Changing the Routine

Dogs, like people, find comfort in predictability and daily rhythms.  It assures us that needs will be met, that good things will happen (playtime, walks, etc.), even though not so good things happen as well (being left home alone).  But, routines can change.  Of course, it’s easy to adapt to more “good things” in a routine, trips to the park, a mid-day snack, but not so easy when it’s not so good, even if it’s a routine that was previously established, like when the family returns to a school and work schedule after a long, fun summer.

It’s not uncommon for dogs to become destructive or to start soiling the house when these changes occur. Although people often accuse their dogs of being resentful or spiteful about a change in schedule, the real reason is more innocuous. Summers contain more interaction with our animals, which means more energy expended.  More time outside means that potty breaks aren’t as regulated. With a change in schedule, there’s an adjustment period. We can make the adjustment easier.

One of the biggest changes from the summer schedule is the amount of activity and stimulation that our dogs receive.  Even if we weren’t doing marathon fetch sessions, those little 10-15 minute sessions throughout the day between chores made the day more interesting.  Most dogs benefit the most from starting their day with play and exercise, rather than ending it that way.  It allows them to burn off energy accumulated after a long night’s rest, rather than letting it continue to accumulate throughout the day without an outlet. Getting up a half hour earlier to provide exercise can help prevent inappropriate behaviors that happen due to pent up energy.  Providing food toys for breakfast can help burn energy with brain exercise.  Hiring a dog walker or a neighbor to interact with the dog during the middle of the day can also alleviate boredom and provide an energy outlet along with companionship. 

The sudden decrease in human companionship in the day can cause some dogs anxiety.  In those cases, it’s best to build up times of absence before the schedule changes, leaving the house for a couple minutes at first, and then gradually interspersing longer periods of absence.  Constantly increasing the time without keeping some of the shorter times can increase anxiety as the dog begins to anticipate longer and longer absences.  Again, breaking up the “work day” with human visits can help dogs adjust to the change, especially if the visits vary on when they occur during the day.  Some dogs develop more serious separation issues, drooling and panting before their humans leave the house and attempting to claw their way out at various exits after their humans leave. In those cases, it’s best to consult with a professional trainer.

Some dogs seem to lose their housetraining skills.  Pottying in the house for a dog that is already housetrained could be the result of a health problem, like a urinary tract infection, or it could be a reaction to stress or a result of not “emptying out” when taken outside, having spent the summer being able to have easy access outdoors whenever the need arose.  Some dogs won’t go or will delay going to the bathroom when let out if they know it will be followed by being called inside and their human leaving them.  For them, going to the bathroom equals the human leaving.  Therefore, not going to the bathroom can prevent the human from leaving or at least extend his/her stay.  Not leaving immediately after dogs potty can prevent this behavior.  While dogs can be trained to relieve themselves upon going outside, some dogs will do a “courtesy potty” just so they can go on to the next fun phase, so it’s important to watch dogs closely to make sure they actually go to the bathroom.  Dogs should be able to relieve themselves every 4-6 hours to prevent accidents or health problems. 

Dogs that are bored or stressed can also start barking when their humans are gone, partially out of boredom, but frequently out of distress, feeling they’ve been left behind.  Keeping dogs indoors can help muffle the barking, although it won’t necessarily stop it.  Giving the dog some control of its environment with a dog door can help relieve some stress.  Dogs can also become hyper-aroused and develop barrier frustration if left to their own devices for entertainment.  Again, exercise, providing mental stimulation, and having someone come to entertain the dog during the day can greatly diminish barking.

While we’re toiling away at work or school, it’s hard to keep in mind that our dogs are spending their day waiting for our return.  Even when there are multiple dogs in the household, most dogs while away their time by sleeping or finding novel ways to keep occupied rather than playing with each other.  Exercising our dogs before we leave and providing mental stimulation in the form of food toys can help exhaust our dogs before we leave, making it easier for them to sleep during our absence.  Dog walkers and dog daycare can also break up the monotony of a long day, although it’s always recommended to do research to make sure the person/facility hired meets the desired standards and expectations.  While no one likes to see the end of the lazy, hazy days of summer, easing our dogs into a new routine takes time and patience, but our dogs’ comfort during our absence makes it worthwhile.

September Newsletter: Totaling the Stress Points

Some stress is unavoidable, but too much stress or
unresolved stress can be damaging and dangerous.

