Pandemic Dogs

Posted on February 26, 2021April 23, 2021 by Julia

During the pandemic, many dogs experienced a dramatic shift in their daily routine. Dog owners began working at home or had their work load reduced. They had time to spare, so many adopted shelter dogs or bought puppies from breeders. They also began lavishing attention toward their current dog(s). If this describes you, depending on your lifestyle and where you live, the changes might have looked something like this:

Sleep

Most adult dogs need at least 12 hours of sleep a day. While you were away at work, chances are your dog was spending a good chunk of that time snoozing. Then your job changed and all of a sudden you were at home most of the time — maybe the kids were at home too. Some dogs lack a secluded area in the home to escape from all the hubbub, and lose much needed sleep as a result.

An article published in 2016 by Owczarczak-Garstecka, Burman., indicates that lack of sleep results in disinhibition of responses to negative stimuli, anxiety, aggression, and lower frustration tolerance as well as a poorer ability to cope with stressful stimuli. You might have noticed your dog becoming a bit cranky, and not tolerating everyday events as they used to.

Being Alone

If you’ve been at home due to the pandemic, you might not have noticed the signs of stress your dog exhibited when you made a brief trip to the grocery store. If they are predisposed for separation anxiety, continual rehearsal of this stress will lead to signs of panic. This will be more apparent when their humans go back to work, leaving them for longer lengths of time. Don’t be fooled by stories you may have found on the Internet about letting them “cry it out”. This only serves to make the condition worse. Experiencing a full blown panic attack is not a pleasant experience.

Exercise

I live on the west coast of British Columbia, which is surrounded by mountains and fantastic hiking trails. During this past year I witnessed several dogs who looked as if they were seeing a hiking trail for the first time, possibly because their human finally had time to take them. No doubt they were happy, but maybe a tad sore after their first romp in the woods. If you were one of these people, bravo! But when you go back to work and leave Fido in the house as you did pre-pandemic, they’re going to notice the difference. This could result in frustration leading to new behaviour problems, not to mention a decline in physical fitness.

closeup photo of brown and black dog face — Photo by Lum3n on Pexels.com

What can you do?

Create a place for your dog to escape from all the action. Make sure everybody knows this is a do-not-disturb place for Fido.
Prepare them for your absence by leaving them alone for very short periods of time. Ease them into it. If you notice that your dog is experiencing anxiety (barking, whining, drooling, destroying things, pacing, defecating etc), then I can help. Do yourself and your dog a favour by starting this now, even if you plan on spending much of your time at home in the future.
If you don’t have time to properly exercise your dog, consider hiring a dog walker to fill in the gaps. Be sure to keep your dog’s mind occupied with puzzle toys and chews.