Help Your Dog Cope With School Days

by Mychelle Blake

Help Your Dog Cope With School Days

School days will be here before you know it, which means your home will switch from happy chaos to sudden quiet overnight. As you prepare your human kids for class, don't forget your dog in the process. He might be just as sad as you are to see the kids go.

Some dogs might be affected more than others by this transition. If your dog has a particularly strong relationship with your kids, their absence will definitely affect him. Dogs need a daily routine, and any change to the norm can cause stress and anxiety. If you have multiple dogs, their companionship might ease the transition. However, any abrupt loss of attention can still cause some distress.

Give Your Dog Distractions

When your dog is lonely and distressed, distraction can be a very good thing. Offer him some new options to occupy himself while the kids are at school. The key is to find something that engages your dog mentally and physically to keep him from feeling lonely. A few options:

Increase his exercise level.

Exercise is a great place to start; check with your vet first to see how much your dog can handle. If he's healthy, try taking longer walks. Or go outside and play fetch in the yard.

Sign up for doggy day-care.

Does your dog get along well with others? If so, sign him up doggy day-care one or two days a week.

Try a new activity together.

If you have time, check out obedience or agility classes or K9 Nose Work. You can even train your dog as a therapy animal. Any new activity will strengthen the bond you share with your dog so he won't concentrate on your kids' absence.

Offer him a new interactive toy.

Toys come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are a wonderful way to occupy anxious dogs at home -- fill one with food to make the equivalent of a pacifier for your pooch. These toys offer mental and physical stimulation along with a reward when he gets to the treat.

Start Early

Don't wait to engage your dog with new activities until the kids have left. Ideally, start planning for the transition about a month before school starts. (And if school is just around the corner this year, remind yourself to start early next year.) Introduce a new activity or toy now so these additions to his routine become familiar. This way, your dog will have something to do while the kids are away -- and something to look forward to when they come home at the end of the day.

Photo: @iStockphoto.com/Sima_ha

Mychelle Blake is a certified dog-behavior consultant specializing in rescued and rehomed dogs. She especially enjoys working with shy, fearful and anxious dogs. (She has one at home.)

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Miss Fido Manners Complete Book Of Dog Etiquette

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