Something we have seen an increase in over the last few years is reactivity - whether from fear or excitability. We have a few different theories on why this has suddenly become more commonplace such as bad breeding, more shelter dogs, weaker leadership/ structure in homes, as well as too much focus on “socialization” and not enough exposure. Our blog on exposure is a great read on what we believe is the best way to introduce puppies and dogs to new things in a way to build them up and create confidence. (You can read it here.)
Unfortunately, with COVID, we are predicting there will be even more reactive dogs in the future. We can personally say that we are seeing some of this in our dog Viking, whom we got the October before COVID shutdowns began last March. While we tried to still expose him to a variety of things the number of outings went WAY down as of the March shutdowns and his time around other people and new experiences were less than it needed to be for a breed such as his. All this means now is that we have to put in some extra work and be dedicated to helping to build his confidence and get him more comfortable around new people and things.
Unfortunately, with COVID, we are predicting there will be even more reactive dogs in the future. We can personally say that we are seeing some of this in our dog Viking, whom we got the October before COVID shutdowns began last March. While we tried to still expose him to a variety of things the number of outings went WAY down as of the March shutdowns and his time around other people and new experiences were less than it needed to be for a breed such as his. All this means now is that we have to put in some extra work and be dedicated to helping to build his confidence and get him more comfortable around new people and things.
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