View of small cute Yorkshire Terrier with sleeping boy on white sofa and clock on the wall
How has your Morkie been adapting to the new time this week? If he’s like most of us, it takes some getting used to. Sure it’s great to get up an hour “later” but by 9:00 p.m. you can begin to feel the fade!
It’s no surprise to pet owners that our animal friends keep a very close eye on us and our routines. When they are suddenly off by an hour, in Spring and Fall for daylight saving time, the pet can become confused and even anxious.
Some animals are even more affected; dairy cows for example, expect to be milked at the very same time each day so when that changes twice a year, they can get agitated because they’re suddenly physically uncomfortable.
What’s up with daylight saving time anyway?
Interesting to learn that changing the clocks twice a year was first put forward by American inventor and politician Benjamin Franklin, in 1784. Half in jest, he wrote an essay suggesting that Parisians could save on candles by getting people out of bed earlier in the morning, making use of the natural morning light instead of burning wax into the night. The idea was kicked around for a long time, until Germans actually implemented it during the First World War, on April 30, 1916, in an effort to save fuel. Other countries soon followed, and it’s been with us ever since.
Dogs are affected by light and dark
Pets can be baffled by changes like daylight saving time.
Besides being creatures closely attuned to our habits, dogs are highly affected by cycles of light and dark. Most dogs, especially left to their own patterns, awake at sunrise and fall asleep just after sunset. If their other routines, controlled by us, are suddenly off by an hour, they can become a little baffled.
In Spring you’ve probably noticed your Morkie is much more frisky. That’s the wolf in him enjoying more hours of sunlight and playing outside. Even older dogs seem to get a second wind in the Spring.
Your Morkie will adjust
So even though it’s a change, don’t worry. Your Morkie will adjust just fine… and it’s probably not worth adapting his schedule to make the time change seem more gradual. They’re spunky little dogs and will quickly get back in their groove!
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