Pack Mom Daily Bite: Fido’s Fall Schedule

We are sadly saying goodbye to summer.  I mean, instead of running to the start line we are c  r  a  w  l  i  n  g, dragging our paws the entire way.  You see, in my house, summer meant spending as much time playing, swimming, beaching and eating ice cream as possible.  Dogs included.

We don’t have a pool in our backyard, but the plastic pool from Target was just great for my furboys and my son Sebastian.  The furs joined us on a few trips to Anna Maria Island where they had a change of scenery, cool tile floors and beach sand in their paws. And, although I worked, I was able to have most afternoons and evenings free to hang with my boys.  I am happy to say that we are all a bit lazier and admittedly chunkier than when the summer began.

I know many of you are feeling the same as we look at the calendar filling up with must do’s, should do’s and have to do’s.  And of course, every retail store is reminding us of the impending holiday season!

So, how does this transition from lazy summer to jam packed fall affect our pets?  Most likely they are back to their old routine of staying at home most of the day, catching many zzz’s.  Don’t you wish you had a camera to see what they are actually doing?

Let’s get them on a healthy schedule this fall!

1. Diet– they might have had extra helpings from the table this summer.  My two furboys have had far too much of this as food literally rained down from my son’s highchair daily.  Multiple times a day.  But, to help their routine and their waistline, go back to two proportioned healthy meals a day.  If their stool is a bit loose or s
   poradic, adding a bit of canned pureed plain
    pumpkin to their meal might help firm things up.
2. Exercise– add a walk or walks with your dog into your daily regime.  It will do wonders for them and you!  Not only help trim us down but walking can bring peace of mind to the entire pack.
3. Mental stimulation-  if your dog or cat is still dragging around the same old deflated toy they have had for four years…try adding an interactive toy to the mix.  Perhaps a treat release toy or one that lets you hide a treat and makes your pet’s nose work overtime.  Try feeding your dog an entire meal (dry food) in a treat release toy and that can be something he looks forward to at the end of the day.

4.  Fun– a bit of frolic in your pet’s daily schedule will give you a happy pet.  How about a game of “hide the treat” or a round of fetch?  Figure out what they love to do, and make time to let them do that for at least a few minutes each day.  I know that my dog Abe pouts if he doesn’t get to play fetch at least once a day and Chico thoroughly enjoys getting to wake up my son in the morning….oh and carrots.  That dog loves a giant carrot at 3pm.

5.  Support- life gets busy and sometimes we do need to ask for assistance.  Good pet sitters and quality doggy daycares are invaluable.  And, having a list of neighbors, friends and family who love spending time with your pet and would help out if needed is a must have.  These people just might help out for a batch of fresh baked cookies or a pizza once in a while!

Schedules are good things. And, a healthy pet schedule just might help keep our pets calm, cool and collected as our fall season takes over.

Enjoy your pets!

~Jenn

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Category: Exercise, MY PACK LIFE, Pet Health, Pet Nutrition, Play