When Daylight Saving Time rolls around, does the time change affect your dog? Yes! It can cause stress and anxiety in some dogs. Animal behavior experts say that dogs are creatures of habit. And they’ve got an incredibly accurate internal clock. So, once they know that, say, breakfast is at 7 a.m., they’ll be whining for their food every day at 7 – whether you’re trying to sleep in or not. Dogs are pretty good at syncing their schedules with their human family, but sometimes they need a little help – especially for sudden shifts, like time changes.

Our clocks move forward on Sunday, March 13th. And that means, your dog will suddenly be expecting their meals, walks, and other regular activities an hour later. So, a few days before the time change, start pushing their schedule back 15 minutes every couple of days, until you reach the correct new time. And know this: Dog behavior specialists say that when we get a new puppy, we should vary their scheduled activities half an hour one-way or the other. That way, they’ll be used to living an unpredictable life. And won’t be so stressed and anxious when things change.