A couple of months ago my friends Jen and Steve and their two dogs Luca and Suri moved from Vancouver to Squamish. The new location is perfect for the dogs – quiet street close to the Smoke Bluffs ( a great hiking area – see my previous posts about this!) and a fenced back yard. GETTING the dogs to the new location was an entirely different matter. Moving with dogs is a challenging process. Add Avy to the mix and you have a very complicated situation.
Jen and Steve had taken care to make sure that the dogs were comfortable with the move – they had taken the dogs up to Squamish to see the new house and meet the landlords and on move day made sure the dogs were well exercised before having to spend excess time in the car. One thing they didn’t completely plan out was what to do with the dogs while they were moving.
Taking furniture, boxes and bags out of an apartment suite and into a moving truck means propping open doors and a lot of walking in and out. For most of the move we (and I say we because Avy and I were helping – or at least I was!) had the dogs in the bedroom with the door closed. While they weren’t completely happy with this they didn’t seem to be too upset. After the suite was empty I brought Avy upstairs to have a play in the empty suite before getting in the cars and heading out.
Once we got to Squamish the situation worsened significantly. On the way there it started to pour – the type of rain that only a Vancouverite can truly understand. Avy had come with me for the drive and between the 3 dogs we had to try and keep them contained inside while trying to unload the moving truck so that they wouldn’t track mud and rain inside (not to mention trying to keep the humans from doing the same). Trying to move furniture and boxes in and out while entertaining 3 dogs in a small space is NOT an easy feat. After awhile we gave up and I took Avy home – it was just to difficult to navigate the move while keeping the dogs inside.
What we learned from this experience – when planning a move it’s just as important to make arrangements for your furry friends as it is to book a moving truck or enlist some friends to come and help. Arrangements may mean having the dogs go off to a doggie daycare for a few hours while the bulk of the moving is taking place, or ask a friend to take your dog for a long walk while you pack things up. Long story short – everyone will be a bit happier if your move can take place without your dog underfoot.