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I'm dying to get our family a 2yr old lab dog from a lady whose going off in the military. We've got an 18m old and a 3yr old who love dogs and should give this lab plenty of attention.
We are, however, planning a move from NC to Tampa, Fl w/in the next few months..possibly as early as mid/end August. I feel ,like us all, the dog will adjust, especially if we continue our routine of walks, sleeping in the kids room, etc. My husband, however, says it's a bad time to get a dog if we're about to move- it's hard for them.
Everything else aside, should we settle in Tampa, then look or go ahead and bring this dog in NC into our home now.
thanks for the input!!
I think it will be less stressfull all the way around if you move then take the dog in later if that is possible. Think about what this will be like for the dog to leave it's human and go live with strange folks in a strange place then to move again. That's too much. Then again if the dogs current owner is shipping off to serve in the military before you move then I guess you don't have a choice.
I think it will be less stressfull all the way around if you move then take the dog in later if that is possible. Think about what this will be like for the dog to leave it's human and go live with strange folks in a strange place then to move again. That's too much. Then again if the dogs current owner is shipping off to serve in the military before you move then I guess you don't have a choice.
I disagree. I've worked rescue for a long time & dogs adjust to new families pretty quickly (especially Labs). Getting the dog now will give you time to get to know him/her before you leave and also give the dog time to get to know you. Setting up in a new city is stressful enough without adding a new pet to the mix. JMO of course!
Personally, I would jump straight into it. My husband, being a person of reason, would not. With 2 little kids and a move with TONS to do it may be better to wait. Labs are incredibly tolerant dogs and I don't think that the move would bother one much, especially with a lot of attention and care. But 'if' this is a dog that is scared or traumatized by the new family situation, with all of the chores involved in a move it just may make things worse for the dog.
I'm dying to get our family a 2yr old lab dog from a lady whose going off in the military. We've got an 18m old and a 3yr old who love dogs and should give this lab plenty of attention.
We are, however, planning a move from NC to Tampa, Fl w/in the next few months..possibly as early as mid/end August. I feel ,like us all, the dog will adjust, especially if we continue our routine of walks, sleeping in the kids room, etc. My husband, however, says it's a bad time to get a dog if we're about to move- it's hard for them.
Everything else aside, should we settle in Tampa, then look or go ahead and bring this dog in NC into our home now.
thanks for the input!!
If you can wait and get the dog later, then wait. It sounds like you really want the dog's companionship right now, but this is not about you-- it's about the dog. There will be one less stressful situation for the dog to adjust to if you wait and this will be good for all parties involved.
Personally, I would go ahead and get the dog now. There will be an adjustment when you become the new owners, but once you become the dog's forever family, the dog will make the same type of adjustment that all of you will need to do as you make the move. The dog will feel more secure if you are all moving together. It may also make the move easier on your kids since their dog will be with them.
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
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I think that if the dog is well exercised and well occupied it will adjust to the new surroundings with little difficulty. Dogs get to know a place, but their home is with their people. I think it would be harder getting to know new people in a new place than getting to know new people in a familiar place, then relocating. Dogs roll with the punches better than people do and labs in particular can stay upbeat in the face of some pretty serious tragedy. I knew a lab a long time ago who adjusted to an amputated leg in a matter of days. The tail never stopped wagging. Moving is no big deal as long as he has his family. FWIW, go ahead and bring the dog onboard.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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Hi Liza,
I'm going to pipe in and say GET THE DOG NOW!
Speaking from experience...
I adopted Artie (who was three and a half years old at the time) in May 2007. He settled into our home easily and then, in October 2007, we moved.
He did absolutely FINE!
As long as "his people" (me and my husband; mostly me) were with him, he didn't care what was going on. We packed (he watched), movers came in and took our stuff (he barked), we stayed in a hotel for a few days (he didn't love it, but I was with him, so he was fine), we moved into our new house (he loved it).
Fact is, as long as his people stayed the same, he didn't really care where he was or what was going on.
Get the doggie now. Congratulations!
Edited to add: Aside from what was going on, Artie has behavioral issues (fear aggression), and if HE was fine, that's saying a lot!
I feel ,like us all, the dog will adjust, especially if we continue our routine of walks, sleeping in the kids room, etc.
I'm on board to get the dog as soon as you can. Waiting for a perfect time? There'll never be a perfect time.
Moving is hard on everyone, probably much less so on an animal than us humans. Of course the dog will adjust - he/she'll be with his family! That's the security of knowing he has a home and is loved and taken care of. With what most everyone has said here...I agree 100%!
I say get the dog now. I rescued my boxer from a pound, then moved 3 months later. She had no problem with the move. We moved in on Friday, and made sure we had all weekend with her so she would feel more secure before going to work Monday. I did have to do all the unpacking and stuff, but she didn't care, she just wanted to tear all the boxes to shreds for me!
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