Tick Tok — How Does Your Dog Know What Time It Is?
Tick Tok — How Does Your Dog Know What Time It Is?
Neighborhood schools are beginning to start up again and that means no more all day play sessions between your precious pooch and your precious kids. Ever notice that when the kids go back to school, your pup knows exactly when they are due to return? It may be she moves to the window for watch them come down the street…or she she actively listens for the sound of their voices. Dogs are smart animals but they don’t have smart phones…so how does this work?
Habits & Routines
Dogs are creatures of habit so routine naturally plays into their perception of time. Wake up is at 7:00 immediately followed by breakfast (delicious and nutritious Wag Tantrum; www.wagtantrum.com) at 7:15. Evening walks are at 5:00, every day! Dogs are quick to pick up on these patterns (notice how quickly they adjust to Daylight Savings Time) and they rely on the consistency of these events to anticipate what’s next. So…a couple of days into the new school routine and they will have it down! https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/why-your-dog-needs-routine/
Smells like 6:00!
Dogs have an extraordinary sense of smell and can detect a wide range of scents throughout the day. As the environment changes, so do their olfactory transformations. They can sense the fading scent of morning dew, the heat of noonday sun on the flowers and other different smells encountered throughout the day.
Social Cues & Body Clocks
Dogs are keen observers of human behavior and they use your actions to cue them as to the time. In addition, they have their own circadian rhythms that align them to day and night. Working together they get a pretty good sense of what is going to happen next.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2707135/
The Sun & Stars
Dogs are remarkably attuned to the environment and they pay attention to natural signs throughout the day. Ambient sounds and changes in the sun light will cue them that the day is approaching evening, which typically signals that it’s time for rest.
Emotional Clock
Your dog is constantly watching and monitoring your behaviors. So, when they see you head for their toy box or the cupboard where leashes are stored, they will begin wagging their tales in anticipation of play time with you. This emotional clock helps them predict when you are available for love and play.
