The end of the summer holidays brings with it another change in home life for our pets in West Yorkshire. When considering this change, we could put them in one of two camps: those looking forward to the peace and quiet and those dreading not being with us 24\/7.<\/p>\n
If your pet falls into the first category, they\u2019ll probably resume their daily napping schedule quite happily. The pets (mostly dogs) who might struggle are those who rely heavily on contact with us in order to feel secure. Young dogs and puppies, who have never been left at home, might also feel anxious when children go back to school or you return to work.<\/p>\n
What is separation anxiety?<\/strong><\/p>\n Most dogs learn at an early age that when we leave the house, we\u2019ll always return. Knowing this helps them to feel secure when they\u2019re alone. Some dogs can be more susceptible to separation anxiety than others.<\/p>\n Some dogs when left alone might express their anxiety by behaving inappropriately, some may become destructive and chew household items or furniture; others become very vocal and bark or whine continuously until we return home. Not only is this distressing for our dogs but it\u2019s annoying for our neighbours too!<\/p>\n There are a few things we can do now to prepare our pets for these significant changes in home life.<\/p>\n Encourage independence<\/strong><\/p>\n We can teach our pets to feel secure when we\u2019re out by gradually spending longer periods of time away from them when we\u2019re at home. You can try the following:<\/p>\n Build resilience<\/strong><\/p>\n If your dog is particularly attached to one person, it\u2019s a good idea to share the load of their daily care. This helps your dog to feel secure even when their favourite person isn\u2019t at home. Ask other family members to become involved with your dog\u2019s feeding, walking, snuggling, and playtimes.<\/p>\n Your dog will gradually learn to feel safe with whoever they\u2019re spending time with.<\/p>\n Puppies<\/strong><\/p>\n If you have a puppy or young dog, introduce them to places that you may not have visited before. The more smells, sights and sounds your dog experiences as a youngster, the less they\u2019ll fear as an adult dog.<\/p>\n Please contact us to ensure your puppy has received the vaccinations and preventative healthcare they need, to keep them safe when they start going out.<\/p>\n How can we help cats?<\/strong><\/p>\n For the vast majority of adult cats, their life during periods such as summer holidays probably isn\u2019t massively different to their usual routine. They may feel more inconvenienced by extra attention from their humans, but many cats will avoid this by seeking out new sunbathing, hiding, and sleeping places!<\/p>\n If your cat has spent more time indoors, it\u2019s worth checking they\u2019re up to date with their preventative healthcare before they go outside again. We can provide you with your cat\u2019s usual flea and worm treatments, so please let us know if you\u2019ve run out. We\u2019ll also contact you when your cat is due for a check-up and booster.<\/p>\n All pets<\/strong><\/p>\n It will take all of us some time to get used to changes to our daily routine. If your pets have enjoyed lie-ins and late nights recently, it\u2019s helpful to resume your usual routine before you go back to work and school.<\/p>\n If you\u2019d like further information about any aspect of preparing your pet for home life changes, please contact us<\/a> for a chat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The end of the summer holidays brings with it another change in home life for our pets in West Yorkshire. When considering this change, we could put them in one of two camps: those looking forward to the peace and quiet and those dreading not being with us 24\/7. If your pet falls into the<\/p>\n\n