Featured photo by Anna Dudkova on Unsplash
This year has been strange. Now coming out of our second national lockdown, we’ve become used to working from home, socialising virtually and putting holidays on hold. But for many of us, there’s been a fantastic addition to our homes this year. Sales of new pets soared, with some reports of the cost of puppies doubling to £1,900 on average.
Did you buy a new puppy or kitten this year? It’s probably been a great source of companionship and entertainment throughout what has undoubtedly been a tricky time for most of us. However, if you’re new to pet ownership, lockdown may have created some behaviours and responses to situations that need addressing sooner rather than later.
You may already be paying attention to some of these tips, but they serve as a useful reminder for new pet owners. The earlier you can encourage the right behaviours and reactions, the better. Pets don’t stay small and cute forever and it’s not uncommon for owners to struggle with behavioural problems later down the line. To prevent this from happening to you, it’s worth familiarising yourself with the following:
- Prepare them for you not being around
If you’ve been working from home or furloughed like so many of us this year, it’s likely you’ve been home a lot more. After all, during the toughest national lockdowns, we could only leave our homes for essential reasons. Although walking your dog is permitted (it just varies how many people you can meet outside, if any), we’ve undoubtedly been at home around our pets more than ever before.
As a result, they may become clingy and struggle when they’re left on their own – for example, dogs can become disruptive and damage stuff in the home. So it’s important to slowly prepare them for you not being around as much. You can take this slowly, ideally by separating yourself and leaving your pet in another room for a short amount of time. Then try and extend the amount of time they can be left. You can give dogs a Kong or other food puzzles to ensure being away from you is still a positive experience.
- Create their own safe space
All pets need their own space. This should be a space where everyone in the family – including children – knows to leave them alone. Given the amount of time you may spend together with your new pet, it is likely they will need some time to rest. Kittens and puppies sleep a surprising amount.
Whether you are crate training your puppy or have a designated area, every time they rest try to encourage them to sleep in their space. And leave them be. Over time, you will find that this is the place they go when they choose to rest on their own.
- Get your pet neutered
Unfortunately the huge increase in demand for pets throughout lockdown has resulted in an increase in poor breeding practices too. Because visits inside a breeder’s home haven’t been allowed, it’s harder to spot bad and irresponsible breeders.
Many people have been asked to pay deposits without even meeting the pets first. In fact, to prevent overbreeding and other bad breeding practices (likely encouraged by the chance to make a bit of money quickly during lockdown), 82% of vets believe the spaying and neutering of cats and dogs should be compulsory unless the owner is a registered breeder. This would prevent inexperienced pet owners from breeding their animals – or having accidental pregnancies.
The research, from Direct Line, says that over 1.7 million dogs and 600,000 cats haven’t been neutered or spayed in the UK. It emphasises the importance of neutering your pet. Speak to your vet about when you should be neutering.
- Get your pet socialised
Depending on where you live and where you’ve been able to take your new pet, they could be lacking social practice. Socialising with other animals is particularly important for young dogs to prevent problems down the line. All puppies need to learn key social skills, how to interact and respond appropriately to other dogs, and the importance of still listening to you. After all, not every dog is friendly. Always check with the owner before letting your puppy run up to their dog.
There’s another aspect of socialisation that your pets may have missed out on during lockdown too – other people visiting your home. This could seem like an alarming and scary thing the first time it happens. While you may have been working to expose them to different sights, sounds and smells, new people in their space may seem strange. Always make introductions gradual, and try not to overwhelm your pet with too many people.
Did you get a new dog or cat during lockdown? Share how you have found the experience with us.