All in the Timing

Humans might not be the only ones who struggle to adjust to daylight saving time (DST).

A new study by the University of Toronto used motion-sensitive watches to track the activity of 25 sled dogs and 29 canine pets during the week following Canada’s fall time change in November 2021.

The researchers found that DST temporarily disrupted working dogs’ routines, while most companion dogs showed little to no change.

According to the researchers’ observations of dog activity both at sunrise and at the time their owners’ morning alarms went off, pet dogs did not seem to need any adjustment to DST based on sunrise on either the first day of DST or during the following week, despite their owners waking up earlier, the Washington Post reported.

In contrast, strict routines dictate working dogs’ days. The study tracked the activity of 25 sled dogs – huskies or malamutes – at sunrise and at the time of the arrival of their handlers at 7.30 a.m.

On the day DST came into effect, the study found that sled dogs were much more active almost an exact hour before their handlers arrived. The working dogs’ morning behavior returned to normal two days after DST took effect.

Overall, the researchers were surprised at how easily the dogs adapted to the time change. However, they expected a link between sled dogs’ morning activity and sunrise, considering that these dogs spend most of their time outside.

They found instead that sled dogs aligned their morning activity to the handlers’ arrivals rather than to sunrise, a reminder of the influence humans have not only on pet pooches, as previously thought, but also on working dogs.