LONDON, Jan 26 — Millions of people around the world adopted a pet during the pandemic, for comfort and for companionship in stressful, lonely times. Many set their sights on puppies, renowned for their playfulness. But with the pandemic now over, these four-legged companions have been found to have high levels of problem behaviours.
Researchers at London’s Royal Veterinary College made this discovery after following a cohort of so-called pandemic puppies in the UK. The puppies were less than 16 weeks old when they were purchased from British breeders in 2020. The academics focused on their behaviour until they reached 21 months, a pivotal age when owners often decide to part with their dogs — or worse, euthanise them — if they have behavioural issues.
As it turns out, almost all the dog owners surveyed as part of the study reported that their pooch has at least one behavioural problem. The average number of owner-reported problem behaviours at 21 months was five, while 20 per cent of owners reported eight or more such behaviours. In the majority of cases, they complained that their pet pulls on its leash, jumps up at people, or doesn’t come back when called.
A dog’s behaviour is closely linked to the way its human behaves towards them and the place the pet occupies in their daily life. That’s why effective training is crucial to instilling good habits and ensuring a dog’s well-being. However, researchers at London’s Royal Veterinary College found that “dog parents” don’t always know how to train their pooch properly.
The importance of effective training
The overwhelming majority of those questioned said they had already used aversive training methods. These include physically moving the dog (44 per cent), shouting and reprimanding (41 per cent), or leash corrections (40 per cent). Other methods reported include the use of aversive accessories such as water pistols or choke chains. While these strategies may encourage the dog to obey its human parent, they are often inadvisable because they do not motivate the dog to change its behaviour in the long term.
Interestingly, dog parents were less likely to have used aversive techniques if they had taken online puppy classes with their fur baby during the pandemic. In addition, a third of respondents did not expect to have so many difficulties in training their dog. Periods of lockdown and restrictions may have prevented owners from seeking out a dog trainer or behaviourist.
For study co-author, Dr Rowena Packer, it’s important for less experienced dog parents to consult a professional if they notice their dog has problem behaviours. “Our findings indicate that problem behaviours are extremely common in pandemic puppies, and in many cases, are potentially being exacerbated by owners using punishment-based training techniques... A key piece of guidance arising from our study is that attending puppy classes is a vital way to support owners in using the best training techniques available,” she said in a statement. — ETX Studio
