Pekinese anxiety after moving house

Moving house is genuinely disorienting for dogs — your Pekinese has spent years mapping every smell and corner of the old place, and now none of those anchor points exist. That kind of anxiety is different from classic separation anxiety; it's more about the environment feeling unsafe than about missing you specifically, which actually changes what's likely to help. Separation anxiety is one of the most distressing things for both dog and owner, and while products can genuinely help, they work best alongside a behavioural approach. How bad is it right now — is she whining and unsettled, or are you coming home to destruction or signs of full panic? How long has it been since the move, and have you tried anything yet?

That's actually a reassuring picture — no destruction, gradual improvement, and you can see it on camera. She's not in full panic, she's just unsettled in an unfamiliar space. A couple of questions before I suggest anything: is she sleeping and eating normally? And where does she tend to hang out — does she have one spot she's gravitating towards, or is she still drifting around the new place?

The room-following tells you she's using you as her safe reference point because the house itself doesn't feel familiar yet. That's very common in older Pekes — they're creatures of habit and the scent landscape of a new home is genuinely stressful to them. Given that she's eating, sleeping, and showing slow improvement, this isn't a case that needs veterinary intervention right now. What I'd recommend is an Adaptil diffuser. It releases a synthetic version of the calming pheromone mother dogs produce for their puppies, and it works specifically by making the immediate environment feel safer — which is exactly the problem here. You plug it in where she spends most of her time, or ideally where you want her to settle, and it works continuously in the background. It won't sedate her or change her personality; it just takes the edge off environmental anxiety.

Honestly, the evidence behind pheromone diffusers is stronger than most calming products. It's not magic and it won't fix everything on its own, but for exactly this scenario — a dog who's already improving, not in crisis, just needing the environment to feel safer — it's one of the most targeted things you can buy. The Adaptil Calm Home Diffuser starter kit comes with a 30-day refill and you can get replacement refills easily. I'd pick a room where she already seems slightly more relaxed, or where you'd like her to settle when you go out, and plug it in there. Give it two weeks before judging it. Alongside that, when you leave, try dropping a worn T-shirt or blanket in her spot — your scent is still her biggest anchor right now.

Exactly — one diffuser in one room is the right starting point. Don't spread the budget across multiple products; give this a proper trial first. If she's still unsettled after a month and the camera footage isn't improving, that's the point to think about whether a behaviourist session would help. But given how you've described things, I'd expect to see a meaningful difference within two to three weeks. The combination of the pheromone diffuser, your scent on bedding, and just time in the new place tends to be enough for dogs like her.