I Moved My Pup Cross-Country and He’s Acting Weird—Here’s What a Dog Shrink Recommends

Dogs, they’re just like us…sort of. Take moving homes—it’s said to be one of the most traumatic experiences in life, as disquieting as death and divorce, so it makes sense that it’s going to take a little more than a few extra scratches to get used to our new home, right? However, since the family cockapoo, Gus, arrived at our new East Coast home after a weeklong drive cross-country, he's been alternatively standoffish (he spends days by himself alone in the living room), clingy (he attacks my legs when I walk in the door) and naughty (he stole entire breakfast Danishes, muffins and dog treats off hard-to-reach counters, a new behavior). I miss my calm, boundary-aware dog of yesterday and worry these behaviors indicate a deep disquiet—he’s a rescue dog and a bit anxious. I turned to a dog behaviorist for an explainer—and tips for how to help Gus be his old happy-go-lucky self.

Zazie Todd, PhD, is the award-winning author of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog. She's a graduate of the Academy for Dog Trainers, the creator of the Companion Animal Psychology blog, and co-hosts The Pawsitive Post podcast.

According to Dr. Todd, moving is just as disorienting for dogs as it is for people—possibly even more so. “Your dog doesn’t know why everything has changed,” she said. “They don’t understand the context. They just know the environment, smells, and sounds are suddenly different.” She explained that the “naughty” behaviors I was seeing—counter surfing for Danish pastries, isolating in a new room—weren’t necessarily signs of rebellion, but symptoms of stress. “Training is context-specific,” she told me. “What a dog has learned in one place doesn’t always transfer right away. You may have to revisit the basics using positive reinforcement.”

And the food stealing? “Once a dog gets a reward—like scoring a delicious muffin—they’re more likely to try again. The best prevention is management: don’t leave temptations out.” Dr. Todd reminded me to rule out health issues: “If you’re seeing sudden behavioral changes, especially in an older dog, it’s always worth checking with a vet.”

Give your dog a break—they also need a little time to get used to things. "Although their home is where you are, it’s likely that they will miss their old place and maybe even some of the people and dogs that they used to see regularly," says Dr. Todd. She says the period when you're unpacking is especially disruptive to pets, "so try to get things to a new normal as quickly as you can." She suggests thinking of the move from the dog's point of view—for example, the smells of a new place can be quite different and there’s often a lot of cleaning (cleaning products can have strong smells). And listen: Along with her nose getting used to this new place as home, she's going to take a while to get acclimated to new sounds. "Especially if you’ve moved into a condo when you previously lived in a house, or if you’ve swapped a quiet rural area for the city," Dr. Todd says, "it’s a lot to get used to."

Routine, routine, routine, suggests Dr, Todd. "Stick to the same routine that you used to have at your previous home. Give meals at the same time, take walks at the same time, play games at the same time. Dogs like to have a routine and it can help them to feel secure." Neighborhood walks not only introduce your furry friend to new surroundings, they're also useful as safeguards in case your pet goes missing. "Be aware that it’s relatively common for dogs to run away or get lost from a new home, so be especially careful to keep him on leash and not to leave exit doors open in those first few weeks," Dr. Todd says. "Local walks will help him to build up a mental map of the neighborhood so that he can find his way home if he does get lost."

Activities that use the nose are always good for dogs, so as well as ‘sniffaris’ in the new neighborhood. Dr. Todd recommends "simple scent work games" such as throwing treats in the grass for him to find with his nose.

Dr. Todd assures me that routine, attention and yes, food will help my little guy feel frisky again. "Make sure that your dog gets plenty of walks and play time with you. He may be a bit more clingy than usual, so be tolerant of that and make sure he gets to spend time with you," she says. (She completely shot down the dispelled the old adage that says paying a dog extra attention "spoils them.") And when taking a dog to a new place, "especially if they are shy or fearful as you described your Gus," she suggested using food "to help to make a good first impression. That would typically be people food, such as pieces of roast chicken, steak or cheese, and it’s best to be generous with it. This can help to teach the dog to like the new place right from the beginning." [Reader, I could see Gus practically dancing in my mind's eye.]

I’ve started taking Gus on daily ‘sniffaris’ in which I’m walking more slowly and intentionally, encouraging him to explore the new flora of the region. He’s snapped out of his torpor a bit, especially when he discovered our new neighborhood is lousy with his old enemy, squirrels. And after speaking with Dr. Todd I remembered that although I’d continued his mid-afternoon walk in our new neighborhood, I’d forgotten the post-walk treat he’d grown accustomed to back home. No wonder he was standoffish! He seems much less clingy now that he’s got his treat, and six weeks into our move, the smells of our new street.