The waning of doglight saving time

This is the time of year when time starts to be a challenge. Not that the hours shrink or minutes reset themselves at fewer than 60 seconds. No, it's more that the waning of evening daylight starts making me check my watch more, and count how many daylit dog-walk minutes are left.

Isn't summer great for dog owners? Walkies time stretches on and on. You can finish watching Survivor, take the dogs out for a stroll in the bright evening and still be back before lights-on.

Come March, though, and I find myself saying to my partner, "hey, we need to go now".  I get all urgent about it. Losing 15 minutes in the evening at this time of year is to lose 15 sunlit minutes with the dogs.

I know that in winter it won't be an issue - most of our dog walks will be in the dark, and on wet pavement that both Phoebe and Connor dislike, and we'll cope fine. But for me March is that last bit of summer to be used reverently and without waste. It's like the final chapter of a book you love and that you wish would never end and that you read slowly...

Of course we can walk our dogs in the dark. But aren't dogs more fun in daylight? And darkness closes off my favourite walking parks, which are unlit. And it also opens up the risk of injury - not so much for me, but for our two dogs, who wind around our feet like little puffs of Lost black smoke, scarcely visible all that distance from my unreliable eyes. Tragically frequent are the times when I've trodden on a tail or paw or blindly booted a dachshund butt.

We've got some battery-powered flickering lights that attach to the dogs' collars. They are very cute, best seen from the side or front, i.e. the places where I'm not. So for full safety we'd need to deck them out with outdoor Christmas lights.

When you have a dog - any pet, actually - you have to build your life around its rhythms to some extent. Its need to be walked, the need to pee a certain number of hours after going to sleep, the urgency of feeding, the regular checkup dates, and so on.

And pets will shift their own routines to match yours. As I blogged yesterday, my dogs treat the daylight hours as a lazy time, marshalling their energies for when both dads are at home and a feed, an exciting walk and maybe a treat-filled training session are on the cards.

So just when we humans are most tired and in need of crashing, the dogs are at their peak of alertness. And if they don't get enough stimulation and exercise, they'll plague us the evening long, with tetchy barking, teasing of the cat, and general disobedience.

So we fit in with that, just as they fitted in with our daytime routines.

I think that this autumn and winter, I'll have a go at rising earlier, and walking the dogs in the morning before settling down to the day's work. I see others walking their dogs at pre-breakfast hours, so why can't I?

Mind you, I said that last March.

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LaDi   #1   03:06 pm Mar 02 2010

I walk my 2 dogs twice daily most days of the week – they are both high energy and if they go without a walk and are then left alone our poor yard tends to suffer the consequences!

For most of the year the morning walk is in the dark so not really an issue for us – what I do find hard is actually getting out on the days when its -4 or pouring with rain.

Although I have loved the extra daylight hours in the evenings and the decreased pressure on what time to take the dogs to the park for a run, I have missed a lot of our doggy friends. In winter there is such a small window between getting home from work and darkness that everyone ends up at the park at the same time. Over summer everyone tends to spread their visits out which means we often tend to miss out on play with other dogs.

Steve   #2   03:07 pm Mar 02 2010

What happened to the vicious cat?

Angie   #3   03:42 pm Mar 02 2010

The morning walk is already in the dark. :( The dogs have flashing lights if the walk is offlead or flashing leads if it is a street walk. Why do early drivers never stop at pedestrian crossings? Most off lead dog areas in Wgtn are unlit. You just have to get used to it and wear gumboots in case you tread in anything that irresponsible dog owners have not picked up. In case you are wondering, I carry a torch and when the flashing light stops I am immediately on poo patrol. The flashing light I use is really bright

Mel   #4   05:55 pm Mar 02 2010

You can get awesome collar and leash sets that light up at night - this is really unhelpful because I can't remember the brand name, but you can get them on Trademe for a lot cheaper than you can at other online or physical pet stores. They're great because other people can see you and the dog and they're really funky!

LB   #5   09:38 am Mar 03 2010

Totally agree with your blog! I'm always so sad when daylight savings ends. Also means the end of after work horse rides too :(

Wino   #6   11:46 am Mar 03 2010

Can't wait till daylight saving finishes! I can then walk my dog on the beach ANY TIME I LIKE!

Katie   #7   03:24 pm Mar 09 2010

go wino! Me too! AUckland has no dogs on beaches until after 7 at night- and Baby loves the BEach! I don't get why that late- after 5 wil ensure all kiddies are off the beach and Dog owners pay rates too! ALso now daylight swavings has been extened, surely they could change the bylaws to allow access after the school holidays are over.

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