get into a rhythm once you establish it. Our bladders do not hold as well as the dogs, so every other pit stop we walked the dogs, watered them and back into the CRV. We took turns running into the john and waited w/ the ac and car running. I always leash my dogs before the doors open. One person holds the leashes inside the car, the other grabs the leash and lets them out. You might want to practice STAY in the car w/ the doors open. Since you are driving by yourself, how about a belt or buckle collar slipped over the head rest and loop the leashes thru the belt then fasten. all the dogs will be tethered before you open the door.

 

As to potty- walk the dogs back and forth or in a circle and say- go potty or do your business or go pee. for the lesser trained pup just be consistent, don't wander all over the world, she most likely will empty herself right before she returns home, remember high value treats when she goes!!!. at rest areas it's a line back and forth near the fence, usually the pet area is adjacent to a fence for some reason. i then will take the dogs for a longer walk if it's not too hot.

 

they will do a better job adjusting to the cold than mine did adjusting to the heat in texas. felix nearly lost it one walk, he just couldn't adjust. i had to hose him down and we never walked during the day. as you know there are plenty of good coat makers out there and the dogs will grow coat. mine are out and playing and going for long walks in the single digits.

 

if you are happy in your new home and they have their dog beds or couch they will be fine!!

 

now it's time to start thinking about what YOU will need to stay warm this winter.....welcome to the East. where in PA?

Edited August 29, 2015 by cleptogrey

[GeorgeofNE]

We moved from CT to CA with two dogs, and back from CA to MA with four dogs (the two we moved out with, and their two sons) and two horses (and three teenagers who had no interest in leaving Southern California!). Believe me, it's all doable!

 

Stairs is no big deal, really. People make more of that than they need to I think. Although my George was a huge challenge in that area, Buck just walked right up them like it was no big deal!

 

One or both of them may well have been born and raised no where near AZ, so they may already know about cold weather. Just get some winter coats, and they'll be fine. When our Southern California horses got snowed on for the first time, they were quite shocked! But they got over it.

 

As far as the potty on the leash thing--your girl will go eventually. She has to. I'd plan on putting down potty pads and confining her to the kitchen of the new place until she is re-housebroken though. You don't want her using your new rental as a bathroom, and she might try.

 

Start walking them now. I know it's too hot to walk that much out there, but a nice evening stroll around the block every night would be helpful!

 

As to the trip itself--make SURE your dogs are secured in the car some how. Also, that their tags have your cell phone number on them, not your AZ home phone.

 

Good luck, and I think they'll both be fine!

[turbotaina]

Keep in mind that dogs fresh off the track aren't trained to potty on lead either (though many do), so just treat her like a dog off the track and walk her until she goes. When she does it, throw her a huge party (great treats, etc.).

[cleptogrey]

tags w/ all cell phone #s and i included my group's lost dog hotline # and their i.d.#. often one runs into an area w/o cell phone reception. just give your group a head's up, if necessary they will contact another local group or get the info and send it to you. so when you have reception you will know where they are. trust me, this will not happen if you prepare for the worst case scenario.

Edited September 1, 2015 by cleptogrey