Spring Fever
If you live in the parts of the world heading into Spring, with longer warmer days let’s talk about Spring Fever, because for dogs this can be a very real thing!
Is your dog suddenly barking at more things?
Has your dog’s energy levels increased?
Is it harder for your dog to focus outside?
While all of these things can happen any time of the year, if you notice a sudden change in their behavior it is very possible it’s related to the seasons changing.
Things that can set off Spring Fever:
Warmer weather makes wildlife more active. All those birds that headed for warmer climates make their ways home, all those little hibernating critters bust out hungry and ready to forage for food.
Longer days adjust many of our schedules and changes of routines can throw some dogs off.
More people are out! Most reactive dog owners know all to well how suddenly this time of year you often have way more triggers to deal with on walks. But even non-reactive dogs can be excited and feel more distracted with more activity when they were used to quieter winter walks.
More people, more wildlife, more activity equals more sounds! And I don’t know about you but the minute it’s warm enough I like nothing more than opening all our windows to let the fresh air in. Our dogs can be dealing with a sudden surge of sounds for them to decipher.
More people, more wildlife, more activity equals more smells! Our dogs senses are often overloaded with information as they work to sort out what has passed through the spaces they are in.
What we can do to help?
Recognize the changes for them and if they are struggling see what you can adjust. Open windows have them barking at noises they hear? Can you turn some music on to provide some white noise for them? Can you give them a chewy to work on as the new sounds pour in?
Struggling with walks, can you get up a little bit earlier or walk a little later when it has quieted down?
Up your reinforcement!!! Make yourself more valuable by having high value rewards to reinforce those recalls and LLW.
Can you use sniffspots or go on nice long sniffaris to give their noses a chance to really enjoy those new smells?
Be patient, they will adjust again to the new normals and soon Spring will give way to summer when hot weather slows things down again.
Ready for a contest????
Time for our first training challenge contest! I wanna see your best COOPERATIVE Easter Bunny Pups.
Contest Rules:
Post a photo or video of your dog wearing and Easter Hat and/or holding something like: Easter Basket, Carrot, Stuffed Bunny on either Instagram - tagging me @thehikerpup so I will see it or post it on our Academy Facebook Group.
You have until April 1st to post your photo/video
No torturing your dogs! Use cooperative care to make wearing hats stress free, if they hate having the bunny ears on, work on your hold!
Prize: A Hiker Pup Tote Bag!
Ready for Easter?
Wearing hats is a great cooperative care exercise and the Hold trick is such a fun skill to master!
Here are some training videos to help you work on hold:
And here are some videos to help you work on putting hats on:
Prize for the contest winner!
A Large tote bag to hold your dog’s training gear when you head out!