Increase in stress symptoms in dogs since lockdown

Increase in dog stress since Coronavirus lockdown

The Dogs Trust has recently surveyed over 6,000 dog owners in the UK and 26% reported that their dog had developed behavioural problems since the start of lockdown.  The lockdown regulations had also resulted in a change of routine by 55% dog owners.  This ranged from shorter walks, the limits set on daily exercise and fear about letting dogs off the lead.  This has led to more stress for some dogs.  

Signs of boredom and attention seeking in dogs were found to have increased too with 82% dog owners saying that there was more whining and barking as well as 41% of dogs starting to trail their owners around the house.  

With more dog owners working from home, the dogs have got used to more human contact but what happens when their owners return to work?  Will this lead to more cases of separation anxiety in dogs?  

The advice from the Dogs Trust is to start to reintroduce their previous daily routine eg leaving the dog alone in the room they would normally be in when the owner is out while checking regularly to see that the dog is ok.  If you have a puppy, gradually increase the time you are leaving them alone to help increase their independence. 

The natural approach to dog stress

As well as this advice, Natural Animal Health recommends Imustress as a natural way to help your dog manage stress.  It is a safe natural product which is tried and tested plus it has been on the market for over 20 years.

"Imustress is a blend of plant extracts and natural compounds.  It can be given to the dog both before and after a stressful situation," explains David Willis from Natural Animal Health.  "As well as implementing a programme of good behavioural management, Imustress can give an extra helping hand to gently calm your dog and reduce symptoms of stress."

"Using Imustress with our Hungarian Vizsla puppy Cooper was very successful in dealing with severe separation anxiety. It also really helped him to manage travel in the car which he found particularly stressful."

Sara Robinson, Lurgan, Co Armagh