Since we’ve moved, the question I’ve been asked most often is:
“How are the dogs doing in your new place?”
Answer: Quite fine, thank you.
When we first got there, they weren’t really sure what was going on. We’re talking about two dogs who’ve never been off-leash, except at home and at the dog park. During the first couple of weeks, we’d let them out, and they’d sit by the front door until we let them back in. It was only when we let them play with my in-laws’ dogs (a 2-year-old pitbull and a 15-year-old German Shepherd) that they’d actually go off and run around in the woods. There were, however, a couple of problems with this:
- My in-laws’ German Shepherd is old and cranky and doesn’t like to be around our dogs, since they’re still young and playful.
- On the 3rd or 4th day we were in the new house, we got a phone call from our neighbor about the dogs being on their property. Oops!
So for the time being, we put our dogs on a run outside when it’s time for them to go potty, and we have to keep them separated from the old, cranky German Shepherd. When Dan and I are at work during the day, our dogs tend to stay upstairs in our bedroom, where they’re around familiar smells. When we come home at night, they do more roaming around the house and are slowly getting acclimated to the new environment.
Our dogs are definitely creatures of habit, so now that we have a routine for them, they seem to be settling in and enjoying themselves. At least, until winter comes.
Have you ever gone through a major move with pets? How did they handle it? Let me know in the comments.
Want to read a really funny story about dogs and moving? I suggest you visit HyperboleAndAHalf.com.
