It’s nearly back to school time! Between haircuts, shopping for new supplies and scheduling after-school activities, it’s often easy to forget how this will impact our pets.
During the summer vacation months, your pets have likely gotten used to having their family around more frequently. Increased walks and various outdoor activities may also have been introduced into their day to day lives.
Pets – especially dogs – are creatures of habit. As such, they will have become accustomed to their new routine and lifestyle. When children return to school, afternoons previously filled with exercise and the companionship of their human pals are often replaced with solitude. This abrupt change in their schedule often causes separation anxiety and can even lead to misbehaviour.
Follow these tips to make the back to school transition as easy as possible for our furry family members:
- Adjust their daily routine. A week leading up to the first day of school, ease them into a daily routine that mirrors a typical school day. For example, start providing meals and morning walks based on the changing schedule.
- Enrichment toys. Leave interactive toys and food puzzles out during the day helps your pets stay occupied.
- Turn on some tunes. During the summer, your home is filled with voices and noises. The absence of this can cause your pet to become bored or lonely. To alleviate this, consider leaving on the radio or television while they’re home alone.
- Extra attention. It’s important to plan evening and weekend activities that include our pets to ensure they maintain a happy and healthy lifestyle.
It is our hope that in addition to providing your beloved pet(s) with special consideration at this busy time of year, that you don’t forget about the surrendered, mistreated and neglected pets in your community, as well. Humane Society London & Middlesex has created an Amazon.ca Wish List to provide our dedicated supporters with a fast and easy way to help these animals. Simply click the link below, pay and the items are delivered directly to the shelter.
