Things You Do In The Morning That Break Your Dog's Heart

Dog parents are lucky. We get to greet our doggos every morning and enjoy their company — something that quite literally improves our mental well-being. Just as much as our mornings are enriched by Fido, good pawrents want the same for their pups. Much of that starts with a great morning routine that might include a daily walk, breakfast time, and maybe a few morning cuddles. It turns out the way those moments go, or if they happen at all, can make a huge difference in the overall quality of our dogs' days.

It's true, even the most loving pet parent can do things that break their dog's heart, especially in the wee hours of the day! A rough morning can lead to heightened canine anxiety and can even weaken you and your dog's bond. Cuteness spoke exclusively with Ken Ramirez, chief training officer at Karen Pryor Clicker Training, to help round up a few of these morning "pet parent faux paws" to avoid. Now, you can set your pup up for success at the start of every day.

As our expert, Ken Ramirez explains, "One of the things that can be disruptive or unsettling for dogs is a change in their routine," and it may be one of the top things people do that dogs hate. In fact, you may even notice your dog "moping or unhappy" due to unexpected changes in the a.m. (or at any time of day). This is not a coincidence.

Unexpectedly changing your fur baby's morning plans can be upsetting, likely due to a dog's internal clock, called a circadian rhythm, that helps them tell time based on their daily activities. Ramirez notes that things like "pulling out a suitcase, packing your things...and unexpected visitors" can all disrupt a morning routine. This can be especially "unsettling" for your dog and make it tough for them to find their footing.

What can you do to correct it? Prioritize consistency and predictability, both of which help your pup feel safe and content. "Dogs can easily settle into a predictable routine," says Ramirez. So if you're planning to change something in your dog's morning routine, try easing it into it with small changes over time.

Sleep is important. One uncertain dog parent took to Reddit before robbing their new rescue of any extra zzzs. When the dog was first adopted, the Redditor was told he was a "really active dog," but he ended up spending a lot of time napping. They wanted to know, should they wake him, or just leave him be? A thoughtful responder had the right idea when they shared, "Just let your dog sleep." Like other morning interruptions, Ken Ramirez says a routine change, like an early wake-up call, can most definitely "throw them off." 

Dogs spend about half their days sleeping, and puppies even longer — up to 20 hours! Despite shorter sleeping spurts throughout the day versus our long nights, dog sleeping patterns are similar to ours. In fact, they experience REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM sleep just like humans do. This means a lot of important stuff beyond dreams happens during REM, aka the deep sleep, for them too, like energy conservation, body recovery, and brain and memory maintenance. 

Suffice it to say, waking your dog isn't the best idea. But if you absolutely must interrupt your darling dog's slumber in the morning, try not to do it during REM sleep. For your reference, a dog may be in REM sleep if it's twitching, breathing rapidly, or making noises (barking, whining, etc.). So watch out for these signs, and let your dog have its beauty rest!

A dog's morning routine often includes walks. For your dog, these walks aren't just poop breaks; they can actually be little adventures that benefit their mental health. That's why rushing your dog during their morning treks can totally steal their thunder. As one Springer spaniel parent discovered on Reddit, moving at your dog's pace isn't easy.

"He wants to sniff and mark every single thing," said the frustrated Redditor. They shared that the two had been loose-leash training, but ironically, their attempts to move their dog along only inspired him to sniff even more. "I've taught him 'let's go,' but it only works until he gets to his next sniffing spot," shared the Redditor. This is likely because of just how much his dog enjoys (and needs) to sniff.

Dogs learn about the world through sniffing. Researchers suspect dogs can smell things humans can't. It may be a tad annoying to stop every few seconds on your morning walk, but allowing your dog to investigate the surrounding smells can enrich its mental well-being and even relieve stress. Like one helpful Redditor shared in the comments, "sniffing as a reward for walking politely" can be a healthy compromise. "From when I say walk until I say free, he can't sniff. Once I say free, he can sniff until he pulls," said the Redditor.

It's morning, and your dog is wide awake in its crate, but it may not want to be there long — especially puppies on the tail end of crate training. One Cocker spaniel pup parent on Reddit discovered this reality early. The Redditor's 13-week-old dog whined to get out of her crate early every morning, and they wanted to know how long was too long to keep her inside. One responder said, "If your dog is communicating a need to you, you don't ignore it." 

Their sentiment holds some weight. Crates are meant to be a comforting and safe space for dogs, and should never be associated with anything negative. It's best to make sure your pup is well exercised, fed, and able to potty before night crate time. All of these things can help your pup get used to crates and avoid dog crate anxiety when it comes morning. Dog crate anxiety is when a dog becomes scared, anxious, or overwhelmed when placed in a crate. This sort of anxiety can be caused by moving too quickly in the crate training process, or by negative experiences in the crate, so it's important to be patient with your dog and make sure their morning routine involves only positive crate time.