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COVID lockdowns were challenging in so many ways, but there were some positives too: more time, new hobbies and neighbourhood communities coming together. Because people were at home, many (two million!) were able to get a dog, many for the first time.

We all know that dog ownership comes with many benefits. Dogs banish loneliness, give you regular exercise, teach you new skills, lower your blood pressure, strengthen your immune system, and help you make new friendships. 

 

For all dogs, there is a really important ‘socialisation period’ (between about 3 and 12 weeks of age) which teaches your dog how to react to the world around it in a healthy way, without unnecessary fear or aggression. The challenge for owners of lockdown pups was that in that COVID world, a lot of experiences that your dog would normally have had, were not possible. Puppy classes could not be run in person (a huge shout out to the folks who managed to hold on-line courses), dog training was limited, the roads were much quieter, we couldn't travel to new places and we didn't meet up regularly with family and friends. 

 

The result of this is a significant number of dogs who have behavioural issues, which need to be addressed in their teenage years.

 

Three common behaviours are separation anxiety, attention seeking and social anxiety.

 

Problem 1. Separation anxiety

Since everyone was at home, the dogs had little experience of being separated from their family. When they were left alone, many of them got noisy (barking or howling), went to the toilet indoors or started destroying things.

 

Tips and tricks:  Start by spending seconds apart at home. Go out, close the door, and come back in again. If your dog stays calm, treat and praise and gradually build up the time you are apart over several days and weeks.

  

Problem 2. Attention seeking

According to research carried out by the Dogs Trust in 2020, 41% of dogs were found to be more clingy at home and 20% regularly sought attention from their owners. While this is cute when there is time to play, when we are trying to work, tidy up or get the kids to school it's less fun. 

 

Tips and tricks: Make sure that your dog is getting enough exercise and attention. It's unfair to expect them to behave when they are constantly fizzing with energy and being ignored. If they have had a good walk and a lot of fuss, and are still seeking attention, read on.

 

The essence of fixing attention seeking is reward what you like, ignore what you don’t. If your dog does something you don't want them to do, totally ignore them (if it is safe to do so) until the behaviour stops. When they are being good, give them your attention and a reward so they learn what behaviour you want. If the behaviour is not safe to ignore, move your dog into another room without any interaction from you. 

 

If there is a time you know your dog will try to get your attention, head them off by distracting them with something to occupy them instead, and reward them when you are done.

 

Problem 3. Social anxiety

If your dog is afraid of people, other animals, new places, new sights or new sounds, they probably have social anxiety. This may manifest as shyness, panting, drooling, urinating, defecating or aggression, and needs to be addressed as a priority. 

 

Tips and tricks: Desensitizing a dog with social anxiety takes time and patience. Know your dog, and what triggers them. If you are out and about, carefully judge how much stimulation your dog can handle at one time, increasing the social challenges at your dog's pace. Don't force them to face their fears or tell them off when they react negatively to a situation. At the same time, don't stroke or praise them when they are behaving negatively. Always reward calm behaviour.

 

For example, if your dog is scared of people, have someone come into your garden, and pay zero attention to your dog (no moving, no speaking, no eye contact and no touching). If your dog is aggressive, then muzzle them to make sure everyone stays safe. With your dog on a loose lead, come into the garden and watch what your dog does. Reward them for calm behaviour and efforts to meet the new person (such as approaching them, sniffing them or wagging their tail). If they are unhappy, increase the distance between them and the new person and go back to rewarding calm behaviour.

 

Hopefully you found the tips and tricks helpful. If you need more help or are seeing a behaviour not covered here, you might want to consult a professional.