There are several cases right now where dogs and puppies that were adopted during the pandemic are being returned. Shelter owners are saying that the returns are being driven by negative post pandemic dog behaviors. The most common complaint is that the dog has suddenly developed separation anxiety and is now being destructive at home because the owner has returned to work. There are also some other negative post pandemic dog behaviors that may pop up. You can read about them below.
Your adopted dog now has separation anxiety.
The number one complaint from pandemic adopted dog owners is now that they have headed back to the office, their pet now has separation anxiety. This is a traumatic period for your dog. You have gone from being home 24/7 to being away again for 40 to 50 hours per week. Signs of separation anxiety include chewing things, damaging furniture, scratching doors, going potty in the house, and howling excessively. If you have gone back to work and you find that the house has been destroyed, you may want to get a camera to record what the dog is doing when you’re not home. If the pet is displaying signs of separation anxiety, you should work on training them to better handle their anxiety. Check out our other articles on separation anxiety.
Your dog is aggressive towards other people and other dogs.
Dogs must be properly socialized when young to thrive as adults. Ideally, dogs should begin socializing as early as the age of 3 weeks. Unfortunately, puppies that were adopted during the pandemic had a difficult time being properly socialized because of lockdown. Besides going on a few walks, the socialization with other dogs, humans, sights, sounds, and smells were missed. When puppies are not socialized at that young age, they can develop behaviors such as aggression towards other people and dogs. They can also become extremely anxious when suddenly exposed to all of these new things. Anxiety in dogs can lead to fear-based biting and other aggressive behaviors.
Your dog is acting restless and hyper suddenly.
When the pandemic first started, many pet owners opted to head outside with their pets. Walking outside was a way to get out and breathe some fresh air outside of the house. It also allowed the time for plenty of games of fetch in the backyard. Now that lockdown is done, you may notice that your dog is overly antsy and restless. This is likely because they are not getting the same amount of exercise that they were getting during the pandemic. Dogs that get regular exercise are less prone to separation anxiety and bad behavior. There is a saying that a tired dog is a well-behaved dog.
If you are now back at work and worried about the negative post pandemic dog behaviors listed above, The Perfect Pup is here to help. Besides offering private and group training we now have day programs that are specifically designed for combatting negative post pandemic dog behaviors. All of the programs are designed for both adult dogs and puppies. Our programs include a Puppy Play and Train Day Camp (a daily camp for puppies to learn and socialize in) Dog Training Day Camp (a daily program for adult dogs to learn and socialize) and Puppy Daycare (a daily program where puppies stay at The Perfect Pup and socialize). If you are interested in any of the programs, call us today or email us at janice@theperfectpupllc.com.