FEATURE


With the near four-month roadmap to lift us out of lockdown coming into effect, Dogs Trust is urging dog owners not to forget their canine companions and has released a roadmap for rovers to help them adjust as normality resumes.


Behaviour problems are easier to prevent than treat, so the charity is encouraging owners to take steps now to change the tale for their dogs and ensure problems don’t develop as lockdown opens up. Here’s how the roadmap could affect dogs:


Stage 1: (from 29th March) Outdoor gatherings of either six people or two households will be allowed, including gatherings in private gardens. As people start to get outside with friends and family, dogs may struggle with the additional sights, smells and distractions they may not have experienced for a while. So it’s worth brushing up on your dog’s recall skills, loose lead walking, greeting people and picnic etiquette!


Stage 2: (from 12th April) Outdoor settings like beer gardens open If taking your dog to the nearest dog-friendly pub is on the agenda, it’s important that we teach our dogs how to settle amongst the hustle and bustle. Start now at home whilst there’s fewer distractions. Teaching them how to settle will also come in handy when you stop to chat to friends when out and about, there are children running around or other dogs walking past, as well as helping them cope when alone.


Stage 3: (from 17th May) Two households can mix indoors Your dog is going to start to see much more than the delivery man! Lots of dogs get nervous and/ or excited when they hear the sound of the doorbell and this can make it difficult to welcome guests into your home. To make things easier and safer, you can train your dog for visitors and teach them to run to a safe space like their bed when they hear the doorbell, and quietly wait there until your visitors are settled.


Stage 4: (from 21st June) All restrictions lifted with many people returning to the office It’s likely many of us who have been working


22 When responding to adverts please mention the ‘North Devon Insight’


from home will start to return to the office at this point. So it’s important that we teach our dogs to cope with being left alone to prevent separation anxiety developing, as many of them will have had very little contact away from us for the past year.


Rachel Casey, Director of Canine Behaviour and Research, said:


“It’s safe to say life has not been normal for many of our dogs for the majority of the past year. They've had less interactions with other dogs, fewer visitors coming into the home and they haven’t spent much time alone since the pandemic began.


“The Prime Minister’s roadmap announcement has us all longing for a great British summer where we can walk our dogs with our friends’ dogs, have family round for garden barbecues and take our pooches to the pub or café, and of course, we need our four-legged friends to be able to cope with all of that. A return to normal could be confusing for our dogs, especially puppies acquired during the pandemic who won’t have had these early life experiences. But the good news is, it’s not too late to prepare your dog for lockdown easing, and to teach them vital skills that they can apply in any situation.”


One of the biggest reasons why dogs are handed into Dogs Trust is because of behaviour-related issues that could have been prevented early on. A rise in problematic behaviours, due to lockdown measures, could mean families have no other option but to give up their dog. The rise in separation anxiety in dogs who haven’t been left alone during the pandemic is a particular concern for the charity.


Rachel Casey continues:


"A big worry for us is what the long-term impact of lockdown will have on dogs’ ability to cope when left home alone. Dogs that had separation anxiety before the lockdown are likely to get worse when left again as owners head back to work – but we also expect to see new cases developing, because other dogs, and particularly puppies, have learnt to expect company all day.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48