It's time to fall back and get that extra, well deserved, hour of sleep! 

Mark your calendars! Daylight savings times ends on November 7th, so make sure to set the clocks back an hour. Just as the extra hour is an adjustment for us, it’s also an adjustment for our pets. We rely on our clocks to tell us what time it is. For our dogs and cats, they rely on their circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is their internal clock that tells them that it’s time to eat or sleep. 

With the time change, we are able to reason why we may be a little off. But an hour can be a drastic change for our pets and may totally throw them off their rhythm. When pets get out of their routine they may get anxious, more rambunctious, and start to get into or chew on things they shouldn’t

How to Help Your Pets Adjust to the Time Change

Adjust your pet’s routine in increments! 

If the first thing you do is let your dog out to go potty and then to be fed immediately after, it’s best to adjust their routine prior to daylight savings. 

Try 15 minute increments where you feed and let your dog out 15 minutes later than you normally would. Once your dog gets used to getting let out slightly later, increase the increment to 30 minutes later than the regular time. Repeat this process until your dog understands and accepts the new routine. 

If your pet is struggling with the adjustment, do smaller increments of five or ten minutes, and make sure to monitor your pet’s behavior. They may be a little anxious at first, but this is normal since they are learning a new routine and adjusting their circadian rhythm.