How to prepare your dog for back-to school time

The school holidays aren’t just a fun time for your kids, but for your family dog too! Running around in the garden, endless entertainment and little friends who forever want to play with you – what’s not to love?

But when the time comes for the kids to go back to school, your dog’s routine of playing all day, a constantly open back door and mid-day walkies goes out the window. So, as a dog parent, how can you ensure the transition from a busy, kid-filled household to radio silence doesn’t mess around with your dog’s well-being?

The last thing your family needs is a stressed-out dog on top of back-to-school chaos, so read on for all the tips, tricks and info you need from Pooch & Mutt, including expert advice from Vet Linda, to ensure a happy and fulfilled pooch!

How the school holidays might affect your dog

School holidays can feel like they last a lifetime, and for your dog, it can bring a massive flip to their daily routine. But what exactly changes for them?

•  Later starts. No school run means everyone gets a precious lie-in. But a pup who usually looks forward to an 8 am breakfast will have to adapt to a new routine that now kicks off a few hours later.
•  More playful days. With the kids being in the house more, your dog will probably be the centre of attention – with permanent playmates that can match their energy levels and don’t mind throwing the ball over and over again.
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• A fuller house. Whether you have a couple of children or just one who loves to invite their friends over during the holidays, your pup will grow accustomed to a much busier household. From meeting new faces to all the excitement of having more people to play with, your dog will have gotten used to the increased footfall.
• More days in the garden. If we’re lucky enough to get some nice weather during the school holidays, the back door to the garden is most likely to be always open to make way for all the outside fun. For your pup, this means constant access to much-needed toilet breaks – without the need to ask!
• More adventures with the whole family. With the kids at home, you’ll want to have more adventures as a family, and that includes the dog too! So whether you’re filling days with hiking, a trip to the beach or even just having Sunday lunch in a dog-friendly pub garden, your dog will be used to spending more time out of the house.

How does back-to-school time impact your dog’s well-being?

Whether it’s been a week or six weeks, your pup would have caught on to the sudden change. So of course when the first day of school rolls around, things go from hectic and lively to quiet and mellow. You might not think twice about it, but your pup may be feeling the effects.

Suddenly with being left alone more, fewer people to see and everyone being too busy to play, your dog may suffer from the following;

• Stress
• Separation anxiety
• Boredom (which may lead to destructive behaviour)
• Hyperactivity

How to help your dog with the transition

You might be thinking about getting your kids ready for back-to-school season, but you can also do the same for your pup! Preparing them for the transition early will make it easier for them to adapt to the sudden change in routine.

We asked expert Vet Linda to share her thoughts on where to start when considering prepping your pooch, and why it’s so important:

“A new routine can be stressful for a dog to cope with, especially if they’re younger or more anxious by nature. If your dog needs to be left alone for the school run and is not used to this, they may find it hard to cope. This can lead to destructive behaviour when left alone e.g. digging, chewing or barking. To prevent this, owners could get their dog gradually used to being left alone for short periods when the school run would be. To make this more successful, it is a good idea to provide some exercise before then (wearing them out) and to give them something to do while away e.g. a food puzzle or chew.”

“For very anxious dogs who will be unsettled by the changes, consider starting some calming supplements a week or so beforehand.”

Including those that Vet Linda mentioned, there are a few other things you can do in the few weeks leading up to the first day of school, to make sure you have a happy pup:

• Prioritising early mornings. In the last couple of weeks of the holiday, prioritise getting up earlier, preferably at the time the house will soon be waking up to get ready for school. This way you can reintroduce bright and early toilet breaks and feeding time to your dog ready for when alarm clocks are ringing!
• Practice leaving them at home. With the return of the school run and everyone being back at work and school, your pup will have to get used to being home alone a lot more. This may be difficult to slip back into, but you can start practising early on to make it a little bit easier. Try leaving them at home whilst running little errands or popping to the local shop, gradually lengthening the time you’re leaving them.

  For peace of mind, you could consider;

• Taking them for a walk first thing in the morning.
• Asking someone to pop in to let them out or keep them company.
• Invest in enrichment toys and tasty treats to curve boredom.
• Adding a camera so you can check up on them.
• Leaving on background noise, like on a smart speaker, to emulate a busy household.
• Revisiting toilet training. After having open access to the garden and more toilet breaks during the holidays, you might want to consider refreshing your pup’s toilet training.

  This might include cracking down on those early-morning toilet breaks, as well as letting them out before you leave to ensure they know when to hold it whilst you’re gone. Asking someone to pop in and let them out might help them in the first few weeks.

• Prioritise lots of exercise. After running around and going on lots of family adventures during the holidays, back-to-school might mean going back to regular suburban walks for your dog as you get back to reality. That said, try and prioritise lots of exercise for your dog to help keep them stimulated and happy. A tired dog is a happy dog!
  
• Distraction, play and enrichment. The same goes for their mental stimulation! Be sure to whip out all the toys, chews, treat stuffers and snuffle mats to keep your dog enriched and happily none the wiser.
  
• Encouraging a calm and relaxed atmosphere. Going back to work and school will mean the whole household will be ready to wind down in the evenings. Make sure your dog is aware of this too by creating a calmer and more relaxed atmosphere in the evenings.

  All dogs are a sucker for a routine, so letting your pup know that the evening is time for cuddles and naps, they’ll eventually get the picture.

• Lots of love and attention! Back-to-school season can be a whirlwind at times, and weeks seem to fly by. But amongst all the hustle and bustle, don’t forget to put some time aside to give your dog some well-deserved TLC. Prioritising bonding, love and cuddles with your pup won’t only make them feel better, but you too.

Before you know it, life can get so busy. But as dog parents, we should always try to stop and think about how it might be affecting our dogs, and consider what we can do to ensure they’re feeling safe and happy. Calming dog food, treats and supplements can help ease excitable or nervous dogs and could be a great way to help them transition to the back-to-school season.