Just because you鈥檙e ready to shack up with your squeeze, don鈥檛 assume your best friend is on board. Strategic planning is critical to avoiding meltdowns.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like marrying into a family with kids,鈥 says Amber Burckhalter, a master dog trainer and CEO of K-9 Coach in Atlanta.
Dogs need consistency, so if you鈥檙e going to be changing basic routines like exercise or meal times, start a month before the big move. Make sure everyone is on the same page about house rules. If you both have dogs, avoid feeding them together in a small space and, for the first few weeks, separate them when you leave the house to avoid fights. 鈥淚t鈥檚 normal for one dog to run the show, and owners should not intrude on that,鈥 says Burckhalter. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l figure out their system and you have to go with it鈥攁s long as one of the dogs isn鈥檛 being injured.鈥
Most important: the more the dogs have fun together, the sooner they鈥檒l become a pack.