Shelter at Home With Your Dog: COVID-19

     With family members staying at home during this current health crisis, we are potentially giving our pets mixed signals. Being around your pup or dog constantly is conditioning them that we will be with them all the time. Once this emergency is over and we return to our normal routines, I foresee a lot of pets exhibiting behaviors such as; housebreaking problems, separation anxiety issues and aggressive territorial behaviors. These problems can occur with dogs you have owned for a while and with newer pets as well.

     At this time I strongly suggest that all dogs, including puppies are put in their crates daily and sporadically throughout the day. Use different time intervals, as little as 30 minutes to 4 hours or more at a time. You should be putting your dog or puppy in their crate multiple times a day.

     Crating your dog will help with housebreaking problems and start to address separation anxiety issues. Unfortunately, aggressive and territorial behavior will need to be handled in a different manner.