Four years ago we moved from Oakland, CA to Baltimore. We drove with our 5 pets, 3 cats and two small dogs, stacked in the back seat in crates like condos. One cat developed a thousand mile "i've left my body" stare, one went to sleep, and the other developed ribbons of drool from nausea at staring at the passing scenery wizz by.
At night we hustled all into a motel. We fed disembodied cat under the bed, while everyone else attempted a reanactment of Lord of the Flies. We used disposable litter boxes and the left maid with a large tip.
All told it took 4 days, the dogs were fine, disembodied cat lived in a dark corner of our new basement for a month, and my facial tic left after only a week. Good times.

My dog and I have moved at least 6 times to 3 different cities in 3 different states. She's not a fan, particulary when the movers are taking the couch out the door. She looks at me like, "Do you *see* what they are doing?!" To help ease her tensions during the process, I've discovered the following things really help her:
1) do NOT wash their bedding, it retains familiar smells and helps to calm them
2) keep them contained when movers take away/deliever furniture (perferably with their bedding/favorite chew toys)
3) try to quickly settle into new place, room by room, putting boxes away ASAP -- this helps to re-familiarize your pet with the new place.
4) if you can take a toy or blanket of theirs to the new place for it to collect scent and reintroduce it to your pet or take them their a couple times to sniff the place out.
5) Slowly introduce your pet to his/her new surroundings: make your walk a little longer a day at a time and create familiar walking paths, take treats to encourage his/her assimilation to the new environment.
6) Don't be alarmed if (s)he begins to drool, a lot. My dog did this in the first new state we moved to, our vet said it show some nerves but also allows them to taste/smell the new environment. My dog, a bulldog, had shoestring-like drool coming from her jowls (of very surprising length, I might add) every time we went outside -- just bring an extra cloth to wipe it off, once inside if you want.
These pointers have helped my dog through our moves, hopefully they'll help yours!

I moved about 8 months ago. My two younger dogs will go anywhere with me and had little to no adjustment period. However, my 14 year old tibetan spaniel, who is losing her sight and hearing, needed a little more convincing that a bigger house was better. I brought them all to the new house while it was empty and just let them explore and play. They spent the day romping, and in some cases "marking"...argh!, while I moved into the kitchen. Then when all "their" furniture arrived the next day everyone was happy.
Please let Meredith know that we will be honored to have Dizzy stay with us on moving day. I will be sure to get stocked up on treats and cuz'.

I've moved twice with my boy. Both times I kept him at the kennel we favored (sadly now closed). I dropped him off the night before and picked him up on moving day after the hub-bub was over. The guys who owned/ran the kennel were amazing and took such good care of Bear that I never had any worries. And the high activity level of moving would only have scared him more than the kennel. So I picked my poison.

Once he was in his new home, I played with him and let him sniff all he wanted. Showing him the sofa right away was always soothing for him and having all of his toys scattered I think helped. I've taken him on so many trips to other people's homes that I think that also helped acclimate him to behaving in a new home.

BTW: be sure to update your pet's id tag before you move! That would be the worst time for your pet to get scared and bolt. He/she won't know the way home.

Izzy is a bit skittish. She runs from boxes and bags and all that stuff so I knew the stress of moving would be too much for her. When I moved from NoVA to Baltimore, I was lucky that my sister lives in Reisterstown. She took Izzy at her house for the move so Izz wouldn't freak out or get in anyone's way. Unfortunately, there were alot of unforeseen complications during the move and my original plan of leaving Izz at my sister's for a few days while I unpacked didn't happen. So she came to a new home full of boxes and after alot of cautious sniffing of all the stuff, she romped around like she would in any new setting. I had her crate all set up for her so she at least had a familiar place to go to relax. After a couple of days, she realized she was staying there and settled in just fine.

I've move around with my puppy quite a bit for her short life, but she loves it! She loves long car trips, I think the methodical drone is what puts her right to sleep, and loves exploring (must be the beagle in her). She can "set up shop" and be comfortable anywhere, as long as she has her squeeky rabbit, kong, and stuffed manatee. Where ever those are, she considers home.

Dizzy is beautiful! Has a great energy about him. My comment would be that you possibly are pushing your anxiety of how you feel about the move onto your dog, who actually lives in the now. You are expecting problems and therefore can actually be creating them. Dizzy will feel safe as long as you project that this is a safe place for him to be.

Sure it will take a bit for him to realize this is home, but dogs do really live in the now. Once you set up your environment and make it a safe house for him giving him some time to check out everything and get the layout, even his timidness and skittishness will be overcome by your confidence.

But very important, just like the Dog Whisperer would say, don't praise him and say "Good Boy" when he is showing signs of insecurity. Then you are praising his insecure side. My suggestion is (and I did this successfully) when you take him in, maybe first put him on a leash and keep him at your side. Initially don't let him wander around the house. Have him sit next to you, tell him to sit, give him the command to lie down, give him commands so that he is paying attention to you, and then he is not focusing on the new surroundings. He trusts that with you in command, he is safe. When he relaxes, when he sits nicely and just casually looks around a little, then tell him Good Boy. We often give "Good Boy" comments at the wrong time, when the dog is cowering with the tail between his legs - then we actually are supporting his insecure moment, creating more. Does that make sense?
Be sure to support his strong moments and that will create more strong moments. But if you allow him to relax and then remove the leash, he will start off in a more calm state.

Oh -my goof - it says the picture was of Norman and not Dizzy. But my thoughts still are the same on taking him in on a leash and not releasing him until he feels calm sitting at your side. I think the other comments are very good and Leslie gave you some valuable tips, especially it is best to keep him away from the chaos of movers -(leaving or arriving) if possible, as he can get loose if frightened and get lost in a new neighborhood, and also just his whole world is unsure at that moment. That can happen to the best of dogs if they become fearful. He doesn't understand all the words we say but he knows actions when household things are being moved, and a basically insecure dog may wonder if he might be left behind! Your job is to be reassuring - but I can't stress not to 'reassure' him when he is in a fearful mode. Ignore it, but keep him close by and reward only those actions that you want to see more of from him. Check out the Dog Whisperer for other ideas - no I don't work for him, wish I did, as I'd know so much more. I just watch his tv show and love it.

If you click on the link to "Dizzy," you can see him. He has good energy, too. -- jr

Hi Meredith:

My husband and I moved to Pennyslvania two weeks ago, and of course, our two beagles were in tow.

Scout and Brogan's grandparents watched them the day of settlement and then on moving day, we kept them in the backyard while everyone was loading boxes into the house.

After everyone left and we had the house to ourselves, we let Scout and Brogan roam the house (with a careful eye) and let them sniff until their hearts content.

Once they felt satisfied that they had inspected every square inch of the house, they've been loving life ever since.

Hope that helps!
- Beagle Mom

My husband and I had to move with our 1 1/2 year old golden retriever twice within a three month time period last summer. We were living with an elderly relative who passed away so we had to move in with my parents until we could find an affordable house to rent that allowed dogs.

We moved into a cute cottage in a woodsy neighborhood. We kept the dog at my parent's house until we had all of our stuff unpacked and organized. This way, Molly pup could explore and be comforted with "her stuff" in this new environment. She sniffed around that first night and was exhausted from exploring the house and the backyard.

I was home alone the first night there since my husband had to work. When I noticed that my dog was panting, (mind you, it's summer and she had been running around all day), I decided that I needed to take her to the emergency vet b/c she wasn't adjusting to the new home.

The vet informed me that Molly was just fine, but perhaps I needed a xanax. :)