The coronavirus pandemic has not been kind to anybody. As the entire world came to a halt, many things suffered, including our social lives, our financial standings, and our mental health. Around the world, people are suffering through the same troubles and miseries.
As humans, we can often be very self-absorbed. How many times did we stop to think about how the pandemic and the consequent lockdown was affecting our pets? They have been stuck at home too, with no contact with anybody outside their homes. They miss their old lives too. Here, take a look inside their brains and see how the coronavirus pandemic has affected your dog.
No Social Life
Dogs are social creatures. They love nothing more than to be around people and dogs all the time! Meeting people, play-fighting with other dogs and gathering pats and cuddles are some of their favorite hobbies. All of this was cruelly and suddenly taken away by the pandemic. Now on their short, daily walk, they don’t encounter the friendly neighbor or the other puppy at the dog park. There are no playdates arranged by their owners, and nobody new ever shows up. The streets are empty, and the parks are deserted. Your dog must feel terribly lonely without his daily interactions with people and other dogs that he used to enjoy so thoroughly before the coronavirus hit.
Limited Exercise
Dogs need their exercise. It’s your primary duty to take them out for their daily walks and let them burn off their excess energy to keep them in shape and healthy. Bigger dogs need more frequent, more energetic and more rigorous exercise schedules and playtimes. When the pandemic started, most people limited their dogs to just one walk per day, usually up and down their own streets. We did what we needed to do to keep safe, but our dogs don’t appreciate the shorter walks and limited activities.
This eventually might even have led to other health problems in your dog, such as obesity, heart problems and liver problems, making the situation even worse. Playtimes and exercise aren’t merely a want with dogs; it is a need that was heavily compromised upon by the pandemic.
No Fresh Air
Movement outside has been limited for months, as people avoid going out unnecessarily. This meant no stepping out for a quick run to the dog park or a being bundled up into the car seat to go for a drive, or even go hiking up with you on your favorite trail. These are all activities that your dog enjoyed doing with you, and things that allowed him to get out of the house every now and again, be with nature and let some air through their fur.
Limited Attention
There are some ups too. Because of the virus, their beloved owners had been home for months, and that alone is enough to make your dog ecstatic. Your company means the world to him and as long as he has that he is happy. But alas, what your poor dog wasn’t expecting was that your presence does not always mean your attention. You might not have been going to work for months, but you have still been working from home, with little time for your dog. Your dog may have thought that since you are home, it will be cuddle and playtime all day long but oh boy, wasn’t he in for a big disappointment? With the lines between work-life balance blurred, it’s likely that you may have been giving your dog even lesser attention than normal, leaving him to feel ignored and sad.
Deteriorating Mental Health
Being home most of the time, with no time outside and little time to exercise can greatly affect the physical health of your dog. He can gain weight, which can then birth a plethora of health problems in him. During the pandemic though, it’s more than just his physical health that suffered; his mental health did too. Not being outside can lead him to become lazy and lethargic, not meeting people and other dogs can make him depressed and lonely.
You might have been battling with mental health issues during the pandemic too, like many others, and that could rub off on your dog as well. Watching his parent be sad may make him sad and anxious too. Dogs are extremely sensitive beings, and they pick up on moods, tensions and stressors around the house very well, making it about themselves.
What Can You Do to Make the Pandemic a Little Less Bad for Him?
It’s been a hard year, and we are all trying to do our best. Though things are slowly getting back to normal, there are still a lot of restrictions and precautions in place for our safety. You can try to take this opportunity to give your dog a much-needed break and allow him all the things he has been missing for the past few months.
Nobody wants to see their beloved dog be sad. How about cheering him up with a day out with other dogs and puppies and a safe environment where he can play, and socialize all day? That’s exactly what Twissted Whiskers Dog Daycare is about, and we want to welcome your dog to join the party too. Your dog will have the time of his life, under the careful supervision of our trained dog carers, and get his social life back in order. You can leave your furry friend at the daycare and pick up a far happier and content doggy at the end of the day!
We understand your concerns about your dog and are here to help answer any queries or questions you might have. Give us a call at (678) 714-5477 lay your worries to rest and book a place for your dog in our daycare.
