Summer is great fun for dogs, the kids are home and there’s always someone to play with. Back to school can be a hard time, one day it’s party time, the next everyone’s gone. Some dogs can become depressed going from constant companionship to being alone and bored all day. Dogs can suffer from depression and anxiety just like people.

Some signs to watch for:

• Lack of energy
• Lack of appetite
• Not wanting to play
• Hiding
• Excessive barking
• Whining
• Chewing objects
• Scratching at doors
• Trying to escape fences
• Going to the bathroom in the house

What you can do to help:

• A walk or play time in the morning before school will tire her out
• Don’t make a big deal when leaving the house, if you’re calm, your dog will be calm
• Give your dog a treat stuffed toy or something to do for distraction before leaving
• Make sure someone comes home mid-day to let the dog out and break up the time alone
• Don’t get too excited when coming home, if you act like it’s been forever, he’ll think it has been
• A walk in the evening can help release pent up energy and relieve boredom

If this isn’t the first back to school time for your dog she will probably settle in to the new routine faster than if this is the first year for a new schedule. It can be hard to make your dog a priority when you’ve had a long day and need to get dinner on the table and help with homework. But, it’s important to remember, you’ve been gone all day interacting with people and your dog has been alone all day, maybe all week. You and your family are his best friends and all he has. If your dog has a hard time adjusting, its fine to give it a couple weeks to get used to the new routine. If things aren’t better after a couple weeks or are getting worse, a visit to the veterinarian is in order.