How can I help my anxious dog with the stress of moving house?
Welcome back to My Dog Dilemma: Country Living's weekly dog column in collaboration with the PDSA. Each week, a vet will answer your dog dilemmas, sharing tips, tricks, and advice to help you and other owners.
We know how a pet's irrational fear, unusual behaviour, bad habit or health condition can affect an owner's life – and My Dog Dilemma aims to answer all your burning questions.
Last week we heard from Sacha who wanted advice on how to get her dog to stop chasing shadows. Keep reading for our next dilemma, submitted by Rachel.
The problem...
Hi, I'm Rachel and I'm getting in touch about my young Staffy, Ru.
My young dog has spent her entire life in our current home, but we'll soon be moving. She's a fairly anxious pup anyway, so I'm worried about how she will cope. Is there anything I can do before we move and when we arrive to help her?
Ru also struggles with overexcitement. Every dog she sees, every child playing in the distance, and even passersby glancing in her direction illicit full-body wiggles, and wild jumping, spinning and pulling on the lead.
She is often totally overwhelmed with excitement and struggles to regain calm. Is there anything I can do I help her to better cope with the world, so it doesn't present such a source of overstimulation?
The solution...
Hi Rachel, moving house is a generally stressful time for all involved, however carefully planning your move in advance, while keeping Ru in mind, will help to make the process as smooth as possible, with less stress for both of you.
With all the clearing of the house going on and likely strangers in her home, especially if using a removal company, it may be a good idea to arrange for a trusted family member, friend, or dog walker to look after Ru elsewhere whilst the move is taking place. This way, Ru will be in the company of a familiar person and won't feel stressed out by all the commotion that's taking place in her old home.
If you plan on Ru being around on moving day, as not everyone is fortunate enough to have help at hand, create a dedicated space for her.
Choose one room in the house that you can clear beforehand, but leave Ru's toys, beds, blankets, food and water bowls in there. In addition, try leaving a radio on for her, so that any outside noises are less obvious to her.
You can also try a pheromone diffuser in the room Ru will be in, to help calm any nerves. Make sure she has plenty of fresh water and toys designed to keep her relaxed or entertained for longer periods, like an enrichment puzzle feeder. Let Ru get used to being in that space well before moving day, so when the big day arrives, Ru feels happier whilst you're clearing your house.
On moving day, when checking in on Ru, be cautious, as if she is overexcited she could try to run out of the room, especially if there are strangers in the house. Make sure the house is calm and doors are closed when you pop in to check on her.
Once everyone has gone and the house is quiet, Ru can be calmly moved from your old house to your new home. All dogs will benefit from going for a good walk to settle them down and relax before they go to their new home; this will help stop Ru from becoming over-excited once she arrives.
When you have the keys to your new home, allow Ru to explore her new home at her own pace. Although she may initially feel a little disorientated and on edge, seeing and smelling all her familiar belongings will help her settle in from the get-go.
For Ru's overall overexcitement – this may be anxiety and overstimulation. We'd recommend that you book Ru for a full examination with your vet to make sure there isn't anything medical underlying contributing to the behaviour.
If everything is OK, your vet can discuss referring Ru to an accredited pet behaviourist to support you in helping her cope better with the world.
Ru is young; the world is a new, big, exciting place. There are a few things you can try to help with overstimulation:
Training – Any form of positive reward-based training is great for not only your dog's body but also their mind as it keeps them active and engaged.
Enrichment feeding – Using slow and puzzle feeders can make mealtimes last longer and be more interesting for your pet.
Scent-based walks - Allowing your dog to stop and sniff when on walks provides them with an opportunity to learn about other dogs in the area and explore new and interesting smells. You can also add some scent games and training into this – perhaps throwing a few treats into the grass in your garden for your dog to find.
Answered by PDSA Vet Nina Downing.
If you would like to have your query answered, please email us at dogs@countryliving.co.uk and tell us a bit about you, your dog (with age and breed), and your problem. Please go into as much detail as possible.
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