How do you keep an old dog stress-free during a big move?

Is there any way to keep an old dog stress-free during a big move?

I’m heading off on a cross-country road trip on Saturday, to spend a few months in Michigan. My Borzoi, Kyrie, is 12 years old — a ripe old age for a giant breed dog.

I’ve long noticed that even dogs who handle upheaval, change and stress easily when  young become less able to deal with those thing when they’re older. My Deerhound, Rosie, who was 13 years old at the time, was never the same after our last move, and it’s always haunted me.

So I swore this move was going to be as close to stress-free as possible. I worked hard to keep Kyrie’s routine the same, to keep her away from areas of the house that were in chaos, to spend extra time with her just petting her or taking her for little walks.

And I’ve set up the trip itself not with my comfort in mind, nor Rawley’s, but Kyrie’s. We’re even stopping in Colorado to see Dr. Robin Downing to make sure Kyrie’s pain protocol for her arthritis is state of the art.

But I just walked into my bedroom to check in with her, and my heart broke at what I saw: Her curled up on my bed, half-buried in my pillows and blankets.

Apparently intensely willing her to be un-stressed is not working. Any other ideas, people?

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