Navigating Times of Change 🐶

Hello, and welcome back.

Here in the UK we’re at the start of a run of bank holidays - bringing bonus days away from work if you’re lucky.

If you’re making the most of these weekends with trips away, gatherings at home, or perhaps even street parties… then keep an eye on how your dog is coping with all this extra activity. More people, more noise, more excitement = less sleep and relaxation for our dogs, which can lead to them feeling a little worn-out emotionally.

In my last post, I shared with you some ways to pinpoint if your dog is feeling stressed and I hope they were helpful for you to better understand your canine companion. Today, I wanted to share a few ways to help your routine-loving dog to navigate these times of change.

Firstly, keep some part of their day the same. The same time for meals is a great place to start, as often our dogs become quite habitual in their anticipation of food. Same time for walks, bedtime, or their favourite chew can also help if your dog finds too much change hard to cope with.

Next, create times your dog can enjoy some peace. Downtime to either rest or sleep is invaluable when it comes to our dogs being able to keep on top of their own stress levels. If your dog is comfortable with solo time, take all the humans out for coffee and cake! Give your dog a couple of hours of quiet to enjoy alone. If they’d rather you were around, then create a calm space in your home that visitors don’t have access to. Perhaps your dog enjoys napping on or under a bed, or they have a crate that you can place in a quiet area of your home.

Finally, after the fun is over, give your dog some time to recuperate - you may also need it yourself! While May might be a busy one for all, block out days where you have no visitors and perhaps don’t even venture out for a walk - instead fill your dog’s day with sniffing in the garden, long lasting chews, trick training, and plenty of time to sleep.

Until next time, enjoy this bonus time with your dog!

Caroline

Before you go… I’ve got a question for you - SHOULD WE OWN DOGS? It’s a big question and the topic of myself and Linda’s podcast last week. Tune in now to see what we think!