How Does Your Dog Know When It’s Time to Eat and Go for a Walk? Science Explains. Illustration: Petepop
Does your dog wake up every day around the same time, eager to go for a walk and ready for breakfast?
Does it know when you’re coming home from work and anxiously wait for your return for another walk? Then, does it stay by your side, waiting for dinnertime? But how exactly does your dog know when it’s time to eat and go for a walk?
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Science explains this phenomenon.
Dogs have a strong sense of changes in light, cycles, and smells. This combination of factors helps pets assess time and understand the family’s routine. “There are multiple components that allow a dog to sense it’s time to eat – the feeling of hunger, the owner’s routine, and the biological cycle,” explained veterinarian Jason Rabe in an interview with Yahoo!.
“Dogs are also very in tune with their family’s activities,” added Will Bruner, an animal behavior specialist at the Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center in Colorado, USA. “My dogs sleep when I sleep, but as soon as I start to wake up, if my breathing changes or I move slightly in bed, they wake up. They follow the family’s signals.”
Recent studies also suggest that dogs likely have a biological clock that helps them know when it’s time to eat and go for a walk. Again, scientists attribute this to a combination of lights, smells, and routines. The amount of light affects your dog’s sleep-wake cycle. Additionally, pets are highly sensitive to scents.
“When you leave the house, your scent is at a certain level. As the day goes on, that scent starts to fade because you’re not there. Dogs can detect when the scent reaches a certain point, and they’ll get up at that moment to wait for you at the door,” the specialist explains.
Scientists believe that owners’ routines help dogs develop their own biological clocks. This has both benefits and drawbacks. Just like humans, dogs enjoy having a routine. For anxious pets, it provides stability and comfort. However, many dogs also enjoy challenges, and walking along a new route can be exciting for them.
Illustration: Petepop. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
