Our Second Move Together

When I brought Ronon home, I was living in Center City. It was a major transition for him from country/yard life to city/apartment life; his world was turned upside down. He wasn’t housetrained yet, so we had to go outside frequently, but outside was chaos for him. Poor dude. It was all just TOO MUCH.

About two months after he got to Philly, we moved from Center City to East Falls. Ronon was very unsure about strangers, so I knew he would be afraid of the moving guys coming into the apartment. I boarded him for a couple days while I moved and did some basic unpacking. When I brought him “home” to the new apartment, he was confused and anxious. Once he had a meal and saw that his toys were there, he seemed to relax a little.

It was difficult at first, but, luckily, East Falls is much less scary than Center City. After a few days of long walks, checking out the neighborhood, and adjusting to our new routine, he was definitely happier than he had been in Center City.

A Lot Can Change in Eight Months

Fast forward eight months, and Ronon and I moved again – still in East Falls, but to a bigger apartment with much more natural light. (I’d been in a hurry when I moved before and didn’t really end up in the right apartment.) What a difference eight months has made in Ronon’s ability to adapt to change!! I took him to the new apartment a few times before moving day. He’s not afraid of strangers now, so he was able to be with me during moving day. The movers coming in and out didn’t phase him at all. He was a little anxious when I started putting his stuff in boxes, but when the movers put his crate down in the new apartment, he walked into it, turned around, poked his head out, and looked at me like “yep, dis is mine.” He even got belly rubs from one of the guys before they left!

He settled right in like we’d lived here forever. He even adjusted to hearing different neighbor and hallway noises in less than 24 hours. How differently he is handling this move is amazing. He is developing self-confidence and resiliency. I’m so proud of him.