Most dogs handle routine changes pretty well. Moving day? That’s different.
Owners think they’re helping by keeping dogs nearby during the move. That usually makes things worse. Dogs pick up on human stress, and moving day stress is intense. Add in the chaos of boxes, movers, and strange sounds, and anxiety levels spike.
Here’s what calms dogs during moves, backed by veterinary science instead of Pinterest tips.
Create a Safe Room Before Chaos Starts
Pick one room movers won’t touch until the end. Set up the dog’s bed, water bowl, and favorite toys. Keep it exactly the same while everything else changes around it.
Dogs need an unchanged space during transitions. Their entire world is shifting, so one stable room provides psychological safety. Not metaphorical—actual measured cortisol level differences in dogs with safe spaces versus those without.
Close the door. Put a sign on it. Movers need to know this room stays locked. Too many dogs bolt during moves because someone left a door open while carrying furniture.
The room should have familiar smells. Don’t wash the dog bed right before moving. Dirty blankets smell like home, which provides comfort during stressful transitions.
Natural Calming Solutions That Vets Recommend
Drugs aren’t always the answer, but doing nothing isn’t either.
Full-spectrum CBD treats have become pretty standard for managing moving stress. They interact with dogs’ endocannabinoid systems to reduce anxiety without sedation. Dogs stay alert but calmer. Veterinary studies show measurable stress reduction during high-anxiety situations like travel and environmental changes, which is why many vets now recommend vet-approved CBD for dogs as part of moving preparation.
The dosing is straightforward—roughly 1mg per pound of body weight. A 30-pound dog gets about 30mg. Start a few days before moving to let it build up in their system. Not the morning of.
Pheromone diffusers work too, though less dramatically. They release calming scents that mimic what mother dogs produce. Won’t solve severe anxiety but helps take the edge off.
Exercise Timing Matters More Than Amount
Common advice says tire the dog out before moving day. That’s half right.
Heavy exercise the morning of moving day can backfire. Exhausted dogs don’t handle stress well. They lack the energy to self-regulate when anxiety hits. A tired dog plus moving chaos equals worse behavior, not better.
Better approach: normal walk in the morning, then another short walk mid-afternoon after the initial chaos settles. This releases pent-up energy from being confined without completely draining them.
The second walk also provides routine. Even on moving day, dogs still get their walk. That consistency matters.
The Car Strategy
Many owners save the dog for last—move everything, then deal with the pet. Bad plan.
Dogs do better when they see the new place before everything arrives. If possible, take the dog to the new house first. Let them explore empty rooms, sniff around, and claim the space. Then they’re not arriving at a completely strange place filled with familiar furniture in the wrong positions.
Can’t do two trips? Put the dog in the car mid-move, before the house is completely empty. Let them see the process happening. Sounds counterintuitive, but works better than hiding them until everything’s done.
The car becomes a safe space if you prep it right. Familiar blanket, favorite toy, maybe a worn t-shirt that smells like home. Park somewhere quiet with windows cracked for the first hour of chaos.
What Doesn’t Work (But Everyone Tries Anyway)
Constant reassurance makes anxiety worse. Petting an anxious dog and saying “it’s okay, you’re fine” reinforces anxious behavior. They think you’re rewarding the fear response.
Better approach: calm, matter-of-fact handling. Quick check-ins without emotional energy. Dogs read energy, not words.
Playing calming music rarely helps as much as people hope. Some dogs respond to it. Most don’t care. Save money on the special dog relaxation playlists.
Leaving them home alone during the move “so they don’t see the chaos” typically backfires. They smell strangers, hear furniture moving, sense everything changing without understanding what’s happening. Worse than being present with a safe room setup.
First Night in the New Place
Biggest mistake: trying to establish new routines immediately. “Fresh start” sounds good, but it stresses dogs out.
Keep the exact same schedule for the first week. Same feeding times, same walk routes if possible, same bedtime routine. Everything else changed—don’t change this, too.
Set up one room that looks like the old house. Dog bed in the same position relative to the furniture if you can manage it. Familiar smells, familiar layout. Expand gradually.
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Moving stresses dogs out. That’s not fixable. But it’s manageable with the right approach—safe spaces, proper exercise timing, vet-backed calming aids, and realistic expectations about what works. Most anxiety comes from disrupted routines and unfamiliar environments, both of which improve with time and intentional transition strategies.
