Covid - The Impact on Dogs Two and a Half Years Later

🐶On the 23rd March 2020, I grabbed three of my dogs and left my marital home to start a new life. It was also the first day of the first lockdown.🦠

I’m sitting here now, two and a half year later, coughing 🤧and spluttering as covid 🤒has finally caught up with me! 😷 So five days minimum of isolation and plenty of time to contemplate and research the impact covid has had on our best friends.

On a personal note, I have been incredibly lucky. The impact has been minimal. I could walk my dogs and shout ‘good morning’ to fellow dog walkers in the park! But my heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones and suffered the massive impact from this awful virus on both their physical and mental health. 🦠

🐩According to Statista, households owning a dog in the UK has risen from 22% in 2010/11 to 34% in 2021/22.

Also according to Statista 12.5 million dogs currently live as pets in the UK.

🐕The Kennel Club also did some research in 2020 and here are some of their findings…

>A quarter of new owners admitted to buying a puppy during the Covid-19 pandemic with little research.

>Almost two thirds of those who bought a puppy during the pandemic thought it was the perfect time to get a puppy.

>27% admitted to paying for their puppy before seeing them.

>42% didn’t see their puppy’s breeding environment in real life or via a video call.

>83% weren’t asked any questions by the breeder about their suitability as dog owners.

According to an online market place, puppy prices doubled during the pandemic.

🐩The Dogs Trust received a 35% increase in calls during the summer of 2021. In 2022 adoptions are up by 5%. These are just the statistics from one organisation. Many dogs were also sold via internet selling pages. The statistics vary so much that I can’t even write an estimate with any certainty.

The RSPCA estimate that 664,000 dogs enter animal shelters each year.

🐶As soon as we had news of the first lockdown everything stopped. All my puppy classes and one to ones were cancelled for several months. The only way I could help people was via video call. Up until then I had never made a video call in my life! It was not something I was comfortable with at all; now they seem to be part of everyday life!

I can only really share my personal experience with training as we returned to one to ones and eventually classes. Which were of course disrupted again that winter.

Here are a few of my observations….

🐩The impact on socialisation was hard for the owners who had just got puppies when Covid struck. The crucial time for socialisation is 3-16 weeks. So they missed out on puppy parties and having friends and family visit during that important time. I had quite a lot of sessions with dogs who were fearful and territorial of people coming into their homes once we were allowed to do that. The worst impact seemed to be on the Romanian rescue dogs. I met one family who appeared to have a coyote type dog delivered directly from the street to their home for quite a large sum of money; sadly the dog never settled. There are many reputable organisations rehoming dogs from Romania, but it seemed like some saw an opening in the market and a way to make money. I would advise anyone to do their research when rehoming a dog from abroad. CARAT (link in references below) are an amazing organisation who rescue dogs and puppies from Greece. All the dogs are fully assessed in foster care and they give you a lifetime of support. Be wary of any organisation that give you a dog easily without asking a lot of questions first.

🐕Owners who were in the vulnerable groups during the pandemic had more trouble socialising their dogs outside as they had to keep a safe distance for longer. They were also more wary of letting their dogs play with other dogs in case Covid was passed on via touching their fur. I ended up doing quite a lot of sessions with people who were concerned about the impact of Covid on their dogs. I had a lot of walks with owners to increase their confidence. In most cases the dogs were absolutely fine. Covid was really stressful and still is for many people.

Our dogs are very in tune with our emotions. In my experience, stress has the biggest impact on our dogs’ behaviour. I really believe my work is mainly with the owner and improving their confidence as a dog trainer. Improving the owners knowledge helps to build this confidence, which over time improves the dogs confidence too.

🐩Once we were able to start face to face training again there was a huge demand for dog services. I had to do extra classes and I was really busy with a two month waiting list for one to ones. Sadly though this left an opening for some of the non qualified trainers, who used outdated methods which did more harm than good. I have been dealing with the impact of very authoritarian dog training methods with puppies who have been expected to be perfect from eight weeks. Some owners were taught to yank leads, say ‘no’ all the time, squirt water in their puppy’s faces, shake cans of stones, use crates as punishment, use prong collars and shockingly I saw two clients using shock collars. Anything that causes your dog fear, pain or to startle are outdated methods. When puppies are preadolescent, we want to create a strong bond of trust, this is the foundation for everything.

🐕Everyday I get asked for recommendations for dog boarding. This is something I would suggest you look into as soon as you get a puppy or even before. The best dog boarders are usually booked up in advance. They will also be choosy about the dogs that they board. So I often get people desperate for help to get their dog’s behaviour suitable for boarding. If they are already an adult dog with no previous training this can be quite challenging and often not achievable in the timescale required. Lots of people were not able to take foreign holidays after the pandemic due to this.

