The Clocks Go Back on 25 October: What Actually Changes for Your Dog

At 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026, the clocks go back an hour and the UK returns to Greenwich Mean Time. For us it means an extra hour in bed. For your dog, a clocks change means breakfast is an hour late, the morning walk is an hour late and someone is suddenly very keen to get up at half past five.

It is one of the few changes to your dog's routine that you can see coming months ahead, yet most owners only think about it on the Sunday morning. Here is what the clocks going back actually means for a dog, and how to handle meals, walks and early waking so the whole household settles quickly.

In short

• The clocks go back one hour at 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026.
• Dogs do not follow clocks. Their day runs on cues such as daylight, meal times, walks and household activity.
• If you keep the same clock times, everything happens an hour later for your dog, and their usual waking time now falls an hour earlier on the clock.
• You can move meals and walks about 10 minutes later each day in the week before, or switch in one go if your dog is easy-going.
• If your dog takes medication at fixed times, ask your vet how to move it before the clocks change.

Your dog's body clock: why dogs run on routine, not clocks

As the Royal Kennel Club puts it, our pets do not rely on an alarm clock to keep to their routines. Your dog knows it is breakfast time because it is light, because you have come downstairs and because breakfast has turned up at roughly this point every day for months. Many dogs start hovering by the bowl or the door a few minutes before a meal or a walk is due: their body has learned the rhythm of your day.

When the clocks go back, none of those cues move except the numbers on the clock. If you stick to your usual clock times, your dog experiences every part of the day an hour later than usual. It sounds small, but for a dog who has eaten at the same time every day since spring, a breakfast that arrives an hour late is a big deal.

The other change is light. From 25 October, sunrise and sunset both happen about an hour earlier by the clock. Mornings are lighter for a while, and evenings get dark much sooner.

Dog feeding time change: shift gradually or all at once?

There are two sensible ways to handle the change. Which one suits your dog depends on their age, health and how much they rely on routine.

Option 1: shift gradually in the week before

The Royal Kennel Club recommends making the change gradually, moving mealtimes by about 10 minutes a day over a week. In October, that means moving everything later. Starting on Monday 19 October, give breakfast, dinner and walks 10 minutes later each day. By Saturday you are an hour later, and when the clocks go back on Sunday, your dog's routine lands on the usual clock times without a jump.

This works best for puppies, older dogs and dogs who find any change in routine unsettling. Use your own dog's times rather than the example ones.

Option 2: change in one go

Plenty of relaxed adult dogs cope with a one-off change. If you prefer this route, a halfway step helps: for the first three or four days, feed and walk 30 minutes later than your usual clock time, then move to your normal times.

Toilet breaks

Your dog's bladder is still on summer time. In the first few days, let your dog out close to their usual waking time on their body clock, even if that feels early. It is kinder than asking them to wait, and it avoids accidents indoors while the routine resets.

Dog waking up early after the clocks change: how to fix it in a week

This is the most common complaint after the clocks go back: a dog who used to wake at 6.30am is now up and asking at 5.30am. From your dog's point of view, nothing has changed. To move the wake-up time, work on the evening and the morning together:

• Move the last toilet break of the night later, by 10 to 15 minutes a night, so your dog goes to bed with an empty bladder a little later each evening.
• Keep the room dark. Mornings are lighter after the clocks go back, so blackout curtains or a darker sleeping spot help your dog sleep on.
• Keep early wake-ups dull. If your dog wakes you early, take them out for a quiet toilet break with the lights low and little chat, then back to bed.
• Do not serve breakfast straight away. If breakfast follows the moment your dog wakes you, they learn that waking you early brings food sooner. Feed at your planned time instead.
• Use the evening well. A good sniffy walk and some play or training in the evening help your dog settle for a full night.

Keep the routine the same every day, weekends included. Consistency is what resets the habit, and for many dogs a week is enough to see a clear change.

Older dogs and dogs on fixed medication times

Older dogs

Older dogs generally need to go out more often, and some find any change in routine harder to cope with, so the gradual shift is usually the better option for them. Keep an eye on night-time behaviour too: new restlessness, pacing or confusion at night in an older dog is worth mentioning to your vet rather than blaming on the clocks.

Medication at fixed times

Some medicines need to be given at set intervals, or at a set time relative to meals. If your dog takes any regular medication, ask your vet how to move it before 25 October. Never skip one or give an extra one to catch up with the new time.

Daily supplements

Daily supplements are simpler. If your dog has a capsule with a meal every day, such as Antinol^®, just give it with the same meal as always. The meal is the anchor, not the clock, so the capsule moves with it.

Darker evenings: keeping walks safe

From 25 October, most after-work walks happen in the dark. Keep the walk rather than dropping it: exercise and sniffing time are part of what helps your dog settle at night. A few changes help:

• Use a light-up or reflective collar, harness or lead, and wear something reflective yourself.
• Stick to well-lit routes you know, and keep your dog on a lead near roads.
• If the weather turns, adjust rather than cancel. Our guide is it too cold for walkies? covers what to do on colder days.
• Move longer walks and play to weekend daylight if weekdays get tight. For ideas on keeping the week balanced, see the best exercise routine for dogs.

What to expect over the following fortnight

Every dog is different, but a common pattern looks like this:

The clocks go forward again on Sunday 28 March 2027. The same approach works in reverse: move meals and walks 10 minutes earlier each day in the week before.

Three things not to do

• Don't feed breakfast the moment your dog wakes you early. It teaches your dog that waking you brings food.
• Don't move medication times without checking with your vet.
• Don't drop the evening walk because it is dark. Light yourself and your dog up and keep going.