August 23rd, 2012
Since I’m a new dog owner, I suppose this is probably my first time celebrating National Dog Day, held on August 26. It’s not that I didn’t appreciate dogs before, but now I have a whole new, furry understanding.
To help you appreciate your dog even more during this busy back-to-school season, please read these tips below courtesy of The Company of Animals, founded by pet psychologist, Dr. Roger Mugford.
Help Our Furry Friends with Back-to-School Stress
Heading back to the classroom can be a frantic, frazzling experience for kids, parents and pets alike, and the quality time we used to spend with our four-legged friends during the summer months is suddenly in short supply.
So it’s no wonder if even the most well-behaved pets aren’t at their angelic best during these especially stressful days.
Here are a few suggestions from one of the world’s leading providers of training and mental exercise products to make the back-to-school transition period less trying.
• A week or so before the kids return to school, start getting your pets used to their absence. Take a few trial runs by leaving them early in the morning for about an hour. Line up the lunchboxes on the kitchen counter so that your dog or cat starts to see this as part of your morning routine.
• Consider crating your dog during the day. The sense of security a crate provides can be comforting to many dogs. Just be sure to leave them with fresh water, food or treats, a snugly blanket and some favorite toys to keep them occupied until you or the kids get home.
• Quickly establish a new daily routine. Dogs and cats are creatures of habit and feel anxious when there are major disruptions in their life. While you’re scheduling carpools and after-school activities, you should also schedule regular times for your dog’s feedings, walks, play dates and together time.
• Leave them playthings like pet puzzle that keep their minds actively engaged.
• Use a pet-friendly training device to gently correct unwanted behaviors. One example is a can of harmless compressed air that helps to simplify training by mimicking the “hissing” sound animals make in the wild.
Hopefully, these tips will help prevent those back-to-school days from stressing out your precious pets – and you.
Happy National Dog Day to you and your pooch!
(images via flickr users mike baird and kyle may)
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