🐩So that brings me onto separation anxiety. Believe it or not I don’t get a huge demand for help in this area, other than when people need to go on holiday. Separation anxiety is actually really challenging to deal with. It requires a huge amount of time and patience on the owner’s part, At a guess I think a lot of people have continued to work from home…..?It is also one of the reasons why dogs end up being adopted or in a shelter.

🐶So to conclude, for the amount of extra dogs bought during the pandemic, the amount of dogs being adopted is not a great surprise. Statistics are probably not that accurate anyway, they will only give an overall idea.

The majority of people I saw after the lockdowns were really keen to do the best for their new puppies. We love our dogs but not everyone can get it right straight away; it doesn’t mean that people aren’t trying their best. I know I didn’t have all the answers when I got my first puppy years ago! As a trainer I can’t be judgemental, everyone’s circumstances are different. I do the best I can to help owners and their dog. Sadly, sometimes the best I can do is to help them to find a more suitable home for their dog or direct them to an organisation who can do that with them. I see sad stories and broken hearts, but the overwhelming majority of issues can be resolved with time and patience. There are no quick fixes in dog training. I know that through my own experiences with my own dogs.

🐶I lost my little rescue Frazzle in April, it was very sad. He certainly kept me on my toes for thirteen years! In fact, he was the reason I studied dog behaviour in the first place! He had many issues including guarding and attention seeking behaviour. Cloud my very sensitive rescue, has come on in leaps and bounds. She still reacts to things occasionally, but her recovery time is usually instant now, but it has taken years of persistence and is still ongoing. Shannon has retired from agility now. Sadly Covid meant she missed a year of competing in agility then I broke my ankle!

Despite all the hardships of lockdown, I consider myself one of the lucky ones during Covid. I had the constant companionship of my dogs; without them I would have been lost for sure. So I absolutely understand why people went out and got a puppy during lockdown. If you need a dog now though, please consider adopting a lockdown orphan first, as sadly there are plenty out there needing their forever home. With love, time and patience a rescue dog will certainly reward you with total loyalty and unconditional love.

🦠References…

https://www.statista.com/statistics/515333/dogs-ownership-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/

https://www.tradingstandards.uk/news-policy/news-room/2021/ongoing-effects-of-covid-19-pandemic-impacting-puppy-purchases/

https://caringfortheanimalstrust.co.uk

https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/media-centre/2021/september/bepuppywise-survey-results/

https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/15619/pdf/

https://petkeen.com/pet-adoption-statistics-uk/

How to Deal with the Embarrasment of Having a Reactive Dog.

My young rescue springer x collie Cloud is a very sweet, pretty looking dog, but my goodness she can make some noise! When we arrive at our daily walking destination in the van, she starts screaming as soon as she hears the hand-break! This is just over-excitement, which is fine! She has learnt to quickly lie down and be quiet, before her crate is opened and I release her with the ‘ok’ command. The problem arises if another person or dog comes near the back or the car, then her excited squeals turn into a much deeper alert and aggressive bark. When she goes into this state there nothing I can say to break her behaviour. No commands, treats or firm voice will stop her. She has gone ‘over the threshold’. The only thing I can do is close the door, wait for her to calm down and wait for the scary thing to go further away! A couple of years ago that would have been out of the whole carpark! Now this isn’t the case, they just need to be further away. Ideally I wait until there is no one there before I open the door, but people and dogs often suddenly appear from nowhere! Cloud is a very excitable dog, she is also fearful, anxious, protective and territorial. This combination results in an over reactive dog.

We got Cloud about six months after I have finished my level 5 advanced diploma in canine behaviour and I had started Black and White Dog Training. As a tiny puppy she was quite shy of people and dogs, but I made sure she was well socialised to plenty of different people, dogs and situations. But unfortunately she still grew into an anxious dog. Cloud's mum was found in a shed in Ireland pregnant, barely an adult herself. Motherhood proved very difficult for her, so the puppies first experiences were not great with dogs. She had an excellent foster mum though, who’s family she remains with ever since. Genetics have also likely played a big part in Cloud’s behaviour, her siblings are also nervous in different situations too. Even her experiences as early as being in the womb could have contributed to her behaviour.

Cloud would bark at strange dogs and people aggressively and cower away from things like the vacuum cleaner. My husband had chosen her with high hopes for his next agility dog. But she proved difficult to train, she was scared of everything in the beginning, even a simple cone and a clicker. She had to be desensitised to everything. So we agreed that I would train her for my next agility dog, as I’m not quite as competitive and have heaps of patience!

The first couple of years with Cloud were very stressful for me. I felt like everyone was judging me on the behaviour of my own dogs. We already had four others, (three rescues) each with different issues to deal with. I thought my business was doomed and the three years I had spent studying lost. The stress at one point was really wearing me down and I had to make a few adjustments in my life to help.

