As autumn is fast approaching, we are looking forward to Daylight Saving Time next month and gearing up to ease into feeding schedule changes with our little Habibi Bear guys and gals, the Original Teddy Bear dogs. Keep reading if you would like to find out more about why we stick to incremental changes if we need to change the routines of our Habibi Bear Puppies.
The Importance Of Routine For Dogs
If you have been receiving our weekly blog posts in your inbox, you know that our constant refrain is routine routine, routine when it comes to our pups and yours! The main reasons for maintaining a routine for dogs are to provide a sense of comfort and security, which in turn reduces their stress levels.
Can you imagine how stressful it is to be in a world where no one is speaking your language? Did you know that any change in the home environment can cause major episodes of distress in dogs, including changing our clocks. There are many times we receive messages from our Habibi Bear Tribe members trying to troubleshoot a lethargic or withdrawn pup only to find that the household has undergone a major transition: a lengthy business trip for Dad, remodeling the home, the loss of another pet, unexpected visitors or perhaps a child going away to college. These are all things that disrupt schedules, put people on edge and change the whole vibration of the household. Our Habibi Bear pups, tuned into the feeling of the home, doesn’t quite know what the dickens is going on, just that our body language is more rigid, our faces are conveying annoyance or grief, and we are (unknowingly and undetectable for humans) emitted stress hormones that only our pups can detect. They are concerned! The inability to communicate in a common language means that there is real difficulty transmitting the desired security and necessary continuity to our little Habibi Bear guys and gals, so we are forced to improvise and provide a routine instead to reassure them.
Why We Use Incremental Transition For Mealtimes
Having a set time for meals is just what the doctor ordered for keeping things mellow at your house. Knowing that breakfast and dinner will be delivered at a set time goes a long way in reassuring your Habibi Bear puppy that all is right in their world. It is the unknown and the strain of waiting that undermines a dog’s sense of well-being. When a seasonal time change is approaching, we at Habibi Bears manage the wait time and the stress and gently increase or decrease the time of the regular feeding according to the appropriate season (Beginning or Ending of Daylight Savings Time). This is done in ten to fifteen minute increments, the goal being to keep the mystery of “when” at a minimum. We repeat the process and adjust the time every other day until a full hour is synchronized with the “new” artificially imposed time and clock adjustment.
What Dog Distress Looks Like
