Sometimes it’s hard to find a routine – especially during a global pandemic. Of course, the weirdness of the situation is effecting our dogs, too. Dogs thrive on consistency. In that sense, they are “perfect soldiers.” So, when we’re all home getting chores done that we otherwise wouldn’t be doing, when daily trips to the park aren’t happening, and when activities never cease to slow down because children are now home 24/7 and many of us are trying to work at the same time, our dogs often suffer.
While the situation surrounding COVID-19 appears to be turning the corner this week, finding consistent activities to turn the last four weeks of chaos into a “new normal” will help not only help people adjust during what is destined to be a long recovery, but the dogs of the world, too.
A few simple things you can do right off of the bat to ensure your dog regains the sense of structure that was lost over the past few weeks include:
1) Focus on the little things: It might seem silly, but if you aren’t feeding your dog on a regularly planned schedule and letting them out at regular intervals, now is a good time to start. Beyond the added benefits of assisting any lingering potty-training issues, this routine will quickly set the precedent that good things still happen in regular intervals. Little routines such as this one go a long way for dogs.
2) Create scheduled engagements: While this will sound obvious coming from dog trainers, how you do it can differ. That is, set up a regular interaction schedule. Whether you use the time for solid play or training is up to you. Just make it positive, fun and consistent and your dog will look forward to it – anything from a 7:00 walk to training a new and complex trick will do. How you make it happen can be as formal as scheduling it in your calendar or as informal as tying it to something you already do on a regular basis. For instance, if you have a routine of making tea at 7:30 every night, plan to train the dog for a few minutes while the water boils – this is your cue. Not only is this approach (known in the behavioral sciences community as Tiny Habits) casual and efficient, it’s a proven method to build the momentum necessary for long-term success. Additionally, you can leverage this approach for any habit you’d like to create, from flossing to working out.
3) Be intentional on walks: Memes are all over the Internet about people walking their dogs more than usual. We’ve noticed this ourselves just by sitting in our family room. Taking advantage of spring temperatures to not only stretch your legs, but to also your dog’s is clearly good for everyone. Doing it with intentionality, so it becomes a habit while progressing skill will make walks as enjoyable as possible. This is simply a matter of being prepared. So, 1) Always bring rewards with you to capture the moments your dog is walking as you’d like them to – what’s rewarded is repeated. 2) Walk at consistent times and pay attention to the busy-ness of your street if your dog doesn’t do well with loose-leash walking (early morning walks and evening walks can make a big difference for reactive dogs). 3) Take advantage of social distancing to help train your dog to ignore other people – it’s officially okay to not have to stop and say “hi” to everyone.
These are just a few very simple ideas to add well-needed structure to your dog’s life. But really, anything that adds to the enjoyment of life and can be done at regular times will work. How you do it is up to you, just make it easy, keep it regular, and keep it positive.