I meet lots of people who are in similar situations as I am. The fear of being judged is awful and social media doesn’t help. When I see posts about reactive dogs with comments like ‘that dogs needs sorting out’ or ‘there is no such thing as a bad dog’ etc etc…. The trouble is this causes people to walk their dogs in constant fear. Dogs pick up on this, they can smell subtle changes in how we feel. The more relaxed you are when you walk your dog, the less likely they are to react. This is easier said than done, but it can be worked on with training and practice. This builds confidence in both owner and dog.

I’m certainly not saying that it’s acceptable to let your reactive dog run up and bark at every dog and person they see. This is a bad idea as the dog will learn to do the behaviour even more. Dogs realise it works for them when the scary things back away! But if you have your dog under control and you are doing everything you can to manage your dogs reactive behaviour, you shouldn’t have to worry about other peoples opinions. They don’t know your dogs history and how much you have been through to train them. I avoid Cloud reacting as much as I can, but there are always going to be unexpected things occurring, like someone jumping out of the bushes or a sudden bang!

So you are probably wondering how I manage Cloud’s behaviour and my own mindset! Here are a few of the things I do…..

• I manage my own stress. I find ways to relax, discuss my issues with other friends and trainers and keep educating myself. There is no point in taking Cloud on a walk if I’m really stressed. I walk with other people and their confident dogs a lot. This really does make a difference. I avoid other nervous dogs, this includes Cloud walking with one of my others!

• I train Cloud everything I can. We keep training agility too and she enjoys it now! If I see something she will react to, I can call her back and take her away. I can ask her to wait too if there is a bike or jogger coming along. I train her without distractions to start with then gradually add them in. A well trained dog is a more confident dog. It is also important that she gets enough exercise and mental stimulation in her life. Boredom can cause anxiety for some dogs too.

• I desensitise and counter-condition her to the things she is scared of as much as I can. I introduce things gradually to her, decreasing proximity to them over time using plenty of high value rewards and praise. Some things have taken ages like training the seesaw for agility (two years!) and children running in the park (still working progress!) You can’t rush these things and you should get professional help for your own dog.

• I avoid situations that I know she will react to as much as possible. I give a wide berth to strangers and unknown dogs when I’m out. This used to be a whole field away, but that distance is much less now thankfully! I always put her on the lead if I’m not sure. But I would rather use distance if possible, as the lead can cause problems of restriction for her. She can’t escape so it makes the reaction worse, like when she is in her crate in the car.

• I don’t fight fire with fire. If I shouted at Cloud every time she reacted in fear from something or I dragged her away angrily, it would reinforce that reaction even more. She would start to make an association with the fearful stimulus and my hostility. Some dogs will also think you are joining in with their barking too! If I become stressed with her it will just make matters worse. I have to calmly remove her from situations and ask for an alternative behaviour. I don’t give her treats for a reaction. She can have them if she looks and sits quietly without reacting. I don’t allow her to bark at things aggressively, but I don’t get angry with her either.

• I avoid stress stacking. (That’s one stressful situation after another and another…...)Once she has reacted once, it’s very likely to happen again, and worse. Sometimes it’s best to take her to a calm place for a few hours so she can relax. Stress hormones can take days to lower in the body.

Cloud is now nearly three and instead of being the dog I thought would ruin me, she is the dog who has helped me to become a better trainer, as I have learnt so much from her. People have seen her confidence grow and her behaviour improve. Cloud is not ‘fixed’, she will always be the way she is, but she is making great progress. So if you see me out walking, I’m not being rude and avoiding you, I’m just protecting her and managing her behaviour. I’m hoping one day she will make a half decent agility dog, one small step at a time. I no longer let other people’s opinions effect the way I think. That is their problem not mine. I do the very best I can with Cloud, I love her to bits and I wouldn’t swap her for the world.

Please share this to help raise awareness of the difficulties of having a reactive dog and the hope that things can improve.

update 2024

Cloud is easy to walk on the lead now. If she sees a bike, child, scary looking person, jogger, or any of the other things that used to scare her, she just automatically comes into heel. The only time she may react is if another dog barks at her.

I still have to be vigilant on off lead walks. But her recall is good, so I can call her back quite easily.

Obviously there will be times we are caught unawares. For example a jogger running bout of the bushes! But she still recalls after a quick bark!

I also know that when we start an off lead walk she tends to be over excited, so we start on the lead as I know she is more likely to react off lead.

This has all taken time and patience.

Dogs will always be dogs. Instinct will often overrule anything.

So I always remain very vigilant with her.

She also goes out on a group walk with Kelly’s K9’s twice a week and behaves perfectly for her! I never thought that would ever be possible!

We never carried on with agility, as she loved training, but not competing. I don’t need rosettes, I want a happy dog. But then we had covid and I had some back issues, so we just enjoy a peaceful life with walking and fun games!

Never expect instant results. Real kind dog training takes time and patience. ☺️✌🏻