Does Your Dog Have the Back to School Blues?

It’s been a long time since I had a child in school, but I clearly remember that sense of relief when the first day of school finally arrived. As a working mom, making childcare arrangements for the summer was always stressful, so sending my son back to class was always a happy time for me.

By now, I think everyone’s back to school and while that makes moms and dads happy, it could make for some sad pups. If your dog got used to having the kids (or you!) around during the summer, she may be lonely now that the house is so quiet during the day. So what’s a dog mom to do?

I really like this cool infographic from the Humane Society of Silicon Valley. It gives lots of helpful tips to keep your pooch happy now that the kids are back to school. Take a look, and we’ll chat some more at the end.

These are some great ideas, right? A few of my favorites are:

• Interactive toys – these are a great way to keep your dog’s brain busy when you’re not around. It’s so important to keep her from getting bored because boredom can lead to destructive behavior. Interactive toys will keep her busy and engaged when the house is empty.
• Doggy day care – if you can afford to put your pooch in a quality doggy day care setting, I highly recommend it. We started taking Nike to day care about a year ago, and she thrives there. She gets lots of exercise, as well as quality time with other dogs and great dog trainers. And you’d be surprised how affordable it is – we pay a mere $12 for half a day, and a full day is only $22. And it’s true what they say: a tired dog is a good dog. Nike comes home from day care worn out, and we love it!
• Hire a dog walker – again, if you have the means to hire someone to stop by during the day to take your mutt for a 15 minute walk, I think this is a valuable investment. It gets the dog out of the house and into the sunshine and fresh air, even if only for a few minutes.

One of the suggestions above that I can’t get behind is adopting another dog to keep yours company. In my opinion, that’s not a good reason to add a second dog to the family. 

Does your dog have the Back to School Blues now that the kids are gone during the day? What tips do you have for keeping her happy and occupied while the family is away?