The truth is that I knew this was going to happen. For the last year of our lives our habits habits have been drastically changed and the toll is not just showing in people but also our dogs.
Knowing the kids were going to be schooling on line and Mom and Dad would be working remotely there was a huge run on adoptions. So much so that many rescues and shelters were emptied in the North East. In response to this thousands of dogs were shipped from places like Alabama and Mississippi to fill the demand. Usually when people get a puppy or a rescue the first thing they do is take it all over the place and show it off. The dog gets to see its owners react to all sorts of people and things. The exact opposite is what happened with the COVID dogs.
Dogs came home to a family that was always home. Most dogs only ventured to the back yard. A lucky few were actually walked around the neighborhood. There were no social gatherings, most avoided other masked dog walkers on the sidewalk. The dogs settled into a life where seldom did anyone outside the family enter the home. The family goes in an out of the house without any fanfare. The dogs had few opportunities to meet anyone outside the family, They did not meet other dogs because everyone was scared to go out. If anything they saw them at a distance and would only bark, never learning canine etiquette.
Since things have really begun to open up in the last month or two we are being inundated with training submissions that say the following – our (insert breed) is 9-18 months old (about 80% are 5-7 months). Loves the family but is suspicious of strangers coming into the home, he stops them at the door, barks and growls and has nipped (some bitten). He goes crazy when he sees another dog and we think if he could get to them he would bite them. We also think he has separation anxiety, he has even broken out of his crate.
Some add- he growls when someone walks by his food dish, especially the kids. He has even nipped a few times. He takes things and if you try to take them he will growl and nip. We love him but don’t want to see anyone get hurt..help us please.
People are also calling barking, and growling aggression. They are calling the rescues where they got the dog and saying their dog is aggressive and wanting to return the dog. The rescues tell them that either they won’t take the dog back or will be euthanized. I am afraid this many be case for many of the dogs adopted during COVID. Others are calling their Vet and dogs are being put on human drugs such as Trazodone.
These issues cannot be solved with getting your dog to SIT and DOWN in return for treats. They key is showing your leadership. If you become a calm and assertive leader your dog will recognize that and focus on you in all environments. This takes about 30 minutes a day, and well show you the way. Give us an hour to blow your mind.
Any age, and breed, and size. Click here to schedule or call 717-693-2085 or e-mail mcs521@gmail.com with any questions.