Covid Puppy/Dog Syndrome

So it’s now been 1.5 yrs we have all been living this pandemic life; When schools and businesses went remote last year, people thought it would be a great time to raise/adopt a dog. And while yes, it is the sweetest thing one can do because you have time to train them and be with them, many didn’t think about what would happen when life returned to somewhat “normal.”

I had a small (although I wish it didn’t come true) prediction that dogs would be developing separation distress and if they were acquired as young pups, lack the socialization needed at critical times in their lives. See, dogs go through a massive socialization period between 3 weeks and 12 weeks; They also go through another fear period anywhere around the 6 month mark. If dogs aren’t properly socialized within those times, there can be lasting effects into their adulthood.

This isn’t to say they are doomed and cannot be socialized but it’s like swimming upstream and you just finished going downstream. It’s a slippery training slope but it is definitely workable.

We have to be careful to not flood ( exposing a dog to massive amounts of that fearful stimuli to break the fear) and I will never do this to a dog. When you do this, you really can potentially set your dog up for a major breakdown.

We need to slowly desensitize them to what they are afraid of; That can consist of being far away from that stimulus and simply training and treating. Then every few days, we get closer and closer while we train. Then we will counter condition (changing the dogs emotional response to the fear). Instead of the dog lunging, barking or even cowering between your legs, we are eventually getting close to a confident non-responsive dog who is getting fed yummy treats and training. The cue could simply be looking at you while that stimulus is going by.

This has been a constant concern with my virtual and in person clients so I wanted anyone reading to know that we can work on this. It’s almost like your child stepped out of the house and got spooked by something and now they don’t want to leave; We guide them into offering positive ways to heal them. And if separation distress is also a concern, we will go through small periods of leaving, providing enrichment, and I will give all of my knowledge to help your pup overcome the fact that you now leave the house to work. You’re not alone, I can promise you that.