5 Tips to Help Your Dog Settle In After Relocating Abroad
Moving to another country or simply to another home can put some stress on the whole family. This includes your pets as well, as they understand the concept of moving less than us. You need to basically explain everything to them and hope they will not find the whole move too stressful. And, luckily, there are some things you can do to help your dog settle in having moved stress-free and even help it adjust to the new home easier.
Don’t Panic
As our pets can feel our energy and behavior, it is crucial to stay calm during the move and never panic. Yes, the process is often complicated and stressful but you will have to stay calm. There will be a lot of unfamiliar people in your home carrying around boxes and your dog might find that stressful. To help this process go smoothly for your dog, you can arrange for it to arrive a few days after your family. If that is impossible, then you can set up a “quiet” room where you can leave your dog, in a safe space, so it won’t be exposed to the chaotic energy of packing and moving things.
Continual Reassurance is Important
Just like your children, your dog can feel scared in unfamiliar situations or people that are bound to happen when moving. Dogs will respond to this “threat” based on your own actions in such situations. That’s why, as was mentioned above, it is important to stay calm, and you should offer reassurance to your dog, too. They will need “emotional support” to go through the stress of moving and adjusting to a new place. Make sure to keep an extra-careful eye on your pet when you get to the new house. Also, cuddle them and offer regular pets to provide reassurance and safety.
Provide Safety
In your old home, your dog has already familiar with every nook and cranny. They know in which rooms they can go, which furniture they are allowed to use and so on. However, now that you are in a new home, the whole territory is not familiar to them and they might not feel at ease until they’ve explored everything. This is why you have to provide safety. One way is to leave their travel kennel with the door open in some quiet room in the new home. You can also place their favorite bed there and let them feel comfortable and explore the house at their own pace.
However, if you are, too, a bit stressed about how well the dog will adjust, you can provide safety for yourself, too. If your dog has a lot of energy and you have a yard, it is natural that you will let them freely explore it. However, until you’ve completed both settled and got familiar with the area, you might want to get a pet locator tag for your dog’s collar. This way, you can put your mind at ease, unpack and settle on your own, while you can let your dog explore and not be worried it will get lost or escape.
Bring Familiar Objects
Since this is a completely new home and country, your dog will feel overwhelmed. That’s why you should bring familiar objects with you to provide emotional safety. You should bring all your dog’s toys, especially your favorite ones. Additionally, you can bring a favorite rug or cushion that you’re dog loves and uses. This will create a visually familiar space for your dog and they will still be able to smell “home”.
Maintain Routines
As a pet owner, you know how important routines are. Your dog loves the routine and every dog easily adapts to one and established it. Since you are moving abroad, some routines are bound to break, but you should do your best to maintain them. Also, when you arrive at the new destination, make sure to immediately start establishing routines, both old and new ones. Aim to still preserve the same time of taking the dog out and feeding them at the normal time, too. This will provide additional emotional support to your dog and let them know that you are still at home.
Some dogs withstand moving better than others. And no matter what you think about your dog’s behavior during the move, you should always know that it puts stress on them. They might start believing you are leaving them behind or something as scary as that and you have to find a way to reassure them that that’s not true. Provide comfort and safety, bring their toys and cushions, and always make sure to provide the same amount of love and care just like when you were in the old home. This will make this whole transition a lot easier on them and they will adjust to the new home faster.
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