Holistic Dog Anxiety Expert Yasmin El-Saie Shares Her Tops Tips For Moving House With Your Dog

Yasmin El-Saie is a London-based Holistic Dog Anxiety Expert and Human/Canine Reiki Practitioner who shares her adorable dog Chilli the Chihuahua's story, as well as helpful stress-saving tips on her Instagram, with over 30k followers (@chilliwawa).

Moving house can be stressful for us and our pets, so Yasmin shares some useful advice on how we can best help our dogs navigate such significant changes:

Like humans, dogs can feel overwhelmed by change. If you are not moving too far away, take your dog for a few walks in their new neighbourhood in advance - to introduce the new area gradually.

Help ease anxiety with a Thundershirt—these are a very cool invention! Scientists discovered that by being wrapped and held tightly, autistic children feel comforted and safer. So, they took the concept and made a doggie version—perfect for our dogs needing extra care. Or a calming collar, which fits around your dog's neck like a regular collar. The body temperature begins to warm the rubber, releasing feel-good, calming pheromones.

Plan your dog's journey. If you are driving, make sure your dog is at ease with car journeys by taking lots of smaller trips in advance and gradually building up to longer trips. Positive reinforcement is helpful, so you could consider driving your dog to and from his/her favourite walking spots, too.

If you will be flying together - choose the right dog carrier and start carrier training as far in advance as possible. Does your dog nap at a regular time? Try to book your flight to correspond with that time, or take a late evening flight when your dog is more likely to sleep. A nice long walk before heading to the airport helps, too. Be mindful to limit their water drinking before and during flying, and do not feed your dog close to flying time- as this can upset their delicate stomachs.

 Always speak to your vet before flying for additional support and advice, especially for anxious dogs.

If possible, don't bring your dog into the house until the movers have finished and left. Then, unpack your dog's bed and blankets first, so they have the comfort of familiar items and smells.

To help your dog settle in, use an anti-anxiety plug-in diffuser (with pheromones that help soothe its anxiety).

Our routines often change when we move, but try to maintain your dog's routine in terms of walks and meal times to keep things as normal as possible.

Do you need a little bit of extra help for an anxious dog? Many of us are familiar with the benefits of Reiki, which can help us ease anxiety and heal. Reiki is also helpful to soothe our dog's anxiety, so consider a Reiki session immediately before or after your move.

Follow Yasmin & Chilli on Instagram for more tips @chilliwawa