Paw social skills post lockdown

Although celebrations are to be had with the news of lockdown easing, it brings with it the question of what will happen to the nation’s lockdown puppies as we head back towards more social living.

Socialisation is a vital component of a puppy’s upbringing and extends from meeting other dogs to being exposed to new experiences. According to new research by tails.com, our lockdown pups have missed out on many basic experiences like riding on public transport (80%), visiting a pub (74%), being amongst a crowd (60%), or even meeting their owner’s significant others (53%).

In fact, over half (59%) of the nation’s dogs have never even been alone for an extended period of time since coming home with their owners! This means we are headed for the perfect storm of a cohort of dogs who will suffer from separation anxiety, with some never having spent a moment on their own.

Aston spoke to Sean McCormack, head vet at Tails.com to discuss on the impending epidemic of socially anxious dogs and dogs with separation anxiety, as well as how best to address the issue, providing advice to worried dog owners and also shared his top tips for preparing your pup for post lockdown life.

Photo by Berkay Gumustekin on Unsplash