From restaurants re-opening to being able to take your first sip of a pub poured pint, as England eases lockdown and the new normality returns, it’s important to think of your 4-legged friend.
With the majority of Britain spending months working from home, your fur companion has gotten used to being sat down by your feet as you tap away and perhaps enjoying the extra-long walk or two!
What you might not realise is as you ease back into ‘normal’ this can have an adverse effect on your dog and lead to potential separation anxiety.
We offer 5 top tips to help you ease your dog back out of lockdown:
1. Pretend to go to work
Dogs need to see you leave again and get used to you not being there. Implementing a morning routine involving getting yourself ready for work, grabbing your key and walking out will get them back into the habit of you leaving again. This doesn’t have to be every day but doing it a few times a week and for prolonged periods will help them understand what is happening. Be around more at weekends and they will be able to start differentiate the days.
2. Less is more
When you come in from being out, don’t make a huge fuss of your dog. Allow them to relax and create a calm atmosphere before fussing over them. This will ensure they are not on edge waiting for you to return to get fussed over and allow them to be a little more independent.
3. Test the waters
During lockdown, there was a time where we were only allowed out once a day and that time was most likely used to take the dog on a walk. Now we can exercise freely, go out without the dog. Set up a dog camera if you are really worried. This will allow you to see how much it will affect them you not being there.
4. Don’t overact
When leaving the house don’t make a fuss over the dog as this will highlight, you’re leaving. Try and be as calm and natural as possible. You don’t want to bring attention to them being alone and they will most likely end up asleep anyway.
5. Presents always solve things
Before stepping out of the house or leaving for a long time give your dog a toy or a treat. Something to take their mind off the fact you’re leaving and to distract them. Also, if you leave a piece of clothing near them with your scent on it this can soothe them.
We hope these tips will help you when it comes to easing your dog out of lockdown.
Our PR mascot and office dog Chilli is lucky enough to spend all day at the office and then home at night with Martin and Julie but he is what inspired us to write this blog.