Dogs do not like this time change thing.
To be honest, we don’t understand the whole human hang-up with time. As far as I am concerned, there is bedtime, awake time, barking at the mailman time, rolling on the carpet time, oh-no-you’re-leaving time, oh-thank-dog-you-came-back time, and, most important, food time.
For humans, the skipped hour means an extra cup of coffee to shake off the lost sleep. But for dogs, it means mealtime is one human hour earlier. Let’s do some dog math. If my dinner time is 6 p.m. (which it is), then once daylight saving time hits, my mom should feed me at 5 p.m., which is the new version of 6 p.m. But if she waits to feed me at the new 6 p.m., it would be the post-daylight-saving-time 7 p.m., which would interfere with my tummy – and the latest episode of Wheel of Fortune.
Make sense?
Although we don’t really grasp the concept of "daylight savings time", dogs do perceive the passage of time and have precise patterns, suggesting that we do the same things at the same time every day like clockwork, but we can’t read clocks.
For some pups, going potty an hour earlier (or later) will be no sweat. But others are more tied to their daily routines or simply more anxious than others. For these dogs, a one-hour change can be a bigger deal than you’d think.
In any case, we still need to spring ahead with our humans and accommodate a new routine. So, how can you make it easier for your dog to adjust?
Here are a few steps you can take to help your dog ease into the change:
• Adjust your schedule by a few minutes each day. Wake up and start morning walks a couple minutes earlier every time. Don’t disturb your dog’s sleep by an hour all at once, just enough to get used to the new time gradually.
• Feed your dog meals a bit earlier so they can acclimate gradually.
• Another thing to consider is your dog’s medication schedule. Speak to your vet about how to adjust to the time change. Most medications will not harm your dog if taken earlier than usual. However, there are exceptions, and your vet can give you individual advice for your dog.
• Most of all, pay extra attention to your dog’s needs during this transition. It is important to offer them extra comfort if they show signs of anxiety.
No matter how you and your dog feel about the time change, we know that you’re inwardly excited about the move to spring. Longer days equate to longer walks, more naps in the sun and best of all, more time together!
And that’s always good.
Does your dog lose it during the daylight saving time switch? How do you help them relax? Let us know in the comments below!