[Dog Owner's Guide: Moving day (www.canismajor.com/dog/moveday.html)]
Moving day
Moving cross-country or cross-town, take steps to help Ranger enjoy his new home
Summertime is often moving time for families who want to relocate without interrupting
the children’s school year. Since dogs are territorial animals, a move
to a place filled with new sights, sounds, and smells — especially smells
— can be a challenge or a trauma for the family dog.
Dogs that never go anywhere but to the veterinary clinic are likely to have
the most trouble adjusting. Dogs that go everywhere and are not threatened by
new experiences will make the easiest transition. The American Kennel Club and
Dog Owner’s Guide offer tips for dog owners who plan a move to help Ranger
adapt to the event and the new surroundings and to help owners learn the dog
rules in the new community.
Change of residence is a prime reason why families surrender dogs to animal
shelters. Apartments say ‘no pets’ or restrict pets by number and
weight; condominium and townhouse units have postage-stamp yards and restrictions
on fences; many subdivisions and residential communities prohibit above-ground
fences and kennel runs; and owners think Ranger will be unhappy if he can’t
romp in a yard, so shelters and breed rescues get frantic calls about the dog
that needs a home because “we’re moving next week.”
However, dogs can be happy wherever their family goes as long as their needs
are met. They don’t need a yard to romp in, they need exercise, and a daily
walk can provide enough. They do need patience as they adjust to a new home
and training to help give them confidence and deal with nuisance habits, but
they are very adaptable. The trick is to find a new home that allows dogs. Once
that hurdle is overcome, the rest is a matter of planning.
Before moving day
- Investigate local zoning regulations and animal control laws. Some
communities limit the number of dogs per household, ban particular breeds,
prohibit certain types of fences, have nuisance ordinances to control barking,
etc. Contact the local government for details and get the policies and laws
in writing so there’s no mistake made.
- Investigate subdivision regulations. If you are moving into a planned
unit residential subdivision or a townhouse, condominium or apartment complex,
make sure you understand the rules and policies regarding pets. Some residential
associations restrict pet numbers or breeds, allow only dogs up to a certain
weight, or ban or restrict fences or dog runs.
- Contact the department of health in the new city for information on specific
laws about health certificates for entering dogs.
- Make sure your dog is up-to-date on shots and has been treated for any
problems several weeks before the planned move. Make sure your dog (and
cat) have their rabies inoculations so you are in compliance with state and
local laws in your new home. Also check to find out if additional vaccinations
might be necessary for diseases that are problems in the new area.
- Ask your vet for your pet’s records and the name of a couple of
vets in your new area.
- Spend some time reinforcing basic obedience commands with your dog.
A dog that can focus on obeying a command is more tuned in to people and more
likely to settle down during the journey and to cope with the change of scenery
and circumstances in the new home.
- Make sure you have a secure crate for your dog so he can be confined
while the moving men are packing your belongings and can stay overnight in
a motel during the trek to your new home. If things are bound to be too
hectic that day, make plans to board him at a kennel or put him in a day care
center.
On moving day
- If possible, send your dog to a neighbor, friend, boarding kennel, or
day care center for the day so you do not have to tend to him while the moving
men are loading the van. If you cannot send him out to visit for the day,
be sure he’s securely confined in a crate and is taken out on a leash
for exercise.
- Make sure you pack some of Ranger’s favorite toys and food for the
journey to your new home. If he seems nervous, feed him small amounts
until he is settled in the new house and yard.
At the new house
- If there’s a gap between arrival in a new area and moving into the
new home, find a boarding kennel for Ranger so you’re not juggling dog,
kids, and everything else in hotel rooms or other temporary quarters.
When the furniture arrives and you’re ready to sleep in the new bedroom,
bring him home.
- Unpack Ranger’s bed, toys, and food and water bowls as soon as possible
and put them in the same places they were in the old house. If he’s
accustomed to finding a bowl of water in the kitchen, put it in the kitchen
in the new house.
- Introduce yourself to your new neighbors and tell them about your dog.
Arrange for the neighbors to meet the dog while he is on a leash.
- Call the local government office to find out about dog licenses and deadlines.
(You checked on dog limits, nuisance ordinances, and other dog laws before
you moved, right?)
- Locate a veterinary clinic and make an appointment so you can assess
the vet and he can meet Ranger before an exam for illness or injury is needed.
Evaluate the vet’s attitude towards your pet, particularly if you own
one of the guardian breeds. Some vets are uncomfortable with Akitas, Rottweilers,
German Shepherds, and other protective large-breed dogs.
- If your dog is microchipped or tattooed, call the registry to change
your address and telephone number so they can reach you quickly if they are
notified that your dog has been found.
- Be patient. Some dogs take several days or even weeks to adjust to
new surroundings.
Airline travel
Small dogs and cats can travel in airliner cabins with their owners if they
are placed in an approved carrier that will fit under the seat.
Last year, the US Congress tightened airline rules about shipping animals,
resulting in changes in airline policies that make it more difficult for pet
owners to ship dogs as excess baggage. Most airlines now accept only dogs prepared
by professional transport companies that are aware of the shipping regulations,
the use of approved crates and equipment, and proper filing of paperwork. (For
more information about dogs and airlines, see “AKC initiates air travel
campaign for dogs” above.)
