Socialization and Behavior Issues – Dogster

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You may have heard dogs born in 2020 called puppies or pandemic dogs. These dogs developed behavioral issues related to growing up in confinement. If this describes your dog, he may need help navigating a world outside of the COVID lockdown, as he hasn’t been able to socialize with other dogs during this important training period. This resulted in adult dogs struggling with socialization, over-reactivity and separation issues.

What is a pandemic dog?

Commonly referred to as “pandemic puppies,” these young dogs were brought into homes during the height of the pandemic and beyond. Similar to the groupings of a human generation label (i.e. Gen X or Gen Z), the timeline of pandemic pups is a bit fuzzy but generally considered to be between March and December 2020.

According Frontiers in Veterinary Scienceonline searches for cats and dogs peaked in April and May 2020, for dogs it started to decline in July and returned to average (compared to 2019) at the end of 2020. L The ASPCA estimates that 1 in 5 households adopted either a cat or dog in Spring and Winter 2020 and 90% of those dogs stay in those homes.

Pandemic Dog Socialization Issues

Gen P’s biggest problems stem from lack of proper socialization. Right next to us, pandemic puppies have lived very sheltered lives for a year or more. As a result, they haven’t had the exposure and experience to help them navigate new situations with confidence.

Socialization remains one of the simplest yet most complex components of dog behavior – it’s also arguably the most important. In short, canine socialization is the process of acclimating dogs to living comfortably with other humans and dogs, places, objects, and activities.

Dogs have very definitive points in their development where socialization takes place. The general estimate for this developmental window is between 3 and 16 weeks where dogs’ brains are most receptive to novelty. Good socialization involves markedly positive experiences, or potentially negative experiences turned into positive experiences. In short, no negative experiences and a host of stellar experiences. But Gen P’s glaring lack of many of these experiences has led to fear and anxiety about novelty.

So how do you expose your fearful dog to new things? Do not throw your dog into the bottom of the pool! Be her human emotional support and hold her paw as she learns to navigate new things in life, whether it’s meeting new dogs, new people, or experiencing new things. Always work to create positive associations and set her up for success.

Pandemic Dog Socialization Do’s

  • Go slow and don’t overwhelm. One novelty at a time.
  • Review the dog’s body language to find out if your dog senses it or not.
  • Always give your dog the choice to back out of anything at any time.
  • Go at her pace, never force her.
  • Don’t lead her (or drag her!) into a new thing or situation. Allow her to approach if/when she is ready.
  • Give him time and space to figure things out.
  • Support their choices. Praises, games and treats help make positive associations

Pandemic Dog Socialization Don’ts

  • Never force interactions.
  • Don’t break trust by forcing it. Always be ready to let go and let her retreat.
  • Never scold or punish your dog for his reactions to new things and risk escalating the situation or breaking trust.
  • Avoid trying to do too much at once or too soon. One experiment/dog/human/activity at a time!
  • Dogs always communicate, so don’t ignore his efforts to let you know how he feels about a given situation.

Finally, take the time to determine if what you are asking your dog is really necessary. For example, most dogs don’t actually want to be social butterflies once they leave the puppy. Focus on what helps your dog and your family feel most comfortable and comfortable and start there. So if separation issues are the top priority, focus on that first and put other issues aside for now. Working together and making improvements is sustainable in the long run.

How to socialize a pandemic dog with other dogs

While you can’t “redo” socialization, you can help minimize your dog’s over-responsiveness, stress, and fear.

Don’t force the issue and don’t allow your dog to repeat or practice unwanted behavior:

  • bark
  • dash
  • rumble
  • slam
  • biting

Distance is your best friend when looking to expose your dog to other dogs in a positive way. Follow these dog socialization steps:

  • Choose a safely confined neutral territory.
  • Minimize most (ideally all) distractions.
  • Start with dogs on short leashes as far as needed where your dog is interested, but don’t overreact.
  • Carefully assess body language by slowly decreasing the space between them.
  • If either dog shows signs of stress, stop and retreat.
  • Try again if the dogs are calm.
  • If not, try another day or another dog.
  • Hopefully, drop the leashes, but keep them on for a bit in case you need to act quickly.
  • Keep interactions short and sweet. End on a positive note.

If your dog can’t handle being in an enclosed space with another dog without being overly reactive, seek professional help with proper desensitization techniques.

Pandemic dogs: separation issues

We all got used to hanging out with each other, and only each other, for many months, and in some cases well over a year. So when people with pets started going back to work (or worked from home but started socializing again), our teenage puppies were left alone for the first time, forever. Even adult dogs and pre-COVID resident dogs were used to us being home with them 24/7. So we weren’t.

As many of us returned to more normal life after lockdown, our dogs were simply left alone. As a result, many of these dogs developed separation-related behaviors such as:

  • bark or howl
  • Inappropriate chewing
  • defilement of the house
  • Panting, pacing, drooling
  • Destructive behaviors

These behaviors can subside about 15-20 minutes after you leave, or things can get more serious and be real separation anxiety. Separation anxiety for dogs is often used as a catch-all phrase for problems when dogs are left alone. However, true separation anxiety is a much more serious problem, which can be likened to a panic attack in humans. He probably needs the help of a professional trainer and even your veterinarian, as medication can be part of the treatment plan.

Strategies for managing separation-related issues include desensitizing your dog to your absence and teaching and reinforcing calm behaviors when you are home. This includes when you are about to leave, which can often trigger in dogs that you are about to leave. Follow these steps to troubleshoot dog separation issues at home:

  • Make sure your dog gets enough physical and mental stimulation every day. You have hobbies, devices, friends, work, etc. Your dog only has you. Fill her life with good things to make her happy.
  • Break the day. Come home for lunch or have someone come over to play and cuddle while you’re away.
  • Minimize disruption. Close the blinds, leave the TV on. Prevent your dog from being stressed by outside things (unless your dog likes to look in the backyard or lay down in sunbeams on the ground).
  • There is an application for that. Many apps help you monitor, talk, treat, and even interact with your dog while you’re away.

Dogs don’t “get revenge” for leaving them or act out of spite or anger. Separation behaviors are usually directly related to the stress, anxiety, and even fear your dog feels when you leave.

Pandemic dogs: when to call in the pros

Hiring competent and educated professionals for the care of your dog complements the well-being of any dog. This is especially true for pandemic dogs.

If you suspect separation anxiety, seek professional help. These professionals include a veterinarian, pet trainer and sitter, and a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT).

Choosing an experienced, credentialed, rewards-based, strength-free trainer makes all the difference. You can find one in your area by searching Pet Professional Guild (PPG), Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), or International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC).

Visits to the vet help your pandemic dog, especially if you can find a certified Fear Free veterinary clinic. Fear Free Certified Veterinary Clinics and other Fear Free Certified Professionals, such as trainers, groomers, dog walkers and now boarding schools, are trained and required to maintain ongoing education to help alleviate stress, fear and anxiety that usually accompany these experiences. We all use at least one of these services, so it’s a simple way to help support your dog’s emotional and behavioral health.

Your dog didn’t develop his problems overnight, nor will he overcome them overnight. It boils down to this: you both needed each other during the pandemic and even if you love your dog, he probably needs you more than ever. You may not have your dream dog, but with support, patience, and lots of love, the two of you can live the dream together.

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