Why do dogs become sad when the school begins and how to avoid it

Sad dog? It’s normal, it’s September. When the days get shorter and holidays become just a memory. But when kids return to school and parents to work…what really happens to your dog? While you are busy getting back into the routine, your dog may risk feeling left out without you even realising it. 

Don’t worry. Because back-to-school dog blues (or your dog’s feelings of being left out) is harmful to your dog’s quality of life, here we will address the phenomenon and give you practical suggestions.

Sad dog: watch out for these symptoms

How do you understand if your sad dog is suffering from the dog blues? No, it’s not mean teachers nor exams that your dog fears. The way he/she copes with the beginning of school is by showing a form of idleness often related to separation anxiety.

Clearly, the reason is that now you cannot spend as much time with your dog as you could before summer ended. And your dog is sad about it.

If this is the case, your dog will display one or more of these signs:

• develops different eating habits
• is impatient and restless, (can destroy clothes, things or doing his/her business inside)
• barks more than usual
• sleeps all day

If you have never heard of the dog blues, this year, have an attentive look at your dog’s behaviors. Does he/she show one or more of these signs? Can these be dog-blues related symptoms? If the answer is yes, you should find ways to dig into the reasons why your dog is sad and lessen your dog’s sad feeling.

Set a dog-friendly schedule for the whole family

Plan a dog-friendly schedule for the whole family. Here is what you should consider:

1. Morning habits

Morning walks keep your dog in shape and reduce your dog’s energy surplus, hence: walk your dog every morning. No early bird in the family? Divide up the responsibility by taking turns! Use Dog Walk, the mobile app developed by Tractive to keep your dog’s walking routine on track.