Understanding Your Dog’s Stress When Moving Into A New House – Part 1

Are you planning to move to a new house soon or actually in the middle of a move right now? Uprooting your entire life and planting it somewhere else can be one of the most stressful times a person can go through. And if you think it’s tough for you, consider how tense and confusing this can be for your dog or puppy.

Dogs are creatures that thrive on routine living. They become extremely comfortable and self confident once they get used to the same day to day activities that repeat themselves. This includes waking up at the same time each morning, the same feeding times, knowing when you’re coming home from work, and above all, dogs become accustomed to expecting the same atmosphere in their home.

Moving can completely eradicate your dog’s entire routine expectations. Between you and the rest of the family packing up everything in the home, shipping items, coming and going, constantly traveling back and forth in and out of the house, all of this is enough to drive a dog crazy, especially when you have a young puppy.

When Good Dogs Go Bad Due To Stress

Even the best trained dogs can become so stressed and anxious from a moving experience that they may revert back to their old puppy behavior in order to cope with the stress that they are going through. This behavior may include hyperactivity, urinating inside the house, unexpected jumping and barking, and even some nipping and biting has occurred on rare occasions.

It Is Perfectly Normal Behavior

There is good reason for this bad behavior from a puppy who does not realize what is going on around them during a busy move.  You have basically taken everything that they know and learned and turned everything upside down.

Think about the last time you were upset and nervous, what were your vices? What did you do that helped you cope with the situation which might not have been the best of your character? Now consider the fact that this is a dog we are talking about and so his bad behavior is understandable. He is stressed and confused.

Avoid Scolding Or Punishing Your Dog

I completely understand it if your first response to your pet’s behavior is to yell and punish him. You are also probably stressed with financial matters, having your old home cleaned, ensuring that all of your stuff gets to the new home okay, etc. but when it comes to your dog and dealing with his “vices” towards the situation, be patient and understanding so that your dog will feel safer during the busy transition during the move.