What time do you have to get up to walk the dog?

Some do not dare to get a dog, having heard a lot of “horror stories” that every day, in winter and summer, they will have to get up at 5-6 in the morning to walk their pet. Is this true and what time do you have to get up to walk the dog?

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When do dogs wake up?

Of course, it must be borne in mind that dogs are predatory animals, which, like most predators, are most active at dawn and dusk. However, does this mean that in the summer you will have to get up for a walk with the dog at 4 o’clock? Not at all necessary.

Dogs over the long centuries of living next to a person have learned to adapt to his lifestyle and adopt the habits of their beloved owner. So it is quite possible to accustom the dog to the rhythm and daily routine that you are used to. That is, if you want to teach your dog that the morning walk will take place at 10 o’clock, you can do it.

However, it should still be taken into account that the dog’s daily routine should be more or less constant. You need to feed a puppy before a walk, and an adult dog after a walk. And do not take a break between walks for more than 12 hours (for an adult dog), even if it seems to you that she is ready to endure. Therefore, if you want to sleep longer in the morning, evening walking should also be later.

How to train a dog not to wake up the owner at dawn?

What if the dog wakes you up at 5 am, and you would like to sleep at least until 7 o’clock? You can gradually accustom her to a new routine.

Remember the time your dog usually wakes you up. If it’s 5 o’clock, then on the first day, set the alarm even earlier (for example, at 4:30), get up and do all the usual morning activities, including walking the dog. On the second day, you set the alarm for 4:45 (that is, also a little earlier than the dog is used to waking you up). And every day you gradually shift the time of getting up, but it is important that you get up on the alarm clock and do not rearrange it for “another five minutes” in the morning after it rings.

Gradually, you will be able to bring the awakening time to the cherished 7 hours – the dog will wait for the alarm. And then for at least another two weeks you need to get up on an alarm clock exactly at this time. Then you can stop setting the alarm or set it to the time that is convenient for you.

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If the dog does not sleep well at night and can not adjust, but you know for sure that he is healthy, he probably cannot cope with a high level of arousal. In this case, you need to work with the dog’s condition: use a relaxation protocol, as well as bring more order to the pet’s life, develop rituals that are understandable to the dog that will add predictability.