In January we moved from MA to Maryland, and to say that Abby was excited about our move would be an understatement.  She loved “inspecting” the boxes we were putting together to pack our things; she dashed between Cynthia and yours truly as if to “help” us pack; she watched Cynthia like a hawk while she taped the boxes; and when she was tired she’d take a nap near one of us or go to bed.

Abby seems to enjoy moving, but she is the exception rather than the rule.  Because dogs enjoy having a routine, moving could be stressful for them so I’d recommend the following:

• Walk/run your dog at least once a day.  Exercise is paramount at this time
• On moving day, make sure that your dog is in her crate while things are being loaded to a truck/car
• Once you get to your new place – assuming you took her for a long walk/run in the morning – put on her collar and leash and walk with her through the entire house
• Afterwards, put her in her crate while your things are being unloaded
• Take her out of the crate once unloading is done, but limit where she could go and explore for the first week or so

Dogs love routine, but if you plan ahead of time perhaps moving doesn’t have to be very stressful for your canine companion and you.  How did your dog(s) do on your last move?