 |
|
||||||||
Back to School... and Bad Behavior?
How This Seasonal Transition Can Affect Your Pet
 |
Is your pet chewing on furniture, showing aggression, hiding, whining, eating less or shaking? These can all be symptoms of anxiety in animals… and each of these behaviors can unfortunately put a gap in the relationship between you/your children and your pet.
While marking calendars and writing notes around the house may help your family remember their schedule, it doesn’t help your pet… which is why preparing for back-to-school before it happens can be a nice way to ease your pet into a new routine. Trying these subtle simple tactics can help your pet deal with new hectic schedules changes.
Leave out the loneliness.
Leaving a piece of clothing from your child may help with your pets' feelings of loneliness. Dogs and cats have a keen sense of smell. Leaving your son/daughter’s shirt with your pet may help them to feel more secure.
Train your pet to play alone.
Your kids may have a specific routine with your pet, and with them back in school, your pet will now be left alone for longer periods of time. By starting to push back playtime for your pet, he/she won’t be expecting to play until your kids get home. Start to push back the time gradually two weeks before the first day of class, allowing your pet to play with a favorite toy instead. During this time, your child should be out of your pet’s sight, so your dog/cat can play independently. Arm yourself with lots of toys so your pet can stay occupied and feel less destructive. Chew toys or balls are a great weapon against boredom.
Act out a plan of action.
Three weeks before the first day of school, begin acting out a morning routine to help prepare your family for a new schedule. Trying out a routine will allow you as a parent to judge timing for your new schedule, but it will also allow you to observe your pet’s behavior before heading out the door. Your pet may follow your every move, making it harder to get out the door, whine, or become aggressive when he/she feels the morning hustle and bustle. Get ready for the morning routine by waking up at the exact time that you would need to for school. Leave the house for an hour and then return.
If you start this project early enough, on the actual first day of school, your pet may be completely calm and non-agitated. Dogs and cats lose their sense of security when family members seem stressed out, but practicing your routine in front of your pet will help to calm dog/cat nerves. Remember that little things could make your pet anxious, like picking up your keys when its time to go or putting on your shoes about your departure. Try grabbing your keys or putting on your shoes without actually leaving to help with your pet’s anxiety for your next time.
Relieve excessive energy.
With all the pent up energy accumulated throughout the day, your pet may become extra rambunctious for playtime with your kids in the afternoon, and a child’s well-being is a constant thought on every parent’s mind. To avoid any potential scratches, accidental bites, or unintentional bumps and bruises to your kids, teach them to not run to your pet when they first see them. Sometimes pets get so excited to see their “best friends” they inadvertently hurt you/your kids or themselves. Jumping, licking, pawing and climbing are some ways that your pet can show their enthusiasm. By petting and hugging your pet after this behavior, you’re showing your pet that overwhelming behaviors are O.K. Instead of telling pets to calm down, ignore the behavior until they calm down.
Need school supplies?
Finally, don’t forget that your four-legged friends need back to school supplies too! It’s a good idea to stock up on toys, leashes, and even grooming supplies before your new routine. Taking a walk, playing with toys and brushing hair also helps with anxiety and depression.
Top tips for beating pets' back-to-school blues:
- Prepare for back-to-school by going through morning routines before the first day of class
- Scatter food; pets love it when they find a treat, this will help with boredom
- If you’re worried about “accidents” for dogs, leave him/her in a small room to discourage “messing” in their space
- When you leave, talk sweetly to your pet and tell them that you have to go but you will be back soon
- Make sure to give your pets a lot of exercise, as this will decrease anxiety and the need to be destructive
Product Questions? Ask Our Pet Experts
| Question:
“My male boxer never chews on anything when we are home or if we go to the store for 1 hour. But if we’re gone any longer then that, he chews and rips thing up (furniture, pillows, anything he can get his paws on). We leave him toys and that does not work. Will PetCalm help? If not, do you have any suggestions on what will work?” – Agnes |
Answer: Hi Agnes, We would certainly recommend our homeopathic PetCalm, as it contains a special blend of ingredients known for their calming and soothing effects, helping to balance mood while easing fright and nervousness. PetCalm is a natural remedy with no risk of side effects or addiction and can be safely used by animals of all ages and sizes. The PetAlive Team |
Do you have a question you’d like answered? ASK OUR EXPERTS
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As always, we hope you have enjoyed our newsletter. If you have any feedback or suggestions, you can submit them using our Feedback form. You can also contact us via email at info@nativeremedies.com, via phone at 1-877-289-1235 (Toll Free in the USA) or at +1.253.620.4542, or via fax at +1.928.832.4552. Feel free to contact us if you have a question, to place an order, or to become a Native Remedies Affiliate or Distributor.
Note: We do not share our mailing list or customer information with anyone - your information is totally secure with us!
Copyright © 1997-2009 Native Remedies, LLC. All rights reserved. The material in this newsletter and on our site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Native Remedies LLC. Native Remedies is a trademark belonging to Native Remedies LLC. The statements regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
You are receiving this newsletter as a PetAlive customer and/or newsletter subscriber.