How to Help Your Dog Cope With Back-to-School Blues

Ever wonder how you can help your dog cope with back-to-school sadness?

With the kids going back to school, the house is quiet again. But what about your dog, who has been used to all the energy and activity in the house while everyone was at home all summer? You know, the dog who loves being with the kids and, in return, is impacting their lives by making them less stressed and helping them form strong bonds, according to this Washington Post article. Aren’t dogs the best!? Well, we can’t forget that going back to school is not just an adjustment for kids, but for dogs, too. The life these dogs have been enjoying over the last couple of months comes to a halt and then they are left in a house with less stimulation. 

I have compiled my favorite tips to help your dog cope with back-to-school school year routines!

Drop a Beat 

With the drastic change within the house, your dog could experience some anxiety. Did you know that music can help soothe anxious dogs and bring joy to their life? According to this NPR article, music can help change the vibratory rate of a stressed animal or human (jazz always seems to relax me!). There are many ways music can help calm animals and many ways you can play that music when you leave the house. There are paid-for music options like Zoundz or iCalmPet that you can check out, or you can ask Alexa, Siri, or Google (whoever is in your house) to play some calming music when you leave! When I leave my 16-year-old girl KARTU at home, I turn my TV on to a channel that plays music! 

Give a Treat 

When you leave the house, give your dog a treat to distract them. This will help create a positive association for your dog. When my human leaves, I get a yummy treat! This might help them look forward to when everyone leaves the house and not dread it! I love giving KARTU and her best friend, KoKo Canine Caviar Water BuffaloToothpicks. It is important to give them a long-lasting, safe chew. Do not use rawhide or plastic chews as they do not digest well.

Take a Seat

Have a place in your house that is designated for your dog so they have their own safe haven and can “take a seat” whenever they feel anxious or stressed. My girls love their SHERPA Bags and I have them in a spot they can access whenever I am home or when I leave, in different rooms throughout the house. I leave the bag unzipped on the floor for them to go in and out, at their leisure. Make sure to talk to your dog and tell them you will be right back. If you will not be right back, tell them you will be gone for exactly how long and they must be very good. Make sure they have everything to make them feel right at home. Now is the best time to give them a big hug, a treat, and their favorite chewy Leave toys behind for them to play within their own space. Whether it be a room, crate, or a bag… create a place where your dog can sit back, relax, feel safe and secure in their den environment! 

Keep Things Neat 

Some dogs relieve the stress of separation anxiety by chewing, according to ASPCA. It is very important to teach your children to pick up all their belongings off the floor (or in the dog’s reach) before heading out the door for school. You want to come home from the school/workday happy and be able to love on your dog instead of walking into a house and being upset that something is chewed. Just recently, my eyebrow pencil fell onto the floor without me noticing. KoKo found it and she and the floor ended up a total mess… a cute mess, though! Learn from my mistakes! Whatever is on the floor belongs to them.

Dogs are part of the family, and they sometimes forget they can’t go wherever their family members go! My followers know my philosophy is to do what you love, in the places you love, with the people and pets you love – but I know dogs can’t go to school with the kids this year. So instead, try to make them feel as comfortable as they can at home with these tips on how to help your dog cope with back-to-school changes! 

Gayle is the founder of The SHERPA Pet Trading Company, where she single-handedly designed, manufactured and marketed the iconic SHERPA Bag you see everywhere! This carrier, which millions have bought for their dogs, cats and other animal companions, continues to be THE top-selling, prize-winning, globally-popularly soft-sided pet carrier. Further, it is because of Gayle’s advocacy and entrepreneurship that pet travel on airlines is now possible and common. Gayle’s the author of “IT’S IN THE BAG”, which is part memoir and part business book. Gayle is the Pet Ambassador for Silver Disobedience.