Follow our tips on how to make moving easier for your dog.
By Richard Farrell
Special to Relocation.com
Apart from being “Man’s Best Friend,” dogs are as much concerned about their routine and environment as we are, and so sudden changes can be very stressful for them too. When moving, you will have a lot of tasks to complete from locating moving companies to packing. You will also have to make the transition easy for your dogs by not upsetting their routine. Here are some tips to making your moving day smooth and stress-free for your four-leggeded friend.
Before the Move:
First, get an up to date copy of your dog’s veterinary record so that your new vet can be brought up to speed with their medical history, vaccinations, etc. If moving to a new state, call local veterinarians to find out if you must provide any documentation when your dog arrives. Check with your new local authority too about their licensing requirements. Make the necessary arrangements to have your dog transported, or if traveling with you in your car, ask your vet about perhaps sedating your beloved pet.
During the Move:
Here are some valuable tips to make the moving of your dog as easy as possible:
• Feed your dog approximately five to six hours before the actual traveling starts. Water can still be taken in up to two hours ahead of the move, but be careful not to let your dog dehydrate particularly in hot weather. If medication has been recommended administer this around an hour before travel too.
• Take sufficient quantities of food and water with you when you travel and make frequent stops to water and walk your canine friend.
• On arrival at your new home, keep the dog confined until it is familiar and at ease with its new surroundings. Walk your dog around the new home and let it sniff and smell new odors – remember a dog can smell up to 100 times stronger than we can.
• Put out the dog’s bedding, toys and familiar bowls as soon as you arrive too. Remember to feed and water the dog as soon as possible after arriving.
• Initially walk your dog on a leash until it is familiar with the new outside surroundings and boundaries.
• Keep a regular schedule with your dog until it is at ease with the new set up. This may take up to a week depending on the animal.
• Hopefully you will have located a vet close to your new home. Make an appointment to take in your dog’s records and register it for a check-up and future treatment.
Additional Tips:
It is vital to get a health certificate from your vet before moving. Trying to arrange this after the move is time wasting and stressful – after all you moved not the vet! Certain states will ask to see the health certificate as you are crossing state lines, even if you are only in transit. If flying your dog to a new area purchase a kennel for your pet to travel comfortably in on the plane. And don’t forget to check with your vet for calming medication should this be required before the flight.
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Relaxing in a dog-friendly city
By Relocation.com Staff
When making a decision on where to relocate, does your pooch’s social life come into play? Moving with a pet can be hard, but it’s easier when you’re moving to a pet-friendly city! Here are some of our favorites.
NEW YORK
Once you put away the moving boxes, both you and your best friend can take a bite out of the Big Apple, especially when shopping. Dogs are welcome in swanky Manhattan shops, including Saks, Bloomingdale’s and Tiffany & Co.
There are many outdoor restaurants that welcome canines. For a special treat, you can take a walk through Riverside Park (pup must remain leashed), and head to the Boat Basin Café. There, you will find a pet-friendly, open-air patio, where tails will be wagging as the sun sets over the Hudson River. Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Staten Island are also huge pet towns.
BOSTON
Dog beaches abound in Boston, where the both of you can get some exercise. If you’re hungry, most of the outdoor cafés will welcome your pack. Try Madison Park Café, which features an attractive garden setting and welcomes pets with a fresh bowl of water.
TORONTO
International relocations can be especially grueling, but in this case, completely worth it! Toronto is a doggie’s dream. In addition to the numerous dog parks and off-leash areas, you’ll find that almost every family in the city has a pup, so Fido is sure to find many friends.
For some serious treats, hightail it over to Three Dog Bakery and get a whiff of the yummy peanut butter scent that fills the shop. Pick up a pack of Peanut Woofers or some Jump ’n Sit Bits.
KANSAS CITY
When you get hungry in Kansas City, head to nearby Country Club Plaza and grab a bite at re:verse, which has a great dog-friendly outdoor seating area. Then, for some off-leash action, head to Wayside Waifs Bark Park, which features five acres of fenced-in grass, plenty of room for Fido to burn off the extra energy.
MILWAUKEE
This town is known for more than just beer. It is a super-friendly town that is super friendly to canine companions as well. You can give the pup a run at Granville Dog Park, Milwaukee’s only county park where dogs may run and socialize off-leash.
For even more Fido fun, take a trip to Petlicious Dog Biscuit Bakery and Pet Spa, located 30 minutes from the heart of the city in Pewaukee. Treat Toto to a spa grooming, a new sweater and a tin of homemade biscuits.
DALLAS
Everything might be bigger in Texas, but that doesn’t mean people are going to laugh at your favorite little buddy. Since the weather is always welcoming, pet-friendly outdoor cafés are a terrific way to spend some quality time with the pooch. In addition, large off-leash parks dot the city.
On special occasions, pooches can travel in style during a carriage ride with Party Animals Carriage Rides and tour the Historic West End and Uptown Dallas.
Related Articles:
How to Choose a Pet Carrier
Pet Travel Warnings
Video – Don’t Make These Mistakes Moving With Pets
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