One of the biggest fears that stops people from getting a dog is that they will have to get up at 5 am every day in order to walk their four-legged friend.
But is that true? What time do you actually have to wake up?
After centuries of living with humans, dogs learnt to adapt and share their owners’ habits.
This means that you can teach your dog to live according to your daily routine.
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However, you should always keep in mind that no matter what, your dog should still have a more-or-less stable daily routine.
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A puppy should be fed before going for a walk, and an adult dog – after.
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Never make your dog wait for more than 12 hours (for adults) between two walks, even if you think your dog can wait more. If you’d like to sleep a bit more in the morning, walk your dog later at night.
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🐶What can you possibly do if your pet keeps getting you out of bed at 5 am, when you’d like to sleep until at least 7? You can slowly teach your dog a new schedule.
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If your pet usually wakes you up at 5 am, set your alarm clock for 4:30 am on the first day. Get up and go about your usual morning routine, including a morning walk with your pet.
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On the second day, set your alarm clock for 4:45 am (so, still a bit earlier than your dog is used to). Continue pushing your alarm clock 15 minutes forward each day, but remember that snoozing and taking another 5 minutes to sleep is not an option if you want this to be a successful mission.
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Slowly, you’ll get to the desired waking hours (7 am, for instance) – you dog will wait until your alarm clock goes off. When you reach this moment, keep waking up to your alarm clock at the same time every day for at least two more weeks. After that, you can stop using your alarm clock or simply set it for the time you need.
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If your dog can’t sleep well at night and can’t seem to adapt to the new schedule, but you know that he/she is completely healthy, this might mean that your pet can’t contain the high level of excitement.
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In this case, you need to work on your dog’s physical state: use the protocol of relaxation, and introduce a more orderly routine.
