Dogs Trust says news that covid restrictions will remain in place in England until July 19 is a ‘silver lining’ for some dog owners, who now have extra time to prepare their dogs for normal life returning.
Since the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown came into effect earlier this year, the charity has been urging dog owners not to forget their canine companions and released its own ‘roadmap for rovers’, offering training advice and guidance to support dog owners in helping their dogs adjust as normality resumes.
Since the pandemic began in March last year, demand for dogs has increased and thousands of people have welcomed a four-legged friend into their lives. Dog owners across the UK have spent an increased and concentrated amount of time with their dogs at home and many ‘pandemic puppies’ may have missed experiencing the different aspects of normal life that are important for early development.
Dr Rachel Casey, director of canine behaviour & research at Dogs Trust, said: “The delay to restrictions lifting will be frustrating news for many of us. But for dog owners, it provides an extra opportunity to prepare dogs for the resumption of normal life in four weeks’ time. This is particularly important where there may be major changes to routine planned, such as leaving dogs home alone for the first time when returning to the office.”
