Seasonal depression, or seasonal affective disorder, is a well-known phenomenon in humans that usually occurs in the transition between summer and autumn and winter – which turns out to affect not only humans, but also our dogs.
Symptoms include decreased functioning, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, low mood and longer than usual sleep, which begin to appear due to shorter days and reduced daylight hours, as well as due to plummeting temperatures. A similar phenomenon, by the way, may also occur in a situation of transition from winter to summer, but this is rarer.
Experts at the American company Puppy Hero recently published an article in which they offered some tips to help dog owners identify winter depression in their pets. According to experts, dogs also suffer from seasonal depression, and this should be paid attention to help them cope with the problem.
Does the dog yawn more than usual? It's a sign of depression (illustration), photo: Getty Images
The symptoms to look out for in dogs are partly similar to those in humans, such as oversleep. Other symptoms include refusal to play and/or go for walks, refusal to exercise, and loss of interest in many things. Other signs that are easy to identify are a change in behavior, such as sudden irritability or sudden aggressiveness that did not characterize the dog in the past, excessive yawning (as dogs yawn as a way to calm themselves), over-disavowal, change in eating habits (more or less than usual), difficulty sleeping – or generally looking less good.
Rescue dog rehabilitation expert Liz Clifton explained that to cope with such a situation, you can let your dog release stress by chewing objects, smelling, licking, sleeping, digging, yawning and gently shaking. "In this respect, you will offer them a variety of things related to these actions to make them release stress naturally."
Another way you can take care of your dog is through exercise, which is known to help humans by making us feel happier – and the same goes for dogs. Spending time with your dog (which will make you feel better), showing an increased attitude towards him and exposure to light during the changing seasons also help, for example – go for walks with them mainly during daylight hours, use strong artificial lighting, and if possible open a small illuminated window near their sleeping place.
Spending time with your dog will do them good – and you, too, Photo: Thinkstock Photos
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