Airlines also have temperature restrictions for flying animals that meet or
exceed the requirements of the US Animal Welfare Act. These restrictions are
in place at the departure airport, the arrival airport, and any stops in between.
During warm weather, therefore, airlines may refuse dogs if the temperature
will be above a certain temperature (generally 85 degrees) anywhere along the
route.
Boarding kennels can often refer dog owners to shipping companies that are
members of the Independent Pet and Animal Transport Association International,
a nonprofit trade association for animal shippers with headquarters in Texas.
The IPATA website is at www.ipata.com.
To contact IPATA directly, call (903) 769-2267 or email info@IPATA.com.
Norma Bennett Woolf
[Dog Owner's Guide: Moving day (www.canismajor.com/dog/moveday.html)] is
a part of the Dog Owner's Guide internet website and is
copyright 2007 by Canis Major Publications. You may print or download this
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Dog Owner's Guide, in association with AMAZON.COM, recommends these books for more information on . . .
Moving day
Although we don't have any books specifically about this article perhaps the following books will be of interest.
- First Aid for Dogs : What to Do When Emergencies Happen
Bruce Fogle, Amanda Williams (Illustrator)/Paperback/1997
- Dogs and the Law
Anmarie Barrie /Hardcover/1990
- Mother Knows Best : The Natural Way to Train Your Dog
Carol Lea Benjamin, Stephen Lennard/Hardcover/1985
- Caring for Your Older Dog
Chris C. Pinney/Paperback/1995
- American Kennel Club Dog Care and Training
American Kennel Club/Paperback/1991
- The Art of Raising a Puppy
New Skete Monks/Hardcover/1991
- Woof!:A Guide to Dog Training
Matthew Margolis/VHS Tape/1996
- Woof Woof-Uncle Matty's Guide
N/A/VHS Tape/1997
- Dog Problems : A Professional Trainer's Guide to Preventing and Correcting Aggression, Destructiveness, Housebreaking Problems, Excessive Barking, Dogfights, Tugging, Jumping, Shyness, Stealing, Begging, Car Chasing, Fear Biting, Object Guarding, and much,much more
Carol Lea Benjamin/Paperback/1989
- ASPCA Complete Dog Training Manual
Bruce Fogle, Roger A. Caras/Hardcover/1994
- Play Training Your Dog
Patricia Gail Burnham/Paperback/1986
- Woof Woof-Uncle Matty's Guide
N/A/VHS Tape/1997
- Training That Works for Your Dog
/VHS Tape/1998
- Puppy Preschool : Raising Your Puppy Right-Right from the Start!
John Ross/Hardcover/1996
- Dog Tricks : New Tricks for Old Dogs, Old Tricks for New Dogs, and Ageless Tricks That Give Wise Men Paws
Arthur J. Haggerty, et al/Hardcover/1996
- Woof!:A Guide to Dog Training
Matthew Margolis/VHS Tape/1996
- The Art of Raising a Puppy
New Skete Monks/Hardcover/1991
- How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend : A Training Manual for Dog Owners
New Skete Monks/Hardcover/1978
- Winning Ways : Lessons for Juniors from the Top Trainers
Margaret J. Cannell/Hardcover/1994
- Uncle Matty's Guide to Doggy Problems
Matthew Margolis/VHS Tape/1998
- Beyond Basic Dog Training
Diane L. Bauman/Hardcover/1991
- How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days
Shirlee Kalstone/Paperback/1991
- Training and Explaining : How to Be the Dog Trainer You Want to Be
Job Michael Evans/Hardcover/1995
- Dog Tricks
Arthur J. Haggerty, Carol Lea Benjamin/Hardcover/1983
- The Canine Good Citizen : Every Dog Can Be One
Joachim Volhard/Paperback/1997
- People, Pooches and Problems
Job Michael Evans/Hardcover/1991
- Don't Shoot the Dog : The New Art of Teaching and Training
Karen Pryor/Paperback/1985
- All Dogs Need Some Training
Liz Palika/Paperback/1997
- American Kennel Club Dog Care and Training
American Kennel Club/Paperback/1991
- Uncle Matty's Ultimate Guide to Dog Training : The Woof Papers
Matthew Margolis, Mordecai Siegal/Hardcover/1998
- Help for Your Shy Dog : Turning Your Terrified Dog into a Terrific Pet
Deborah Wood/Paperback/1999
- 21 Days to a Trained Dog
Dick. Maller, Jeffrey Feinman/Paperback/1979
- Dog Training for Children & Parents
Michael Tucker/Paperback/1998
- Mother Knows Best : The Natural Way to Train Your Dog
Carol Lea Benjamin, Stephen Lennard/Hardcover/1985
- Teaching Dog Obedience Classes : The Manual for Instructors
Joachim Volhard, et al/Hardcover/1986
- Surviving Your Dog's Adolescence : A Positive Training Program
Carol Lea Benjamin (Photographer), Stephen Lennard/Hardcover/1993
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