A recent study from the Royal Veterinary College suggests that ‘pandemic-puppies’ are encountering higher rates of problem behaviours, such as separation anxiety and aggression towards other dogs.
The study also found behavioural challenges are further exacerbated by new owners, who, in their attempts to address these issues, often resort to punitive training methods, potentially worsening the situation.
Canine Behaviour Expert, Will Atherton, who runs a training centre for misbehaving dogs alongside the world’s largest online academy for dog training, sheds light on the root causes of these behavioural challenges.
“These issues are something I see a lot in my training centre and are collectively shared amongst younger dogs who were bought and raised during the pandemic.
“Firstly, and most obviously, pandemic dogs faced a huge lack of socialisation opportunities as they weren’t exposed to environmental stimuli, such as busy roads, traffic, cyclists, and different types of people and dogs.
“In a dog’s early developmental stages, they’re given the opportunity to work through coming across something new, feeling that spike of arousal, but then learn to navigate it.
But with the pandemic, this didn’t happen nearly as much as it should, with owners not being able to take their dogs out as often.
“When owners had to go back out, a huge spike of separation anxiety occurred, and we’re seeing fear-based behaviours as they don’t know how to deal with this feeling, with one of two response pathways occurring: either barking ang lunging at whatever they’ve seen or wanting to run away from it as you see nervous dogs do.”
Atherton also notes the impact of questionable breeding practices during the pandemic dog-buying surge. “Not a lot of people are talking about the neurological problems we are seeing in the temperaments of dogs, which can feedback to a genetics-based issue.
“During the pandemic, the demand for dogs, coupled with soaring prices, led to unscrupulous breeding practices by people who saw breeding as a money-making opportunity and engaged in bad practices or even perhaps inbreeding with dogs who hadn’t been health tested or deemed behaviourally and genetically sound.”
In usual circumstances, dog breeding would follow better practices. And in addition to the challenges faced by new owners and their dogs, the lack of in-person training opportunities during the pandemic have put pets at a disadvantage.
“With the rise of social media such as TikTok during the pandemic, it increased the demand for rare or ‘working breeds’, such as Border Collies and Belgian Malinois that appeared as shining examples of perfect dogs.
“In the right hands, these dogs are very capable, but without the correct skills and proper training, they can become some of the most poorly behaved kinds of dogs in the world frankly. People simply aren’t prepared for these dogs, often with owners lacking the skills to manage these dogs properly.”
As we navigate the aftermath of the pandemic, the behavioural challenges faced by pandemic-acquired dogs underscore the importance of responsible ownership, proper training, and awareness of the unique needs of our four-legged companions. The findings from the Royal Veterinary College’s survey serve as a crucial reminder that a lack of socialisation and inappropriate breeding practices during the pandemic can have lasting effects on our furry friends.
