In North America, the end of the year is busy. Since ancient times, Westerners have celebrated the harvest and the winter solstice. We celebrate this time of year with feasts, visits to family members, and gift-giving. We take time off work, disrupting our schedule and everyday activities. When our schedule changes, the schedules of everyone in our family change as well. This change includes our dogs’ schedules. Change is stressful. 

Unpredictability is Stressful

For our dogs, the stress is compounded because the changes are unpredictable. Humans know what to expect at the end of the year, while dogs do not know the year is ending. Dogs do not know about the harvest season or that the days are getting longer after the solstice. Your young dog does not know that for hundreds of years, your family has visited each other at their homes at this time of year. When we know change is coming and what to expect, the change is less stressful because we can prepare for it.

Consistency is Key

If we intend to manage and lower our dogs’ stress levels, we must create and value consistency. We must create and maintain our dog activity schedule as consistently as possible, especially when our schedule changes and more guests come to visit.  To create consistency, we must regulate our everyday behavior, and we value it by remaining consistent. 

I advise my clients to set their daily schedules well in advance of the holiday season, taking into account all the usual variations that occur day to day. I ask them to let their dogs out, walk, and feed them at the same time every morning. I teach that it benefits us and our dogs if we schedule our playtime, training time, crate time, and afternoon walks at the same time every day. I develop routines around our evening events. My dogs do the same things at dinner time every night. After dinner, we have consistent leisure and bedtime activities. 

Dogs Love Predictability!

When we repeat the same routines at the same times daily, our dogs learn to predict what will happen, and learn they can depend on our consistency; this reduces uncertainty/stress and builds the dog’s confidence overall. We know that when the end of the year comes, we may not be able to keep that exact schedule every day, but we can keep some of it the same every day. That consistency reduces our dog’s stress level and makes it easier for us during the holidays. 

If you are interested in learn more about helping your dog tolerate daily changes, Contact Argos Dog Training. Thank you for reading, and Enjoy Your Dog!!!