Trainers worry new pets won’t be properly socialized
Dog groomers are back in business after reopening Monday, but dog trainers are still waiting to be unleashed by the provincial government.
That is not sitting well with Ally Stern, a part-time dog trainer who thinks the Quebec government is making a mistake by delaying a return-to-work protocol.
“They consider dog training a non-essential activity, so it’s in the last phase of the government’s plan to reopen activities,” she said.
“There is no date, nothing. The dog training community is becoming extremely anxious, because there is going to be a whole new generation of puppies and dogs who have no access to in-person training, which is critical. Many people will have dog problems later.”
Ontario allowed dog trainers to resume their businesses last month, and Stern is worried further delays in Quebec will lead to problems for dog owners and their pets.
“A lot of people got dogs to keep them company during the pandemic because they thought it was the right time to get a new pet. They were at home and had time for it,” she said.
“But many of them are new pet owners and they don’t know how to properly train their dog. They would normally go to a class and have guidance from a teacher who would teach them how to have their dog walk on a leash and (teach it) how to be a good member of society, as well as their family.”
Meira Frankl has been training dogs for over a decade and operates Perfect Pet Training in Dorval. She says it’s critical for dogs to be trained as young puppies.
“A puppy’s socialization window closes at 16 weeks, or four months of age,” Frankl said. “And once they miss out on certain learning, the window is gone. You want to help people before unwanted behaviours develop.”
Frankl, who does behavioural training and also imparts her advice on the Montreal Dog Blog, said some dogs are likely to suffer from loneliness once the pandemic ends.
“When things get back to normal more, and people get back to work, we’re preparing for a huge surge of people who have dogs with separation anxiety and isolation issues. The goal would be to help these people beforehand.”
Frankl, who normally trains about 10 dogs per week on a private basis, is getting a lot of phone calls from people requesting help to correct their dogs’ behaviour.
“People being home all the time creates a lot of stress for dogs. There are a lot more people out walking their dogs right now, and these people are desperate for help,” she said.
As for COVID-19 concerns, Frankl said dog trainers already observe social distancing protocols.
“When they do group classes, they do social distancing anyways, regardless of the pandemic, because it’s a safety protocol when having multiple dogs in the same environment. You need to keep about 12 feet away.”
Frankl, a full-time certified trainer, said not everyone who claims to know how to train a dog actually can do so.
“The industry is unregulated; anyone can say they’re a dog trainer because they watched a TV show or read a book.”
“Dog training is a bit of a Wild West (situation),” Stern added. “There are online certifications you could get. Some of them are bogus. You could apprentice under a dog trainer or you could just hang a sign and say you’re a dog trainer.”
Stern, a dog sport enthusiast, said there is more to properly training a pooch than meets the eye.
“People do not know how to train a dog. It looks easy, but it’s not.”