The pandemic has completely disrupted our lives and changed the way we do things, thrusting us into a way of life for which we were totally unprepared. The resulting stress has been difficult to manage, but after months of adjusting, most people have adapted to the new normal and found creative ways to navigate the changing landscape.<\/p>\n
It can be stressful when situations change, even when we understand what is going on. Our dogs don\u2019t have that luxury and are often blindsided by the disappearance of a best canine buddy or human friend. When a life-altering event happens, such as the death of a family member, a child leaving for college or the arrival of a baby<\/a>, dogs find themselves at a complete loss, wondering what just happened. If you find yourself facing major changes, there are ways to help your dog while you also negotiate the challenges.<\/p>\n When a loved one dies, your dog might grieve the loss of her canine buddy or person. If she sleeps more, loses interest in food or resists your attempts to engage in play, she is most likely mourning. The best thing you can do is:<\/p>\n \u27bb Keep her routine as consistent as possible while ensuring she does not spend too much time by herself.<\/p>\n \u27bb Keep all the dog beds in the same place so that the scent of your dog that has passed is still there.<\/p>\n \u27bb Give your dog plenty of attention so she doesn\u2019t feel alone.<\/p>\n If your dog loses her appetite<\/a>, add tasty morsels to her meals and warm the food up to make it more enticing. If she always ate at the same time as her canine buddy, take your old dog\u2019s place and eat at the same time she does.Social eating shows trust and is a habitual and comforting activity. Most dogs are sensitive to human emotions and will pick up on their loved one\u2019s sadness, sometimes offering consolation behavior in return.<\/p>\n If your dog adores the teenager who is about to go to college or leaves home for another reason, make the transition easier by starting the disconnection process a month or so before the change happens. Have another family member take over your dog\u2019s day-to-day care, including feeding and walking. If your dog sleeps on your child\u2019s bed, change the sleeping arrangements in advance and have your child take a step back and pay your dog a little less attention.<\/p>\n Photo: HDKam | Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Probably the most stressful sudden change is the arrival of a baby. For years, the dog has enjoyed a quiet life with her family, receiving attention whenever she needs it, and then out of the blue a new being arrives making a lot of noise and smelling very different. Help your dog adjust by preparing for baby well in advance:<\/p>\n \u2724 Buy a recording of baby sounds and introduce these sounds softly to begin with, increasing the level once your dog habituates to the noise.<\/p>\n \u2724 Purchase a baby doll and walk around with it like you will do when your baby arrives.<\/p>\n \u2724 Practice changing diapers, walking with a stroller and making your dog feel good when the baby doll is present.<\/p>\n When the time comes, keep everyone safe by never leaving your baby unattended with your dog at any time, not even to go to the bathroom.<\/p>\n Whatever changes occur, the best medicine for your dog is exercise. Walking, sniffing and experiencing the outside world makes everyone feel better. The more you can engage your dog\u2019s brain in activities that physically and mentally stimulate her, the less confused and anxious she will be. Exercise releases pleasurable endorphins into the body, giving a feeling of well-being. Engaging your dog in team activities, such as dog sports, benefits both of you.<\/p>\n Adding another dog can also help after an appropriate period of time and your existing dog is no longer grieving. However, pick a dog that complements the one you already have to ensure the two enjoy each other\u2019s company.<\/p>\n If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that life is precious and change can happen in a moment. The more confident your dog is, the easier it will be for her to cope with any changes that come her way. Giving your dog a humane canine education and understanding her unique needs will help all of you negotiate life\u2019s challenges.<\/p>\n Featured Image: SolStock | Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n Read Next: How to Keep Baby Toys and Dog Toys in the Right Hands \u2014 and Paws<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The post How to Help Your Dog Through Big Changes<\/a> by Victoria Stilwell<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n The post How to Help Your Dog Through Big Changes<\/a> by Victoria Stilwell<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n The pandemic has completely disrupted our lives and changed the way we do things, thrusting us into a way of life for which we were totally unprepared. The resulting stress has been difficult to manage, but after months of adjusting, most people have adapted to the new normal and found creative ways to navigate the changing landscape.