Back to School: How to Make the Transition to Fall Comfortable for Your Dog

Here are some helpful tips for adapting your four-legged family member for the transition from fun summer to school season. The advice you’ll find below applies to any period of change in your pet’s life, whether it’s increasing your hours away from home, meeting a new family member, or transitioning back to work after a vacation or long holidays:

• Develop a daily routinethat suits everyone and stick to it! Dogs, like children, appreciate the predictability of their lifestyle. Therefore, the systematic observance of daily morning and evening rituals will be beneficial for everyone. Involving children of all ages in adjusting their pet to a new routine will help them develop an age-appropriate sense of responsibility.

• The importance of daily rituals. Abrupt lifestyle changes can be challenging for everyone, especially dogs. It can be difficult for an animal to adapt to both purely practical changes (in particular, changing the time when you can go to the toilet) and less obvious things, such as coping with nervousness when the owners are absent for too long. But as you begin to follow your new “school” routine relentlessly, sticking to your daily ritual hours will help smooth out the abrupt transition to the new routine and make change less stressful for everyone.

• The dog next to you is a happy dog: Always take your faithful four-legged friend with you! Dogs love to take an active part in family life. If your pet’s behavior isn’t a hassle when visiting public places, there’s no reason to leave him waiting for you at home. Going to football practice, going to the park after school and any other joint activity will inspire your pet, allowing him to experience a sense of belonging and become an inexhaustible source of positive emotions for him. Knowing in advance how dog-friendly your next visit will prevent surprises, and having a toy and portable water bottle on hand will ensure your dog’s needs are met, even if you get home a little later than planned. 

• Make your dog house more fun! Dogs can be acutely aware that as the school year begins, they go from being regular summer game best friends to being “forgotten at home.” Try to brighten up this boring time alone for them by hiding treats or special toys around the house so that your dog can keep busy looking for them. For the rest of the time, keep these toys away so that they do not lose their novelty charm for the animal. 

• Encourage children to play with the dog! Teach your kids some simple games to play with your dog (like hide and seek, creating an obstacle course for your dog, or practicing the “Fetch!” command). Not only is this a great way to get rid of your dog’s boredom of staying at home, these games will help your dog stay energized and active. Play as soon as you get home, before you do other things, so that your dog feels valued and your attention to him when you meet him.

These are just a few working tips that will make it easier for your dog to transition from summer days to the weekday routine of the school year. Don’t be afraid to get creative, get other family members involved in your dog’s life – especially your kids, who probably have a lot of fresh ideas – and get everyone involved in compiling a list of new ways to help your dog get through this challenging season!

Share your ideas with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – we’d love to hear from you!