Blogs are funny things you know. You occasionally feel you have run out of ideas to wow discerning readers and then all of a sudden, a wonderful idea something bites you on the behind and says "here I am". And this has just recently happened. So I shall share.
As the nights draw in and the darkness visits us until later in the morning and earlier each day, us humans can feel a little bit 'meh'. We feel less 'light', we feel colder, we feel hungrier, but not for the watermelon salad we enjoyed over the summer. No, now we crave what can only be described as 'stodge'. Think apple pies and pear crumbles, after a large portion of toad in the hole or something with potatoes. To top it all, we generally feel a bit flatter. In more severe cases, we experience real struggles with our mental health.
According to the NHS, Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a known type of depression that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern.
SAD is sometimes known as "winter depression" because the symptoms are usually more apparent and more severe during the winter. in humans, one of the treatments is to use a lamp, to trick the brain into feeling the summer is in some way still with us.
There's a science behind using lamps in this way. Darker seasons cause changes to the production of our brain chemicals. This can reduce the serotonin that we produce which can cause feelings of sadness, fatigue and even cravings for carbs.
Where's the link to dogs though? Well, in terms of neurochemicals and brain activity, dogs are surprisingly similar to humans. And we know that for every breed of dog out there, outdoor time is needed, daily. This can drastically reduce in the winter time. This, coupled with the lack of light is quite enough to send some of our dogs into that winter mood dip.
So what can we do? We don't want to see any dog feeling sad, down or depressed. I can help. And a recent magazine article published in the US will tell you all about it. I feature in it and a few behaviourists have provided some really useful tips and tricks, so I know it's up to scratch advice. You can find it here: https://www.apartmentguide.com/blog/can-dogs-get-seasonal-depression/
Have a click and a read, you'll be able to pick up some really useful tips.
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