Moving is a stressful time in a person’s life. It is extremely stressful and confusing for all the pets in the household. The best suggestion is, if at all possible, have your dog or dogs stay at someone’s house or bring them to a doggie day care while you are packing and moving.
A dog’s anxiety starts to build when you start packing and the house gets emptier and emptier. Dogs are creatures of habit, so it is very confusing for them to see the large items disappear when they are used to seeing everything in the same place for a long period of time. If you are very stressed out, your dog will be able to pick up on your stress and will be more uneasy than usual.
At first the dog may have fun with the boxes and it may be funny to you but after a while your dog can become a nuisance and make you more stressed. Think about it, you are packing things and not paying attention to the dog, so the dog starts biting or playing with things that they are not supposed to be touching. You want to gets things done quickly but your dog or dogs may hold you up.
If you have the ability to have the dog stay with someone or take them to a doggie day care, you will have more peace of mind and your dog will be having fun. It is best to have the dog stay away until you are moved into the new place and things are out of the boxes and somewhat in place. Of course it does not have to be perfect but there should be some order.
Once you are somewhat settled and you get your dog, always have them on the leash. If you have a yard, walk them around the yard to pick up the new scents and just observe their new surroundings. Walk them around outside first then bring them in the house. Once inside, walk the dog around and let them check out their new home. Keep the dog on a watch, so the dog does not mark their scent. I suggest keeping the dog on the leash at least for the first day, so they can’t sneak off and have an accident while you are not paying attention.