Daylight Saving Time: How “Falling Back” Can Mess With Your Dog’s Head
On Sunday, November 06, 2:00am we ‘fall back’, adjusting our clocks one hour backward to change from Daylight Saving Time back to Standard Time. Does that extra hour affect our pets? You bet it does the same way it affects some humans. I don’t know about you but I always find this a little challenging for the first week or so.
Dogs are creatures of habit, and they love consistency in their daily schedule. When their familiar routine is disrupted, the change can affect a their behavior. Dogs become used to synchronizing their routine to ours; but sometimes, they could use a little help.
A tip to help with the transition would be to start adjusting their schedule in 15-minute increments a few days before the time change; it makes for an easier transition. For those of you who have children, it is similar when preparing them to go back to school in September after being off for all summer.
Also try to remember that wildlife and other animals are also affected, so things may seem off on your first several morning walks. Certain things your dog is used to seeing might not be there, and vice versa.
As well, the one-hour time difference will probably mean your dog is ready to “go” at what seems like the usual time, regardless of what the clock says. While we get that extra hour in bed, it means our dogs wake up at their usual time wanting to relieve themselves. Some dogs are able to just let us sleep, but very young or very old dogs might not be able to hold it. Don’t be surprised if a little accident happens while you’re enjoying that extra hour of snooze time. It’s not your dog’s fault.
