I've had a number of calls recently from owners who say their dogs are misbehaving following a house move.
Dogs are creatures of habit. Change their routine and you change their behaviour. That's how it works.
My dog Murphy had an operation on his front paw and as a result has not been able to take part in our twice-daily training sessions. It involves a lot of retrieving which his genetics demand.
After the third day he began to act in very untypical manner nipping at my other dogs in an attempt to have them chase him. He was clearly frustrated and behaving in a way he would never do in his normal routine.
I immediately invented other games to challenge him without hindering his injured paw. I hid tiny treats around the house and urged him to find them. I made a sock from a rubber glove and walked him around the playing field and finally he settled down.
When you move house your dog's familiar routine gets interrupted which makes dogs very insecure. It's wise to keep their world as stable as possible. Walk them around the new neighbourhood before taking them inside the new house. Let them get a feel for their adopted territory.
If they have a crate and/or bed make sure it's in the same quiet spot it was before and not in some busy part of the house. Give your dog his favourite toy and show him where you're going to play his favourite games.
Keep his routine as stable as possible and DO NOT fuss and fret or he will sense your anxiety and adopt the same attitude. Give him your confidence not sympathy.
Once he works out the new routine he'll be fine.
Read more tips on Vic's website.
