Preparing Your Dog for Back to School Time

Anytime there is a sudden change to a dog's normal routine, it can take them some time to adjust.  If that change involves more time spent with them and them doing more activities, it often goes better than if it involves less time spent with them.  Back to School can be one of those abrupt transitions for a family dog from having more people around and more attention to being alone more and receiving less attention.  Therefore, it is a good idea to help them prepare for this change ahead of time using the tips below, especially if they are a puppy and haven't experienced this transition before.

Alone Time

A sudden change from being constantly with family to being alone all day can be hard.  So set aside a bit of time in the weeks leading up to the start of school to have your dog practice being alone in the house while people are gone.  The times don't need to be long, and you can leave your dog with a special treat, food dispensing toy, white noise or calm music as we do want the separation to be as pleasant as possible.  

If Labor Day weekend is a busy weekend get together for your family as you say goodbye to summer, then try planning an afternoon nap for your dog either while people are out of the house or in a quiet room if people are going to be in and out.  Then include your dog in the rest of the days activities.  The flexibility to know that sometimes they get to be in the thick of things and sometimes they don't and both are okay will help your dog adjust to being alone on Tuesday.

Where will your dog stay?

Wherever your dog will spend their time while your family is gone, you want to make sure that they are comfortable in that space when you are gone now.  It's much better to discover any potential issues while you're away for just a short time than when you are absent for longer.

Tip: Setting up a camera or device with the ability to record video pointed at where your dog will spend their time when you are gone can allow you to peek into their experience when you are not around much more accurately than you trying to remain within earshot or peek in a window.

When will potty breaks be?

How long a dog can be left alone varies from dog to dog and by age, with younger puppies and seniors often needing more frequent potty breaks.  It's a good idea to consider the new daily schedule in terms of when will the last outing be in the morning?  Who will be home first?  What if they need to stay late at work or remain at school for an extracurricular activity - what is the back up plan?  Should you arrange for a dog walker, friend or family member to come by on certain days?  If so, it's best to get that in place well in advance and allow your dog to get to know them if they don't already.

Will your morning routine change?

Most dogs rest better if they've had some physical and mental exercise, so it may be a good idea to plan for that before everyone heads out for the day.  If so, it's a good idea to take that new routine for a test run before the first day of school so that you know its doable for those involved when you have some extra time if things don't go as planned.

Mental Activity

Providing some activity your dog can safely participate in when left alone can help the time pass.  Feeding out of a slow feeder or food dispensing toy (check out the Equipment Page for some ideas) can give your dog something to do while you're busy preparing or eating dinner.  Practicing some training skills or teaching a new trick in the evening can provide some mental exercise and some social bonding time with you.  If people are going to be busy with sports and extra curriculars, signing your dog up for a class can ensure they get some special one on one time too.

Social Time

The end of the day is when we humans often want to unwind, relax, and spend time snuggling with our dogs.  Which is wonderful - if that is how our dogs feel.  If you've got a young dog, or a dog with a lot of energy, they may be raring to go just as you are winding down.  Relaxing will go better if you first give your dog some physical and mental exercise, and then settle together.

​Then you can relax, before getting up to do it all again :)   ​