--- title: "Moving House with a Dog: Keep Them Calm | Fluffs York" description: "A York groomer's practical guide to moving house with a dog: prepping before the day, a calm moving day, settling in, and easing anxiety in a new home." --- [![Untitled (400 x 400 px) (250 x 100 px) (1)](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/hubfs/Untitled%20(400%20x%20400%20px)%20(250%20x%20100%20px)%20(1).png)](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk) - [About](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/about) - Pricing & Packages - [Full Dog Groom](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-prices-and-packages-in-york) - [Hand Stripping](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/hand-stripping-in-york) - [Puppy Grooming](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/puppy-grooming-in-york) - [Wash, Dry & Deshed](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-deshedding-prices-in-york) - [Nail Clipping](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-nail-clipping-cost-in-york) - [Gallery](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-gallery) - [Reviews](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/customer-reviews-fluffs-dog-grooming-york) - Resources - [FAQs](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/faqs) - [Blog](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks) - [Contact](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/contact-fluffs) Dog Behaviour # Moving House with a Dog: How to Keep Them Calm and Settled A York groomer's practical guide to moving house with a dog: prepping before the day, a calm moving day, settling in, and easing anxiety in a new home. [Lucy](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/author/lucy) Jun 22, 2026 --- Moving house is stressful enough for us, and our dogs pick up on every bit of it. Boxes appear, furniture vanishes, familiar smells disappear, and then suddenly they are in a completely new place. Dogs thrive on routine and territory, so a house move ticks nearly every box for canine anxiety. The reassuring news is that with a bit of planning you can make the whole thing far smoother, and most dogs settle into a new home within a week or two. Here is how I would approach it. ## Prepare in the weeks before The more normal you can keep life while the packing chaos builds, the better. - **Keep the routine steady.** Same walk times, same feeding times, same evening wind-down. Predictability is what tells your dog the world is still safe. - **Introduce the crate or carrier early.** If your dog will travel in a crate on the day, get it out weeks beforehand with treats and a cosy bed inside so it feels like a den, not a trap. - **Do not wash everything at once.** Their bed and favourite blankets carry reassuring smells. Save the laundry for after the move so the new place smells a little bit like home from day one. - **Book a safe spot for moving day** if you can: a friend, a family member, or daycare. A dog underfoot while removal crews carry sofas is stressed and at risk of bolting through an open door. The RSPCA has helpful [general advice on dog behaviour and wellbeing](https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/behaviour) that is worth a read before a big change like this. ## Keep moving day calm Moving day is loud, busy, and full of open doors, exactly the conditions a nervous dog finds overwhelming. If your dog cannot stay elsewhere, set them up in one quiet, closed room with their bed, water, a chew, and a note on the door so no one lets them out. Check on them calmly between jobs. When it is time to travel, secure them properly in the car with a crate or seatbelt harness, and never leave them alone in a warm vehicle. Try to keep your own energy relaxed. Dogs read our body language beautifully, and a frazzled owner makes for a frazzled dog. > **Groomer's tip:** Pack a dog "first night" bag and keep it with you, not on the removal van. Food, bowls, lead, poo bags, medication, a favourite toy, and their unwashed bed. When you arrive frazzled at the new place, having their familiar things instantly to hand makes settling in so much easier. ## Settling into the new home When you arrive, take your dog straight to one calm room set up with their own bed and belongings before you start unpacking around them. A single secure base is far less overwhelming than free run of a strange, echoing house. A few settling-in basics: - **Check the garden and fences** for gaps, low walls, or dodgy gates before you let your dog out unsupervised. Newly moved dogs are notorious escape artists as they try to find their way "home". - **Keep them on a lead** for the first few garden trips and neighbourhood walks until they know the lie of the land. - **Update the microchip details and ID tag** with your new address straight away. This is a legal requirement in the UK and it is the thing most people forget in the chaos. - **Reintroduce the old routine fast.** The same walk and meal times you kept before the move are your quickest route to a settled dog. ## Easing anxiety in the days after Some dogs bounce into a new home; others go quiet, clingy, off their food, or have the odd toileting accident. That is normal for a few days. Give them patience rather than fuss. - Stick rigidly to routine. - Give plenty of gentle exercise to burn off nervous energy. - Reward calm, settled behaviour and avoid making a huge emotional deal of leaving and returning. - A calming pheromone plug-in (the kind that mimics the natural scent nursing mothers produce) helps some anxious dogs settle. If your dog is still very anxious after a couple of weeks, is not eating, or shows a real change in behaviour, have a word with your vet to rule out anything physical, and consider a qualified behaviourist via the [Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors](https://apbc.org.uk/) or the [Animal Behaviour and Training Council](https://abtc.org.uk/). ## Frequently asked questions **How do I keep my dog calm when moving house?** Keep their routine as steady as possible, pack a bag of their familiar things, set them up in one quiet room at each end, and stay calm yourself. Predictability and familiar smells do most of the reassuring. **How long does it take a dog to settle after moving?** Most dogs settle within one to two weeks. Sticking firmly to the old feeding and walking routine in the new home speeds it up considerably. **Where should my dog go on moving day?** Ideally with a friend, family member, or daycare, away from the noise and open doors. If that is not possible, keep them secure in one closed room with a clear note so no one lets them out. **My dog is anxious in the new house, what can I do?** Give it time and routine, plenty of exercise, and calm reassurance. If anxiety, appetite loss, or unusual behaviour persists beyond a couple of weeks, speak to your vet and consider an accredited behaviourist. --- *Fluffs is a professional dog grooming salon in Wigginton, York, offering one-to-one grooming for dogs of every breed and coat type across Haxby, Strensall, Huntington, New Earswick and the surrounding villages. New to the area after a move? We would love to welcome your dog for a calm, one-to-one groom. [Say hello and book in.](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/contact-fluffs)* [Dog Behaviour](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/tag/dog-behaviour) ## Similar posts Dog Education ### [How to Train a Puppy to Walk on a Lead: Loose-Lead Basics](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-train-a-puppy-to-walk-on-a-lead) A York groomer's kind guide to how to train a puppy to walk on a lead: loose-lead basics, starting indoors, and stopping pulling with calm,... Lucy Apr 11, 2026 Dog Education ### [How to House Train an Older Dog: A Groomer's Patient Guide](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-house-train-an-older-dog) How to house train an older dog or rescue: build a routine, reward the right spot, handle setbacks kindly, and rule out medical causes. A York... Lucy May 29, 2026 Dog Behaviour ### [How to Calm a Hyperactive Dog: A Groomer's Practical Guide](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-calm-a-hyperactive-dog) A York groomer's practical guide on how to calm a hyperactive dog: exercise, enrichment, calm routines and ruling out boredom, plus when to seek help. 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