The alarm didn’t go off.  The shirt you were going to wear is stained.  The cat threw up.  There’s only enough coffee left to make half a cup.  The kids need lunch money, but you only have a twenty.  There’s a leaf blower going outside.  The cell-phone wasn’t recharged.  The toast is burning.  The land-line phone rings.

“WHAT?” you say when you pick up the phone, just to stop it from ringing.

It’s rare that there’s only one stressor that takes us to our breaking point.  It’s usually the accumulation of many small stressors combined that make us “snap”.  The same can happen with our dogs.  Unless there is a health issue or traumatic event, most behavior changes occur when the dog is overwhelmed.

Stress happens when there is a conflict between a familiar or desired situation and the current situation.  If a shirt out of the closet is usually clean, but the one pulled out is stained, stress is created.  If the stain can be removed or another clean shirt is available, the status quo has returned and the stress fades.  If a dog is fed at 6 p.m. every day and at 6:15 the dog still hasn’t been fed, stress is created.  Feed the dog and the stress diminishes.  But if the stressful situation doesn’t return to “normal,” the stress remains.  Additional unresolved stress builds, resulting in a variety of undesirable behaviors, such as snapping, growling or barking at other dogs, guests, strangers, and sometimes even family members.

We might not always know what is causing our dogs stress and some things that stress our dogs may seem innocuous to us.  Because of this, it’s important to identify stress signals before the breaking point is reached.  If we can identify that our dogs are stressed, we can start looking for ways to reduce the stress.

Some stress symptoms are physical.  A common symptom is panting.  Dogs also pant to cool themselves during warm weather or after exercise.  But, if the dog pants every time you return home or, the dog starts panting before you leave, for example, that is stress. Another common sign is lip licking, similar to the “dry mouth” sensation people get when they are nervous.  Restlessness is another sign.  If the dog has difficulty settling, it is stressed.  Some dogs will drop or pin back their ears.  Some dogs develop sweaty paws. Some dogs suddenly start losing their hair.  Whining can happen at higher stress levels.

Normal behaviors done at inappropriate times are also signs of stress.  Stressed dogs will yawn, scratch, or sniff, all normal behaviors if the dog is tired, has fleas, or finds something interesting on the floor.  But if the dog is supposed to be doing something else and abruptly stops, then starts one of the displacement behaviors, that is a sign of stress.  Imagine scratching your head as you’re trying to think of an answer on a difficult test.  Drinking, urinating/defecating, and eating can also be signs of stress if done suddenly or obsessively (remember all the trips to the bathroom and drinking fountain at your first dance?).

Lick granuloma or lick wound

In addition, what some people think of as “spiteful” behaviors can be expressions of stress.  This can include demand and repetitive barking, shadowing (following people everywhere), ripping up furniture, digging, going through trash, and “loss” of house training habits.  Granulomas (sores on the paws or hip) can appear from obsessive licking, a dog taking a soothing behavior to the extreme.  Separation anxiety, although rarer than previously thought, is another sign of stress.

Once we discover our dog is stressed, the next challenge is to help our dog relax.  We need to find the stressor and ideally remove or stop the cause of stress.  But, that can’t always happen, at which point there are three possible solutions:  habituation, desensitization, or training a coping behavior.  Habituation, the dog ‘getting used to” a situation, can happen if the stress is perceived as non-threatening.  The loss of a household member, like a death or a child leaving for college, can be very stressful, but by keeping to the routine, many dogs will adjust to the change.  Desensitization is training the dog that a perceived threat, such as a vacuum cleaner, is not actually dangerous.   Although the “threat” might seem irrational, emotional reactions, like fear, aren’t based on “rationality” and are therefore difficult to overcome.  Training a coping behavior can help build confidence, and with more confidence, fear and stress diminish.  For example, dogs that stress about strangers in the house, can be taught to go to their crate when guests arrive.  People and animals become calmer when they have control over their environment and when they know what to do when in a stressful situation.   

Rest and relaxation are important for dogs and people

Keeping our dogs relaxed is important for their mental and physical health.  Comfortable dogs  keep us from becoming stressed as well.  If you know a stressful time will be approaching, prepare your dog.  Try to keep as closely to the familiar routine as possible.  Increase exercise, particularly in the morning if you’re going to be away for the day.  If there is going to be construction on your house or a neighbor’s, see if day care is available.  Finally, if your dog is stressed, but you don’t know the cause, or don’t know how to diminish the stress, call a private trainer. Just knowing help is on the way can make life calmer.