Did Your Dog Get Replaced by a Weird Little Stranger This Week? Blame the Weather!

A few days ago, I bounded up the steps two at a time to see Bentley, a relatively recent client dog, expecting the same joyful, friendly dog I'd been playing training games with — tail going, ready to work. Instead, I found a dog who looked confused and shut down, unable to follow even the most basic cues we'd nailed a dozen times before. Stiff body, unfocused eyes, nothing landing. Where had Bentley gone?

My first instinct could have easily been "Come on, you know this — why are you being difficult?" It would've been so easy to chalk it up to defiance or stubbornness. But it was drizzling outside — the kind of Northern California weather we call rain, though most of the rest of the country would have a good laugh at us calling it that.

And the more I thought about it, the more it clicked: Bentley had likely never experienced rain before. He was encountering something completely unfamiliar and didn't know what to do with it.

That's the real lesson here: when a dog's behavior suddenly shifts, the question isn't "why won't they listen?"

It's "what changed for them?" And it turns out, weather changes a whole lot more than we realize.

Why Weather Can Turn a Dog into a Different Creature

Rain and wind scramble their sense of smell. Rain and wind scramble a dog's sense of smell — rain washes away some ground scents while intensifying others, and wind scatters everything unpredictably.

For a dog with little rain experience, that sensory chaos isn't just confusing, it can feel unsafe. Without a history of rain being safe and unremarkable, it registers as a genuine unknown — strange sounds, strange textures, a familiar world gone unrecognizable.

They can feel the storm coming. Dogs' noses and ears are far more sensitive than ours, picking up pressure drops and distant rumbles hours before a storm arrives. That pacing or hiding on a "perfectly sunny" afternoon might not be a problem, it may just be a storm coming.

Short days change everything. Dogs are very pattern-conscious. Less daylight in fall and winter can leave them wondering: Where's my dinner? Will I get walked? It's dark out and my humans aren't home yet — are they coming? For some dogs, this shift is genuinely hard.

Heat turns down their energy dial. Dogs regulate heat far less efficiently than we do. A sluggish, reluctant-to-walk dog in the afternoon sun isn't lazy — they're conserving energy wisely.

And it's not always the weather, either. New furniture, a different walking route, a visitor staying over, or moving a food bowl can trigger that same worry or confusion. Big behavior changes usually aren't about defiance or disobedience — they're about a dog trying to figure out if something new is safe. It's a survival mechanism.

Or, sometimes, a hidden health change — that's a post for another day.

What You Can Actually Do to Help

• Be curious. Dogs pursue safety, pleasure, and predictability. If they aren't doing what you expect, ask yourself: are they seeking one of those right now, and how can I make this easier for them?

  
  

• Be patient. When your world changes and feels uncertain, you seek safety, pleasure, and predictability too. Patience and kindness when things are hard helps build a bond.

  
  

• Create a safe retreat. Dogs may need a cozy spot they can go to when the world feels unpredictable.

  
  

• Build in gradual exposure. Introduce rain, new surfaces, or new experiences slowly and positively, especially for dogs with uncertain histories.

  
  

• Keep enrichment going year-round. Puzzle toys, scent work, and play may be more helpful than a walk where the world feels scary. Listen to their responses and body language to figure out what's most helpful.

  
  

• Adjust timing. Walk early or late in extreme heat, and make the most of bright midday hours in winter when you can.

  
  

• Stay calm yourself. Dogs read our energy, so steady confidence, calm touch, and slow breathing help them co-regulate with us.

  
  

At the end of the day, that "weird little stranger" on your porch isn't broken, stubborn, or ignoring you. They're just responding to a world they experience far more intensely than we do — and sometimes, a totally unfamiliar one. Give them grace, get curious, and the joyful, ready-to-engage dog you know — the Bentley from two days ago — is still in there.

If you're noticing sudden shifts in your own dog's behavior — weather-related or not — that's exactly what we love digging into at Love Up Pup. We'd love to help you and your pup figure it out together, rain or shine.

— Lorraine, Love Up Pup