Be Canine Kind
The Rise of Lockdown Puppies During the COVID-19 Epidemic
How To Stop Viruses Spreading Into Your Home With Good Dog Paw Hygiene
By Perky Tails
With many of us working from home and having a lot of extra free time, some of us have taken this as the perfect opportunity to welcome new members into our homes. As we reach our sixth month of the nationwide lock-down, we are getting used to having a new furry family member around. However, as we slowly start getting back to normal and some of us begin returning to the office, our new friends are being separated from us for possibly the first time.
Following a rise in adoption and Kennel Club registrations at the start of the year, there is now a surge in doggy day care centres receiving new puppies whilst their owners return to work, and they are reporting signs of separation anxiety issues due to these dogs being overly attached to their owners during lock-down.
With another lock-down looking likely, now is the perfect time to prepare your pooch and reduce any effects that this could have on them. Lock-down has been a perfect way to spend extra time and bond with your dog, but we need to start thinking about getting them used to having some alone time. The first step is to try and identify any early tell-tale signs that your pup is showing attached behaviours:
- Does your pup follow you into every room, and cry/howl when they’re not allowed to join you on your trip to the bathroom?
- Do they show any signs of heavy breathing/panting/shaking?
- Or maybe there have been some “little accidents” when left alone?
There are little steps that we can take to make this easier on our pups (and on us too), such as weening them of “over affection”. It sounds a small thing, but not showing as much attention when returning home, making a fuss of leaving for the day, or even just stopping them following you into a room for periods at a time can help ween your pup from being around you constantly, and help to normalise being alone– they’ll slowly get used to it don’t worry.
An additional concern for new dog owners both prior and during lock-down, is the socialisation of their pooches. Many people have mentioned their pups being scared/aggressive around mask wearers whilst being out in public, and groups are recommending wearing masks around the home to try and get your pup used to seeing people in masks, so that they aren’t scared when out for a walk. General socialisation is something that can be done by introducing your pup to friends one on one, going to parks, or more recently – socially distanced gatherings. If done from a young age, this will help to prevent behavioural issues and help your dog become a confident.
Stay tuned for more advise regarding the best ways to deal with separation anxiety in dogs, post lock-down.