Oh dear. No pressure, right Renee?
Actually I do have some thoughts. It's very true that dogs need to get acclimated to a new home. But in the meantime they can pick up some really awful habits (like barking, shudder) that will long outlast their discomfort. You can do several things to help ease the transition, but the BIG one is to give the dog some familiar sensory input that makes the place seem more like home.
Believe it or not, it can help if you arrange the furniture in the new place in the same manner it was arranged in the old place. We spent almost a month using only half our new HUGE living room because the dogs were so used to bumping the coffee table when they hopped up on the couch! So there's idea #1.
Next, see what you can do about changing the smell. My delicate Dobie wrinkled her nose every time we stayed over at my mother's house, and she never slept well there. Try cooking some dinners that you had frequently in your old place. They don't have to have a powerful smell (to a dog, all smells are powerful!). Just a familiar one. This will also help cover up the smells left by previous homeowners, tenants, paint, new carpet, etc. You yourself can go easy on the deodorant, perfume, aftershave, lotion, and all that stuff that we humans use to make ourselves smell like anything other than what we are. Do some lounging about on the floor with your dog to get some familiar scent on the carpet. Go easy on harsh-smelling cleaning supplies for a few weeks. Make it smell like regular-old-stinky-home.
You can look into getting double-paned storm windows to help keep some of the noise out if you're in a noisier spot than before. At night, you can put on your favorite CD or movie, so she can hear something other than all those strange noises outside. Make it something she's heard before and associates with you.
Amy's at a pretty impressionable age, so you need to deal with this before the barking becomes a habit. One of the best things you can do is take her for walks around your neighborhood 2 or 3 times a day, so she can start to understand where all the sounds are coming from and so she can feel more comfortable with her new surroundings. Show her that this new place is just as fun as the old place, and that there are not, in fact, evil monsters just outside the front door.
As for the barking, you need to ignore it. I can hear the groans from here!
But the best, best, best, best, best thing you can do is ignore her. You don't want to reinforce that behavior, and even yelling at her will reinforce it. Don't get up and turn on the light, either. Just lie there. When she stops and stays quiet for 5 minutes or so, quietly get up and go to her and give her a good petting and tell her what a good dog she is for being quiet.
