What back to school season means for your dog

Back to school season is here and that means that it is not only the end of summer, but your dog is about to be all alone again. Or at the very least, there are bound to be fewer people at home giving your pup the attention they love.

According to a press email we received on behalf of CareCredit Pet, there are many pets who end up developing separation anxiety when the kids go back to school. And this stress can manifest in what looks like bad behavior. Dogs who are stressed over the kids in their lives going back to school may end up digging, howling, scratching, and even showing signs of an upset stomach.

So how can we help our pups handle the anxiety of back to school season?

Your dog might deal with separation anxiety due to back to school season

A veterinarian expert for CareCredit Pet had some tips and tricks for pet parents as we try to find ways to ease our dogs during the transition back to school. Dr. Don LeHoullier offered up three different tricks for curbing boredom in your dog, which is a big thing that our pups face when the kids they spent the summer playing with head to school.

To handle boredom in your dog you may want to try:

"Freeze a Kong. Kongs are nearly indestructible and can easily occupy a dog for 30+ minutes at a time. Up your game by freezing broth or peanut butter inside!Rotate Toys. You don’t have to constantly buy new toys, just make sure to rotate the toys you do have to keep things interesting.Room with a View. Set up a place for your dog to see what’s going on outside. It will keep them entertained and offer a warm spot to nap in the sun.  If you have cats, this could become the “it” place."

Beyond the at home tips, Dr LeHoullier also offered up some suggestions that would also get your pup our of the house as well.

One suggestion was that if you have a dog-friendly workplace, you might consider bringing your dog to work with you. The other option is to think about sending your pup to a doggy daycare. (Our staff pup visits doggy daycare throughout the year and loves getting to play with other pups, experience different activities, and just relaxing with other people throughout the day.)

But that is not the only thing you can do to help your dog with the back to school transition. We also recommend considering a dog walker. There are services that allow you to schedule someone to actually pick up your dog and take them for a walk once or twice a day. This in turn would be a chance for your dog to interact with other people and maybe even other dogs, while still being in the comfort of home.

It’s important to think about the way your home changes when everyone heads back to work and school after the summer, and what that can do to your dog. And planning things for your pup is just as important as what you plan for the rest of the household.