Moving house is a stressful event for everybody. Humans don’t usually enjoy moving because of the work associated but also there are emotions attached to moving house. Perhaps we’re moving from the home we grew up in or we’re simply moving cities for a new job, it doesn’t really matter, we usually have mixed emotions about moving. The same is true for your dog except your dog doesn’t understand the reasons behind the move. From a dog’s perspective, there is suddenly a lot of commotion in the house and then they find themselves in a new place that they don’t understand or recognize.

Dogs mark their territory and when they’re placed in a new environment without any warning they can begin to exhibit strange behaviours. In most cases, dogs will adjust easily to a new home by exploring and sniffing their new surroundings. Unfortunately, high strung or anxious dogs may not cope well with moving and could begin to demonstrate some aggressive or antisocial behaviour. For example, if your dog can smell evidence of other pets that previously lived in the new home, it may start marking its territory, which isn’t exactly ideal behaviour from the perspective of the pet owner. Similarly, your pet might need to be reminded about housetraining because it is confused about the new surroundings.

In most cases, your dog just needs time to adapt to the new home. Give your dog several opportunities to visit the new home before moving so that they won’t be so confused when they arrive. Other than that, you can help your dog by offering lots of support. Love and affection can put your dog at ease and make the transition to a new home much easier to handle. The confusion a dog feels about new surroundings can make it difficult for them to adjust so dog owners need to be patient and supportive during this process.