Sherri Regalbuto is a professional dog trainer. She has handled many top winning show dogs, including Dobermans, Irish Terriers, Airedales and Standard Poodles.

With our first move came poor Clyde's first bad experience with moving. On arrival at the new home he fell into the pool. We never considerd that he thought he could walk on water. He'd never seen a pool. After rescuing him, he promptly fell in again. The first few days were rough for him. And the swimming pool wasn't the only problem. Our new neighbor also enlightened us to our howling canine trio when we went out. This went on for a week and then ceased, I'm sure to the relief of my neighbors.

How much you will need to do to ensure that your dog will be comfortable at home after you move depends largely on the dog and the home you are moving into. Our Jack Russell, being a dominant little thing, walked into one of our homes and proceeded to mark the carpet. This could have been avoided if we had made certain that her scent was already present in the new home.

Before moving day, there are some things you should take care of. Get new identification tags for your dog. Do not change them until the day before the move. If they have a Micro Chip, make sure your new address and phone is changed. Pack enough dog food and water for the moving days and a few hectic days after the move. Put the food and water in the car so it won't get lost in the shuffle. If your canine is on medication and you are moving out of State or Country, make sure you have enough medication for at least a month in your new home. Ask your present veterinarian if they can refer you to a new veterinarian. Decide where your dog will be on moving day. You can ask a friend who knows your dogs, someone your dogs are comfortable with, to take them for the day or weekend. Find a good kennel to bring them to. Or, if you have lots of help with your move, make sure you keep a close eye on them and keep them out of harm's way. Dogs can slip out of an open door and not be missed until hours later.

If you are flying your dog to your new home, call well in advance to make arrangements. Make sure that they will fly a dog on a certain date; there are weather restrictions for flying animals. Get your dog accustomed to the crate they will fly in. Try to get it a month ahead and let them get used to sleeping in it. Don't wait till the day you fly and try to get them in. It won't happen without a battle and a lot of stress for the both of you.

From my past experience, double, triple and quadruple check the arrangements with the airline. I once had to change my flight plans 4 times before they got it right. I reserved three spots in cargo and then called back to confirm. I was then told that they could only take one in cargo. This would be awful to find out on moving day. When flying dogs you have to give them water. Freeze a bowl of water so that they can lick it throughout the flight. There are companies that specialize in flying your pet. They will make all the arrangements from picking them up to dropping them off and everything in between. Using one of these companies is a great option to consider.

Now that your canine is in good hands for the move, it's time to prepare the new home for them. If you will be moving within driving distance, it's best to let the dog have lots of small visits to the home. Bring over some toys, beds, treats and clothes that smell like you and your dog. Rub your scent and their scent throughout the house. This helps with the transition of moving. I like to let the dogs outside right away to mark the backyard as theirs and praise them for doing so.

When you have moved in, try not to leave your canine alone in the home for about a week. This gives them time to get accustom to their new home. When you do go out, start with short trips. This will help your dog to understand that you will be returning and that they have not been abandoned. Leave a T.V. on for noise distractions. Fill a Kong or two with peanut butter or other treats to keep them occupied. Go get a couple of new toys for your pooch. This really helped to smooth over rough edges with my last move. Make sure that your canine is getting lots of exercise and lots of opportunity to investigate their new environment. With our last move I discovered a great activity for my dogs while I was unpacking. I took all the packing paper and put it in a huge pile and scattered small treats throughout. They loved hunting through the papers for even the smallest morsel. They were very happy with this game. Just like people, dogs are all individuals and some adjust more readily than others to change. Look for signs that your dog is having difficulty adjusting to their new environment. Try to occupy them with things they love. With patience and time, your new home will feel like theirs too.