How to Move a Dog to a New Home in Senior Living

Moving can be stressful, even when you understand everything that’s happening around you. For a dog, the seeming random upheaval can be even more anxiety-inducing, but some smart precautions can keep the transition stress-free for you and your dog. With a sprawling campus, lots of trails for walks, friendly staff, and four-legged friends around every corner, your dog will love a pet-friendly senior living community once you’ve settled in. So, how do we make moving with a dog easier for both of you?

5 Tips for Moving with a Dog

1. Meet the other animals in the neighborhood.

If it’s possible, take some time to meet the other pets in your new neighborhood before moving a dog to a new home. Ask their owners about the dogs’ personalities and whether or not they get along well with other dogs. You can also share anything about your dog the new neighbors may need to know. For the next step, bring your dog with you to the community. Let the dogs do their sniffing and tail wagging, so they feel more comfortable together. This way everyone can be prepared to see each other in the hallways or on sidewalks. If face-to-face meetings aren’t possible at this time, ask a contact at the community to get in touch with the other dog owners to find out about their pets. It will help if you can provide the contact person a bio and a picture of your own four-legged friend.

2. Let your dog relax on moving day.

Find a dog daycare to let your dog play on moving day, or ask a trusted friend to dog-sit. This way you avoid the stress of having your pet underfoot all day, and your dog doesn’t have anxiety with movers coming in and out of their space. When your new space is relatively settled, your dog can enter into a calmer environment and have a good first experience in their new home. 

3. Don’t wash dog blankets.

As most dog lovers know, dogs are strongly driven by smell. Their olfactory powers are at least 10,000 times stronger than ours. While you’re washing all your sheets and towels in preparation to move, leave out your dog’s things. The familiar scent will be very calming for them in the new space, which will be full of other, unfamiliar smells. 

4. Stick to the routine as much as possible.

Just like people, dogs find routine comforting, especially when other aspects of life are changing. If you and your dog have an established schedule for daily walks and mealtimes, stay as true to that schedule as possible during and after the move. Having predictability around their basic needs — food, exercise, relieving themselves — will help reduce their unease in the new environment. 

5. Update their paperwork.

Don’t forget about the practicalities of moving your dog to a new home. Make sure the dog tag has your updated address on it. And if the tag includes your home phone number, be sure to change it to your new number. If you’re moving a long distance from your previous residence, find a trusted veterinarian near your new place. One of the best things about moving to a pet-friendly senior living community is the fact that you have a lot of other pet owners to ask for vet recommendations.

At Cypress Village, we love and welcome your four-legged family members. If you’d like to know more about the process of moving with a dog, we’d be happy to tell you about it. You can also contact us to find out more about our lifestyle, amenities and services. Your dog isn’t the only one who will love it here!