# Moving with a Puppy



## Elly B. (Oct 27, 2006)

Circumstances have conspired to make a situation I'm a little uncomfortable about. I work about an hour from where I live, and since my lease came up I am moving to a new apartment much closer.

Nick had a hard time coming home with me. He cried and sulked for days and days. I did everything I could for him, I took time off to be with him, I spent a lot of time with him. Now admittedly, he had a serious flea problem and was too small for most chemical flea treatments, so we washed a lot which I know is traumatic, but even so it was hard for both of us. He is well adjusted and happy now.

Him having such a hard time has me nervous about this move, though. My dad says that as long as I am there, Nick will be okay - and I am taking a couple of days off to get settled in, so I will be around a lot when we first move in.

As if worrying about how he will deal with moving isn't enough, though, he is scheduled for a major vet visit (neuter/dental cleaning/microchipping) about two weeks before the move. The vet wouldn't do him any earlier and he is about 8 months now so it really shouldn't wait any longer, if what I've read is to be believed.

Does anyone have any thoughts on anything that might make this easier on the little guy?


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## Cary (Jun 11, 2006)

No real breakthroughs here....
I think your dad is right he'll do fine knowing you're there.
Mine had/are having difficulties with new surroundings
mainly carpet instead of wood floors but otherwise
no problems. I did notice that I set their pen and crates
in a different orientation than it had been and they acted differently
so I repositioned everything to be more similar to before and they
seem to like it better. Good luck and I'm sure you'll like the
shorter commute.


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## louis' mom (Jul 7, 2006)

Great for you on the shorter commute. 

When we moved about 2.5 years ago, I took Louis to the new house a few times and let him run around the house or at least be carried around by me. I think it helped him because he was "familiar" with the new place. Also, you taking off to be with him in his new surroundings will help. Maybe you can go there on the weekends and walk around the neighborhood a few times, so he is familiar with the scents and knows where to go, and who has been around, etc. Good luck.


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## Deanna (Jan 14, 2005)

Dogs, unlike cats, are more tied to people than places. We moved just 3 weeks after getting Wilson- he was such a trooper, and didn't even seem to notice. All our stuff was there, so he was fine. I did take him around the whole house and let him sniff everything, walked him on his leash around the yard-- all so he would know this was where we live now. 

Good luck, I am sure it will be fine!


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## Elly B. (Oct 27, 2006)

Thanks for the suggestions and reassurance, I feel better.









I hadn't thought of walking him around the neighborhood, I was so focused on the new apartment. The only really 'new' thing about it is that it's a townhouse, and he's never dealt with stairs indoors before - but he loves stairs, he'll run up and down just to run up and down if I take him out to go potty without the leash.









I move his crate all the time so he's used to different orientations. It's his bed next to my bed at bedtime, his safe place in the living room when company is over, his car seat when I drive places...

I'll take him up for a 'happy visit' a few times before the move. There's a nice place to walk so I can take him for walks, and get a treat at the petstore on the way home


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## samuelette (Apr 9, 2006)

I'm sure he will do fine, my dogs think anyplace they are for more than an hour belongs to them, it is good you are taking some time off to help him adjust. Best wishes in your new home .


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## TheButtercup (Mar 3, 2005)

methinks he'll be just fine









the buttercup has known nothing BUT the transient lifestyle. she's moved with me about 5-6 times in her short life. she adapts very well each time. as long as she knows where her toys are, she's good. the part that freaks her out the most, if at all, is watching her favorite things get put in boxes that she can't reach. i have a pretty laid back pup, though. she may have her habits, but adapts to new environments and new things without problem. 

hopefully it'll be as uneventful of a move for you as we've always had









good luck!
ann marie and the "as long as i have my woobie and piggy with me, i dont care where i am! oh, yeah, and my momster too!" buttercup


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## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

Due to work, I've relocated 5 times in 8 years throughout the country. Of course, the dogs have always moved with me.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Yes - take the baby to the new place in advance, if possible, and let him smell it.
2. Do NOT wash your bedding before you move so that it will have the same smell as when you left your old house.
3. Make certain that the first things you put out are the baby's toys, blankets, crate, etc. so that he knows that he is supposed to be there and that it's OK. Put it in the place you will want to be his special place at the new house, if possible.
4. If possible, have a friend or family member keep him while everything is being moved just to make certain that he is safe and that you don't have to worry that he is underfoot or worse, lost.
5. Give him some extra TLC and reassurance for a few days after the move, but let him know where his place in the new house is.
6. Stick to his regular routine for eating, potty breaks, playing, etc. so that it seems somewhat normal for him.

The boxes that you are packing seem to bother them the most, so the less time the boxes are out, the better it seems to be.

Hope these suggestions help.

