Moving with Dogs: Essential Tips and Trends in 2024

Relocating to a new home can be a daunting task, especially when you have a four-legged friend to consider. So, we analyzed responses from Sniffspot users to get their best dog-friendly moving tips and advice.

Whether you're a Gen Z urbanite, a millennial starting a family, or an empty-nester seeking a quieter life, moving with dogs brings its own set of unique challenges and considerations. With this guide, you’ll discover generational trends, what people found to be the most challenging aspect of moving with a dog, and things they wish they knew before starting their move. 

Whether you're preparing for a cross-country move or just a neighborhood hop, these insights and advice will help you make the journey as stress-free as possible for you and your pup.

Moving with Dogs: Quick Overview

How Did We Compile These Stats?

We're lucky at Sniffspot to have a community of dog experts and dog lovers willing to share their expertise. We received over 6,000 responses about moving with dogs from users covering a wide range of demographics and backgrounds.

We used that data to create this guide about what moving with a dog looks like in 2024. It covers aspects like location trends, generational trends, and overall challenges. You'll also find advice on how to make the process easier for you and your pup.

Dog-Friendly Moving by Generation

Who are the people moving with their dogs? We took a look at dog-friendly moving trends by generation, and found this breakdown:

Source: Sniffspot Community Moving Report 2024

Millennials are in the lead when it comes to moving with their furry friends. Gen Z makes up a quarter of the movers, while Gen X and Baby Boomers move less frequently.

Where Are Dog Owners Leaving?

Whether you were born there or moved at some point in time, we all come from somewhere. Before we dive into where dog owners are moving to, here’s a look at where they’re moving from.

Trends look pretty similar across the board when looking at the moving patterns of Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X/Baby Boomers. Here are the top four areas and the percentage of responses of people who are leaving with their dogs:

Source: Sniffspot Community Moving Report 2024

West Coast (WA, OR, CA, AK): 20-26%
Mid East Coast (SC, NC, VA, WV, MD, DE): 13-15%
South East (TN, MS, AL, GA, FL): 11-15%
Mountain West (ID, WY, NV, UT, CO, AZ, NM): 9-10%

Where Are Dog Owners Moving?

The data starts to divide along generational lines when we look at the places that dog owners decide to call their new home. Many people have recently moved within the same cit. But, here’s a look at people who moved to different areas of the country, broken down the numbers by age group.

Gen Z

Source: Sniffspot Community Moving Report 2024

Mid East Coast: 18%
West Coast: 14%
South Central (TX, OK, LA, AR): 13%
Midwest (MI, OH, IN, KY):  13%

Millennials

Source: Sniffspot Community Moving Report 2024

West Coast: 16%
NY/PA: 13% (NY: 8%; PA: 5%)
Mid East Coast: 12%
South East: 12%

Gen X/Baby Boomers

Source: Sniffspot Community Moving Report 2024

West Coast: 20%
Mountain West: 15%
East Coast (ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NJ): 10%
Central (KS, NE, MO, IL): 9%

Responses showed that all generations of Sniffspot dog owners are drawn to the West Coast. But Gen Z is also moving east and to South Central US, especially Texas. Millennials are also pulled between the West and East coasts, landing heavily in California, Oregon, Washington, and New York, although not specifically NYC. As for the older generations, their relocation is more widely spread across the country.

What Size Dog Are People Moving With?

If you're moving down the street, the size of your dog probably doesn't factor into your planning that much. But if you're moving out of state or across the country, logistics can get a bit more complicated. Especially if you have a larger pup.

But plenty of Sniffspot users have successfully moved with medium- and large-sized dogs. Whether driving or flying, dogs of all sizes have made the journey to a new home.

Source: Sniffspot Community Moving Report 2024

Challenging Aspects of Moving With A Dog

No matter where you live or where you’re moving to, the process of packing up all your belongings and getting them to a new location isn’t easy.

Between putting things in boxes, vacating your current home, and rebuilding your life in a new space, there are a lot of logistics to deal with. And when you add a dog into the mix, things can get even more difficult. For example, you'll need packing boxes specifically for dog things like food bowls, water bowls, and pet toys.

People of all ages listed out which part of moving with a dog was the most challenging, and overall, their responses were very similar. 

Source: Sniffspot Community Moving Report 2024

Stress on dog during the move: 31-33%
Finding dog friendly housing: 19-27%
Dog adapting to new home: 12-15%
Finding a normal routine and stability in new home: 13-14%

If your dog has lived in the same place since you brought them into your life, they might feel uneasy with all of the change. It's not uncommon for them to experience separation anxiety or need extra quality time to adjust. And if you decide to rent, you have to find a place that allows dogs, and navigate any restrictions on size, breed, or leash laws.

Finally, once you get settled in your new space, you have to help your dog get settled, and this can take plenty of time. Between nnew surroundings, daily routines, and smells, it’s important to help your pup get back into a routine in their new home.

Dog-Friendly Moving Tips and Advice

Just because there are a few more challenges when moving with a dog, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming! If you’re not quite sure where to begin, our Sniffspot community members shared their list of tips on how to make a move more seamless, and what they wish they had done during their own moves. 

