With the community lockdown in place due to the coronavirus, dog owners get more time to spend with their dogs at home. This is a win-win situation given that these dog owners can build a good working relationship and rapport with their pets. However, this situation could also have a down side in the future.
Since dog lovers have more time with their dogs due to the lockdown, the dogs could develop separation anxiety when the same gets lifted. This is according to research conducted by the American Veterinary Medical Association. The same group said that at least 40% of house dogs could show symptoms of separation anxiety after the community lockdown.
Dr. Karen Sueda, a veterinary behaviorist, together with separation anxiety specialist Malena Demartini-Price gave advice on how to prevent this from happening. According to Dr. Karen, it is inevitable that dogs would experience separation anxiety after the lockdown. One month of spending a whole lot of time together is difficult to get over.
Malena backs this hypothesis. According to her, dogs are like humans. They develop fear when they no longer do the things they usually do. But the two specialists said dog lovers do not need to fret because separation anxiety is part of life.
Dr. Karen argued that once a dog shows symptoms of separation anxiety, the dog owner needs to do two things. The first thing is to talk to the dog and assure them that everything will be alright. This way, the dog’s fear would be alleviated.
The second thing is to divert the dog’s attention to other things. For one, the dog owner could provide the pooch with a new toy he or she could play with. This way, the dog could find a new avenue to put his or her energy.
We have a list of some fun indoor activities to keep your dog happy and healthy right here.
Credits to Dog Behaviorist.
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