Sunday is the big day (and how to)!

This weekend we are actually moving!

Friday we'll move most of the little stuff and on Saturday (if all goes to plan) we'll get a van for all the big furniture.

And on Sunday, we're going to get Ella. What do you guys think is the best way to make the move the least stressful for her?
She associates us with pretty much the only times she gets walked, so she's usually really hyper when she sees us. So I was thinking of going for a walk with her first and then take her home with us instead of bringing her back.

Or should we bring her to our flat first? I'm just worried she might be too agitated and be bouncing off the walls, so thought releasing that pent up energy first and then take her home where she'll hopefully be a bit tired and will want to settle..

I've never done this before, never rehomed an adult dog before, any advice?

In any case, I can't wait!!!

Hi Florence I think a quiet walk first would be a good thing, it will give Ella chance to relieve herself then when you get to the flat leave her alone to sniff around and explore in her own time.

I hope you will all be very happy together in your new home

Ps I am assuming you have a bed for her, if you have an old tee shirt or jumper that you can wear for a bit to get your scent then put in Ella's bed this will provide a familiar reassuring scent for her.

Agreed and also put her bed in the van last so it comes out first so she'll feel more at home with that in your new house whilst everything else is going on.

I agree talk ber for the normal walk you usually do - and then home, Congratulations on your new home and new dog,

Congratulations!

Greet her as you usually do, walk her as you usually do, and then take her home with you! And when you get home, do as Mini suggested:

I also agree with Mini's suggestion:

All good wishes for a very happy life together in your new home!

First of all congrats on the move and hope you will be happy in your new home.

I don't know what the recommended is but, every time I've had to leave Bella in the boarding, what I do is go to get her as soon as they open and, instead of bringing her straight home, I go straight to where we have our usual morning walk with her, take her on the usual walk and then take her home.

So far this has resulted in her coming home just as if she'd never been away. And I think maybe it's because her being on her usual walk is associated with her coming home afterwards (I doubt she thinks it through) so it's all 'normal' and she then has her little treat and goes for a kip the same as always.

Contrasting that to when I moved last month (to an apartment just 2 doors up on the same floor) where she was traipsing up and down all day with us to move me in - she was far more unsettled than she was when she's been in the boarding for about 2 wks!

With hindsight, I now wish I'd taken her to the boarding for just an overnight stop while the move was going on and collected her the following morning, taking her on her walk and then back to the new flat and usual routine.

She's settled now (still barking more than usual when she hears anyone outside the door) but it took a while. Maybe it wouldn't have made a difference - I'll never know!

But - yes - I'd say take her on a familiar walk first and as has been suggested above - have something familiar ready for her in the new place.

I would walk her first. I all goes well & you will be happy in your new home.

Hi make sure she has a quite place if you has a cage drape with a towel,so she would think its her den,something that smells of you both,but when we moved,I stayed in a caravan for a few days with the dog,because you are going to have the door open for peoples coming and goings,So I would wait until everything has been moved and its only you two crystalgirl

Thanks for your replies! It's exciting times, but stressful.. I won't get her until we've moved all the big stuff. I could technically get her tomorrow but I want to wait because there's no point involving her in the stress of the running around and moving everything in.
Ok, so I'll go for a walk first, then bring her home and just pretend it's all normal. I bought her a dog bed a week ago and she's been sleeping in it this week (at least during the day) so she'll already be quite used to that. I also got her a big kong which I'll stuff with treats so she's got something nice to occupy her in a 'calm' way in the new home.
I'm also going to look into raw feeding, but for the first few weeks I'll stick to her usual food and see how we get on later.

Thank you all so much for your good wishes, I'm so happy and hope Ella will be happy too in her new home

Oh yes, I'd definitely leave any change of feeding/diet until after she has settled in the new home.