Funny story -- I had a 3 year old Lhasa that moved from a house in Iowa to a Condo in Boca Raton, Florida with me. He had always been doggie door trained and I was able to install another doggie door in the patio door at the Condo. It was if he had never seen a doggie door before. I had to retrain him all over again.







Just a point to prove that you never know how they will react.


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## Elly B. (Oct 27, 2006)

That's a good idea about leaving him with a family member. Mom said she would be happy to keep him until I had unpacked and was ready for him to come home. My parents love Nick, especially my mom. She wanted to go buy his brother about two weeks after I got him, but the other little guy was already sold. My mom keeps jokingly hinting that I don't really want a dog and Nick should come live with her (yeah right, would take divine intervention to separate us)! We're so cheesy, she refers to him as her 'grand-dog' all the time.









I hadn't thought of not washing my bedding before we go, that's also a good idea. I'll drag his blanket into my bed for a couple nights to get it extra Mommy saturated too. (he has a soft blanket in his crate along with his bed.)

I took him up to sniff the place over yesterday evening. He seemed to like it okay (he said, YAHOO stairs to run up and down whenever I want!!!). I introduced him to my neighbors and their dogs, he immediately charmed human and dog alike.

I'm just a little concerned about the neighbor's dogs, they are 2 fullsize rottweilers. In an APARTMENT! They were sweet when I met them with their people, and dogs generally like me, but rots have a bad reputation for a reason.







I don't care for the idea that Nick might get hurt purely by accident if he were to get out. I mean, not that he has ever been prone to get out, or even ever tried to do so (he said, why would I want to go THERE? there's no people OR treats there!) They put them out in a big expen in the yard for a couple hours every day, I'll be watching them closely to see how they interact. I'd hate to complain before I EVEN MOVE IN, but I don't think it's right to leave big dogs like that unattended, and an expen is little barrier for them. It's my personal opinion that the smartest dogs have the intellect of roughly a 5 year old, and really powerful dogs are really lethal creatures. Even the sweetest 5 year old shouldn't be handed a gun.


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## Deanna (Jan 14, 2005)

Elly,

It sounds like things are going well with the move. Nick will be fine, and love his new home.

I would be nervous about the Rotts too. I can't believe they leave them in an X-pen unattended!! That is just crazy! Even if they are the sweetest dogs in the world- if someone started harrassing them and they snapped- it could turn into a horrible situation. It is very irresponsible of them! I would just keep an eye on them, and never let Nick around them if they aren't on leashes.

When will you be all moved in?


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## Elly B. (Oct 27, 2006)

We'll be moving in on the weekend on Jan 20th.

I spoke on the phone a little with the rott's owners today, they were actually pretty nice about it. They said they've had similar concerns from people with little children in the complex. They said they they've kept those two rots together in the expen from when they were babies and the expen really was a meaningful barrier, and that they have never had any problem with any people or dogs. The rots are siblings and 6 years old. As I said they seem really sweet.

The owners claim that they check out the window regularly when they are outside, and they put them out usually when the washer/dryer is running or they are vacuuming because they start barking and howling at the noise if they are inside. (So it's not every day like I thought.)

It all sounds very reasonable, but at the end of the day it still concerns me that they're alone outside. They are clearly loved and well taken care of, and if it wasn't for them being alone I would have no problems, I'm not one of those people who will panic just because the dog is big and has a mouth full of sharp teeth. I believe that when their owner is with them he is in complete control of them, they are clearly well trained. However, he believes they are under his control even when he isn't there, and I'm just not sure I buy that.

At this point I'm not sure what option I have other than not renting there though, and I really like the place.


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## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

Two Rotties in an APARTMENT. That's just WRONG.









Rotties need wrong to exercise and are not meant to be confined. Even though the owners are nice, this is just not fair to the dogs.


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## Elly B. (Oct 27, 2006)

I agree it's wrong to keep rotties in an apartment, but they are way too fit to be kept confined all the time. They MUST either walk the living daylights out of them or take them to a place they can run, and often. They aren't just 'not fat', they are in very good condition.

I'm trying not to get my back up about the choices other people make with their dogs, but it's hard for me. I'm a very deliberate, methodical person, and I did a lot of research before I got Nick, he is the perfect dog for my lifestyle and my hands are full with just his needs. However, not everyone does research - and I know I sure as heck couldn't have taken Nick back even if he was the 'wrong dog' for my lifestyle. I'd try to make it work. I kind of got that feeling off these people, that they got the wrong dogs and they are trying to make it work. I respect the effort they are going to for the love of their dogs (other than the outside alone thing) even if I disagree with their choice. My opinion changed somewhat after talking to them.

All that said, I'm still going to be really careful about Nick and take him out the back way when they are out in their pen. (no need to taunt them that Nick is out with his person and they are in a pen.)


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