GET SET FOR SUMMER ★
Getting out and about again with your dog; Carolyn Menteith advises on how to make it fun and safe for your pet post-lockdown.
“...take some time to really think about your dog...”
While some people can’t wait to get out and about, some are understandably nervous, worried, or just slightly concerned that they might growl or snap at an unsuspecting stranger who ventures too close!
If this is how we are feeling, just imagine what the past year has been like for our dogs. No matter how old your dog may be, 13 months is a very long time in his life — and for lockdown puppies, it has been all of their lives.
Even a dog who has had plenty of positive experiences pre-pandemic might, just like us, struggle with going back to what was their daily life before lockdown. Don’t expect them to just go straight ‘back to normal’.
The first step to ensuring that this will be a joyous summer of rediscovering the pleasures of being out and about with your dog — or discovering them for the first time — is to take some time to really think about your dog, his personality, experiences, past behaviours, strengths and weaknesses, and joys and fears. By doing this, you can have a good idea of how he will react, what might faze him, and what things you can work on to help you both ease back into a life outside the front gate.
Start with the obvious: look at your dog’s breed, his age, and his social personality. All of these things can give you some valuable clues as to how you are going to approach the summer and your walks and outings together.
Your dog’s breed, or mix of breeds, and what they were originally bred to do will give you some big clues as to how he plays, what he enjoys, how he responds to novelty or the unexpected, and what things he will take in his stride and what things he will find harder.
And then there’s your dog’s personality… and this is the thing that people often forget. They look at the breed or type of dog they have and think that is all there is to predicting how they will behave. But they forget that in every breed there are different characters and ways of relating to the world. One of the secrets to living with a dog is to see the dog you have and not the dog you think you have!
Some dogs are extroverts and confident social butterflies, happy to explore and investigate new situations and environments, while others are much more introverted, thoughtful, and hesitant in new situations. And of course, if you have a lockdown puppy, this might be a voyage of discovery for you as you find out more about him in a variety of situations.
Your aim with the introverts is to understand and anticipate what might make them feel worried, concerned, fearful, or hesitant and ask yourself: ‘What can I do to make him feel better and more confident in this situation? ’These dogs are the ones who may well find being back outside around people, dogs, and all the sights, sounds, smells, hustle and bustle of summer living difficult or even highly stressful. Your aim is to take it very slowly and make sure they are happy in each situation and with each new experience.
With the extroverts, you will need to be thinking about: ‘How can I keep you focused on me no matter what is going on around you?’ These are the dogs who are more likely to be totally thrilled to be back out — and this excitement can lead to a loss of focus, forgetting their training, being overly enthusiastic in greetings, and even having arguments with other dogs who don’t appreciate their rather full-on attentions.
When it comes to summer walks and getting back out, there are several things to consider. Only you can decide what your focus needs to be for your own dog, but here are some starting points depending on your dog’s breed type and personality.
Gundogs
Most gundogs are the extroverts of the canine world. Their original job description involves working around unknown people and dogs in a variety of country environments. These are the dogs who are most likely to be totally thrilled at being back out among friends, new smells, and new experiences. They are also the ones who, in their excitement and joy, might forget all their training!
“No matter how old your dog may be, 13 months is a very long time in his life...”
Herding dogs
These are the dog whose job description involves them being very aware and potentially reactive to things that move in order to be able to chase them and round them up. For these dogs, being back out among traffic, people, cyclists, joggers, and excited children might well be overwhelming, deeply worrying, or just extremely distracting.