Back to School time is upon us! It’s a very bittersweet time of the year as the fun of summer winds down but the excitement of school starting soon ramps up (for some of us anyway). It can also be a very hectic time of the year as we go from the freedom of a summer with no schedule to the structured school year, and as we run around to all of the fun beginning of the school year events! Unfortunately this can make it a very stressful time for our pups. They have to adjust once again to being home alone for most of the day, after having family home a lot more for the last few months!
So is there anything we can do to prepare our pups? Of course there is!
Think through your schedule.
Take some time to think through what your schedule will look like once school is back in session, and start trying to follow that schedule in pieces. Maybe start with your morning routine. During the summer your morning routine probably fell apart a little bit, so let’s start picking it back up. Start by taking a couple of elements from your school year morning routine and adding them back in. As your dog (and you) adjusts to these couple of elements, add a bit more. Basically the idea is that we want to help our dogs slowly readjust to the school year routine by adding elements in one at a time and slowly, so that it’s not a sudden and massive change all at once.
Make an exercise schedule.
Keeping up with an exercise routine can be the hardest part of back to school, or any major life change disruption. Since we know this one is coming, we can prepare! Sit down with your family and develop an ideal exercise schedule for your pup. If they could have their every need met exercise-wise, what would that look like? From there winnow it down into what is realistically possible for your family, and put it on the schedule. Work as a team to keep everyone accountable and keep your pup as exercised as you can. Every week will vary a bit, and very few will be perfect, but as long as we are all trying our best that is what matters.
Have chews at the ready.
Given that we likely won’t be able to meet all of our pups' exercise needs once school is in full swing, let’s start stocking up on chews! Grab some edible chews as well as non-edible chews, and even some stuffable puzzle toys like Kongs. (Check out our Recommended Gear & Tools handout for the chews we love the most!) Make it a part of your weekend prep for the week to pre-stuff some Kongs (or whatever stuffable toy you prefer) and have them stashed in the fridge or freezer, and make sure you are stocked up on other chews so that you can easily grab them throughout the week to enrich your dog's day. These will be especially helpful on days when the plan falls apart.
Make a list of training skills to work on in short bursts.
Another great way to fill in the physical exercise gaps for your pup is to layer in some mental exercise, and training is a great way to do that! Even if you only have 5-10 minutes, that is still beneficial time for your pup. You can work on things that you know they need help with, or just have some fun! Make a list of 10 or so skills that you want to work on with them (that you know you will have the desire to work on) and on days where you can’t get out for walks or the plan falls apart, pull from the list! Pick 3 skills and spend 5 minutes working on them. No pressure, just have fun with your dog and work their brain.
Give your dog grace.
This time of year is hard on all of us and we all need a little grace. Our dogs are no different. Remember that they are going through a massive schedule change as well and we might see some naughty behaviors pop up. They might be feeding off of our stress, feeling the effects of diminished exercise and engagement from us, or even just sad that we’re suddenly gone a lot more. Just take a deep breath, remember they are having a hard time too, and do your best in the moment. Sometimes our best is crating them with a chew so that we don’t throw them out into the streets, and that’s okay.
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