When asking at work today for ideas for this article the resounding response was for me to write about building confidence and social skills in young puppies during lockdown.
I touched on this subject a few months ago but it is becoming ever more relevant. We are increasingly seeing adolescent dogs at the practice that are extremely nervous – both of new environments and of leaving their owners; these are what we call the “lockdown puppies”.
Completely understandably, when people got a puppy in lockdown there was a limit to how many people these puppies could meet because we as humans were limited by who we could meet.
Also, these puppies had their owners at home the whole time – great in many ways – but a potential recipe for future problems. Lack of early socialisation and a lack of time spent alone has made for some young dogs with fear issues and separation anxiety. Once these behaviours are established it can take a lot of work with a pet behaviourist to try and solve them.
So, if you are getting a puppy now, in lockdown 3.0 this is the time to try and prevent these behaviours becoming entrenched.
Get your puppy used to all sorts of noises and stimuli at home; there used to be noise CDs you could play for puppies to get used to noises like thunder and loud bangs, now things like this are all available on YouTube.
Carry your pup outside to get them used to the outside world and, once they are vaccinated, they can start walking and increasing their confidence.
Get your puppy used to being left alone for short spells and then slowly build this time up, that way when you do have to leave them, they will be able to cope.
Alice Moore is a vet at Castle Veterinary Clinic, Dorchester and Weymouth. Tel 01305 267083
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