Many of our pets end up lost when we move from one residence to another. Here’s how to prevent the lost dog problem when moving across country or just a few blocks away.

While Packing

Your dog may get confused from all the commotion inside a home that’s in transit. All the things that that a dog is familiar with are suddenly being rearranged and placed into strange looking containers! To reduce this stress, keep the dog in an area that hasn’t been packed yet. You can place the dog in the back yard, in its crate, or inside the room that you’ll pack last. If you place your dog in a room, be sure to keep the door closed so that the dog doesn’t escape and run out of the home’s opened front door. The last thing you need to worry about during a move is a lost dog! Once you’re ready to pack up that last room, take the dog into the back yard first. And don’t pack up a dog’s items until the very last day of the move.

While Loading The Vehicle

Again, you’ll want to keep the dog out of harms way and reduce opportunity for escape by placing it in a secured area of the home. If you’ve employed movers, tell them where your dog is so they don’t inadvertently let it loose.

While En Route

At this point, you’ll want to secure your dog in a crate or strong harness leash and load him into the vehicle that you’re traveling in. In route, reduce the number of pit stops since they can increase the probability of your dog running away. When you have to stop, never take the dog of its leash.

While At The New Residence

Select a room to store the dog or place the dog in the back yard if it’s fenced. Put the dog’s food and water bowls, bedding, and toys in the same area. The dog’s curiosity will keep him occupied while you start to bring in some of its items, but that curiosity won’t last long enough for you to bring in all your furniture and boxes. So again, inform your movers where your dog is and keep it behind a secure door. A run-away canine that frolics about a strange new neighborhood is harder to find since neither you nor your dog will be familiar with the area.

While At The Nanny’s

As an alternative to trying to juggle movers, children, boxes, and an excited dog, you can place your dog into a boarding kennel or in the secured home of a trusted neighbor or friend. Since it can take several days just to get everything moved from one place to another, a dog sitter will come in handy and allow you to put your belongings in their appropriate places. A sitter will also give you plenty of time to dog proof the home before you bring it home. If you’re specifically concerned about security however and want to minimize every chance of any sort of dog problem, seek out a kennel instead of a sitter.