As summer ends, many families are preparing to send their kids back to school for the fall. It has been an interesting year with many children taking virtual classes at home because of the pandemic. With the pandemic slowly improving, many children will be headed back to class full time this fall and their parents will be called back to the office. It will be a big adjustment for everyone, especially the family dog who has likely gotten used to having at least one family member home all day. This week’s article will focus on preparing your dog for back to school season.
Get your dog used to the back to school season routine.
Experts advise that you should introduce your dog to the new routine no later than one to two weeks before school starts. Preparing your dog for back to school season also means preparing yourself. Set your alarm for your usual school wake up time. This is likely earlier than the time you have been waking up all summer. Start breakfast and take the dog for their usual morning walk or let them outside. Chances are the walk time is going to be shorter when school starts so only walk him for the time you typically would on a school day.
Setup a back to school exercise schedule for your dog.
Kids and dogs are great at expending each other’s energy. Suddenly being alone all day without that activity can cause an energetic dog to start to destroy items. This is a condition called separation anxiety and is becoming more common as people return to work after the pandemic. To prevent this from happening, set up an exercise schedule. Get the kids involved with planning morning, night, and after school walk and play sessions. With the dog’s energy expended during these sessions, he’ll be more likely to spend the day sleeping.
Provide a daily distraction for your dog when the kids go back to school.
Just like the kids getting new clothes and school supplies, you should get your dog something to occupy its time when it is home alone all day. There are hundreds of dog toys designed specifically to combat anxiety and curb boredom. Popular ones are puzzle toys and snuffle mats which not only keep dogs busy, they also let a dog use its natural instincts while interacting with the toy.
If all else fails, try bringing your dog to our day camp.
If you are having trouble preparing your dog for back to school season, consider one of the new day programs we offer. They were designed specifically for pet parents that are reluctant to leave their dog or puppy home all day after the pandemic. The best parts about our programs are that they not only provide a place for the dog to stay during the day, but they also provide training and socialization. All of our day programs include potty breaks, supervision, lots of play time, and lots of love from the staff of The Perfect Pup.
Check out Dog Training Day Camp, Puppy Play and Train Day Camp, and Puppy Daycare.