<\/p>\n It can be stressful when situations change, even when we understand what is going on. Our dogs don\u2019t have that luxury and are often blindsided by the disappearance of a best canine buddy or human friend. When a life-altering event happens, such as the death of a family member, a child leaving for college or the arrival of a baby<\/a>, dogs find themselves at a complete loss, wondering what just happened. If you find yourself facing major changes, there are ways to help your dog while you also negotiate the challenges.<\/p>\n When a loved one dies, your dog might grieve the loss of her canine buddy or person. If she sleeps more, loses interest in food or resists your attempts to engage in play, she is most likely mourning. The best thing you can do is:<\/p>\n \u27bb Keep her routine as consistent as possible while ensuring she does not spend too much time by herself.<\/p>\n \u27bb Keep all the dog beds in the same place so that the scent of your dog that has passed is still there.<\/p>\n \u27bb Give your dog plenty of attention so she doesn\u2019t feel alone.<\/p>\n If your dog loses her appetite<\/a>, add tasty morsels to her meals and warm the food up to make it more enticing. If she always ate at the same time as her canine buddy, take your old dog\u2019s place and eat at the same time she does.Social eating shows trust and is a habitual and comforting activity. Most dogs are sensitive to human emotions and will pick up on their loved one\u2019s sadness, sometimes offering consolation behavior in return.<\/p>\n If your dog adores the teenager who is about to go to college or leaves home for another reason, make the transition easier by starting the disconnection process a month or so before the change happens. Have another family member take over your dog\u2019s day-to-day care, including feeding and walking. If your dog sleeps on your child\u2019s bed, change the sleeping arrangements in advance and have your child take a step back and pay your dog a little less attention.<\/p>\n Photo: HDKam | Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Probably the most stressful sudden change is the arrival of a baby. For years, the dog has enjoyed a quiet life with her family, receiving attention whenever she needs it, and then out of the blue a new being arrives making a lot of noise and smelling very different. Help your dog adjust by preparing for baby well in advance:<\/p>\n \u2724 Buy a recording of baby sounds and introduce these sounds softly to begin with, increasing the level once your dog habituates to the noise.<\/p>\n \u2724 Purchase a baby doll and walk around with it like you will do when your baby arrives.<\/p>\n \u2724 Practice changing diapers, walking with a stroller and making your dog feel good when the baby doll is present.<\/p>\n When the time comes, keep everyone safe by never leaving your baby unattended with your dog at any time, not even to go to the bathroom.<\/p>\n Whatever changes occur, the best medicine for your dog is exercise. Walking, sniffing and experiencing the outside world makes everyone feel better. The more you can engage your dog\u2019s brain in activities that physically and mentally stimulate her, the less confused and anxious she will be. Exercise releases pleasurable endorphins into the body, giving a feeling of well-being. Engaging your dog in team activities, such as dog sports, benefits both of you.<\/p>\n Adding another dog can also help after an appropriate period of time and your existing dog is no longer grieving. However, pick a dog that complements the one you already have to ensure the two enjoy each other\u2019s company.<\/p>\n If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that life is precious and change can happen in a moment. The more confident your dog is, the easier it will be for her to cope with any changes that come her way. Giving your dog a humane canine education and understanding her unique needs will help all of you negotiate life\u2019s challenges.<\/p>\n Featured Image: SolStock | Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n Read Next: How to Keep Baby Toys and Dog Toys in the Right Hands \u2014 and Paws<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The post How to Help Your Dog Through Big Changes<\/a> by Victoria Stilwell<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to help your dog deal with the loss of a loved one<\/h3>\n
![\"how](\"http:\/\/www.dogster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Shepard-and-baby_getty987784316.png\")
<\/p>\nHow to help your dog deal with a new addition<\/h3>\n
Get outside<\/h3>\n
How to help your dog deal with the loss of a loved one<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nHow to help your dog deal with a new addition<\/h3>\n
Get outside<\/h3>\n