Expert: Jana Connell RVT, CVT - 10/19/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hi
We are moving to a new home with Zachary our now 11 month old puppy. We have been staying with a family member for the past 2 years who owns a 4 year old jack Russell Zoe. I would like to know if Zack will be able to adapt at the new place without Zoe as he has never been alone since the day we got him and how can we make the move easier for him to accept? Should we consider getting another puppy? What would make the change better for him?

ANSWER: While most puppies are very resilient and will adapt, it is never a bad idea to adopt another dog as a playmate but only if you can afford to have two dogs and provide optimal care for them. I commend you on the idea but Zack will do fine once you are settled into your new place.
Make sure he gets plenty of walks and has a lot of toys to play with and that he gets a lot of petting and attention. Dog's are generally not as bothered by moves as cats are as long as they are with you.

If he will be alone a lot however, it might not be a bad idea to get another small puppy about his age. The human societies are full of puppies Zack's age.

Adopting will help with the overwhelming problem we all have of overpopulation.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi
Zack will be alone for the better part of the day as both myself and husband work. I can get another puppy, but Zack is generally a very jealous dog even with the one we live with now. If we give Zoe any sort of attention or play with he will go for her and growl etc. He is also a little scared of new noises and sounds. We will take some time off work when the actual move takes place to see how he adjusts. We have taken him to the new house once before as the vet suggested and he seemed fine at the time marking his territory and so on. How can we best make sure he is occupied during the day when he is alone so he does not bark and howl all day long and disrupt the neighbors. We just want him to be happy.

Answer
I give my dog a kong toy with peanut butter in it to distract her for a while. She is much older so she sleeps most of the day but it's harder for a puppy to be alone for so long. If he is in a yard he will do much better. He needs to be in a very secure, fenced yard where he can have shade and shelter from the elements.

Make sure he has plenty of water to drink as well. He may still bark and howl at times and that is something you will have to train out of him. This is where another dog is handy as they keep each other company. Jealous dogs are not trained dog and/or are not neutered. Most dogs do not have those types of aggressive traits once they are neutered. This also helps with him being restless.

You have to understand that sometimes you accidentally train a dog to believe it's a good thing when they act jealous and growl. Owners do this while not meaning to by paying attention to the growling dog and thus the dog thinks that the way to get your attention is by growling at other dogs.

He also needs to be out and about on a leash to get him more socialized. That is another problem with dogs that do not like others to get attention. They are not socialized enough.

Sometimes you might need a behavior modification drug to help him get over the hump of the move and socializing.

These drugs are safe and can be stopped down the road. You might want to talk to your vet about it.

Good luck with your move and new home!