Here are some of the best bits of advice when moving with a dog.

Make a plan before you move – 13%

Even if you're one of the pet owners who likes to “wing it,” this might not work well when moving with a dog. Limit the number of unexpected situations by planning out things like how you’ll transport your pup to the new home.

Decide where they will be as you move items in and out, when they’ll get regular walks potty breaks on move day, and where their safe space will be in your new home. Plan some brain games (like a game of fetch) to help with excess energy and combat negative behaviors.

Sniffspot Community Tip

“Plan. Ahead. Create an idea of what you want your life to look like with your dogs and figure out a way to make it a reality.” - Kinsley M.

Be patient, flexible, and calm – 12%

What's one of the most common tips for pet owners on moving with a dog? "Be patient!" Moving is stressful for everyone, and having extra patience with your pup can go a long way. They may do certain things out of their norm.

If you can stay calm and be flexible, you'll help your dog get back to a comfortable, normal state in no time. Remember, it might take a couple weeks for your dog to get familiar with a usual routine.

Sniffspot Community Tips

"Be patient the first few months! It takes more time for them to settle in than you may realize." - E. E.

"Be patient, expect some stress, give them time to decompress." - Avery S.

Bring them to the new place before you move – 4%

Many users suggest taking your dog to visit the new home and area before fully moving in. Although this isn't possible for every move, it can be a great way to get your dog acclimated to the new space gradually, instead of changing things all at once.

This is also a way to help your dog adjust to pet travel, road trips, familiar smells, and using a travel crate. Bring familiar food dishes, put out fresh water, and keep on top of your dog's stress levels.

Sniffspot Community Tips

"Take them to the property before you start moving stuff over, allow [them] to play and get treats, [give] positive association in a new space." - Bill T.

"Take them to walk the neighborhood a few times before you move there." - R. T.

Use a sitter or daycare on the day of the move – 4%

On the day of your move, you'll likely be thinking about a million different things. You probably won't have as much time to focus on your dog. Let them have a fun day out at a daycare or with a sitter. For instance, the sitter might take them to a dog-friendly park, giving them ample time to burn off extra stress levels.

Not only will this keep them occupied and entertained, but it will also keep them safe and out of the way of any moving chaos. Make sure your sitter or daycare has an updated health certificate and veterinary inspection, just in case. These are typically required by animal shelters, daycares, and animal control facilities.

Sniffspot Community Tip

“Have a day-of move plan for the dog to either be with family or at daycare so they are out of the way and do not escape while you are occupied getting the truck loaded. Once everything is loaded into the new house, go pick the dog up from wherever they spent the day.” - E.

Stick to their routine as much as possible – 6%

It's to be expected that you and your pup's schedule will be impacted by a move. But six percent of users found it very important to stick to a routine as much as you can. When you're planning out your moving day, factor in things like when your dog gets fed, when they like to go on walks, etc. Keep this in mind for the full period of time it takes your pet to adjust.

Sniffspot Community Tip

"Re-establish a routine as quickly as possible to reassure them that they are home!" - H. A.

Use a crate – 4%

Four percent of user responses mentioned that using a crate was helpful in their move. It's a good way to keep your dog safe when people and things are moving in and out, and it can be a comforting place for them to stay.

If you're moving to a destination address outside your current country, you might be required to crate your pet while they undergo a veterinary inspection. These veterinary inspections are a part of the local animal control protocol for the movement of animals. Your local animal control office can advice you what the current contact requirements are for emotional support animals, companion animals, and service animals. As always, make sure you have the proper health certificate required by your local animal guidelines.

Sniffspot Community Tips

"Have an empty room or set up a crate for them to stay in while moving things in and out of the house." - Annie P.

"Keep your dog in a place they are comfy, like their crate at home." - Elizabeth H.

Give your dog medication – 4%

This is something you'll want to discuss with your vet, but if you have an anxious pup, then anxiety medication might help alleviate the stresses of moving. Additionally, if your dog struggles with car rides or travel, then motion sickness medication can be helpful as well.

It's a smart idea to put together a pet travel kit before you move. This should include your dog's medical records (vaccinations, rabies shot license, etc), a current contact for emergencies, water dishes, local veterinary hospital or animal hospital info, and extra food.

Sniffspot Community Tip

"Don’t be afraid to reach out to your veterinary hospital for medication management of moving related stress and anxiety." - Caitlin T.

More Resources for Moving With Your Dog

There are so many aspects of the moving process, and we're here to help every step of the way. Whether you need to find a safe space for your dog to run around near your new home, or need some tips on how to travel with your pup to your next location, we've got you covered!

If you moved with your pet, what was your destination address? Was it a local move or one to a foreign country?

• Find a private dog park near your destination
• Tips for dog-friendly travel
• Explore dog-friendly hotel chains (as rated by our readers)
• See the top dog-friendly airlines
• Learn how to handle separation anxiety in your dog
• Discover private, dog-friendly trails near you