What is the “Witching Hour”?
NO! It is not when your puppy heads down to the fancy dress shop to find their favourite Halloween costume to prance around in!
Witching Hour is term used for when our puppies (and sometimes older dogs) start acting a little more “erratic” than normal. Your dog may be more excitable, energetic, excessive, and generally a bit “over the top”.
You may find that if you track your puppy’s behaviour, you’ll see a pattern for when their own Witching Hour may be, generally it’s around 7am or 7pm – or after that first or last meal of the day.
The duration and level of these episodes will vary from puppy to puppy, knowing when the bell of the Witching Hour for your puppy may toll will help you to be prepared for this time so you can provide suitable activities to lessen the effects.
It is helpful to prepare for these times and remain calm. Do not join in with the craziness by making extra noises, jumping around when they’re swinging on your favourite shoe or trouser leg will only add energy to their already over flowing levels as you’ll become their own personal squeaky toy joining in with their game.
Firstly, if you know when your puppies time is approaching can you begin to avoid it?
- Can you take your puppy out for a walk?
- Can you go into the garden and do some training or enriching activities that don’t build up excitement and energy levels?
- Can that last meal you feed be given to them in an interactive toy or by training to help tire them out a little bit?
- Has your puppy had enough rest and enrichment through the day so their daily needs have been met?
Sometimes, with all the best laid plans in place our puppies can still have a moment of craziness. This could be a quick event and if you stay out of it (if safe to do so) then you may find that your puppy ends up zooming around and then falling asleep with their head on a favourite toy. If your puppy starts to become a little too unsafe you should consider putting them in their crate or pen with toys and maybe a frozen food toy or chewie to encourage licking and chewing which are calming activities.
The main thing is that Witching Hours are perfectly normal, training and routine will help to settle your puppy.
Do not encourage them, it can be fun when they’re puppies to see them seemingly enjoying themselves to the fullest, but what about when they get bigger and they’re doing it across your lap and all your furniture? Not so much fun now!
Stay calm, promote calm behaviours and soon the bell will toll the end of your puppy's
Witching Hour!