Ms. Brown and Mr. Powell met with Melanie Benware, a neighborhood coach and the president of the International Association of Canine Professionals. “People are going out less,” Ms. Benware mentioned, “therefore their dogs are not being exposed to as many people, dogs, sights and sounds.” She taught the couple the right way to practice Hopper to reply calmly to different canine. “He’s gotten better, but he’s still a work in progress,” Ms. Brown mentioned.
The problem of restricted social interplay is pervasive proper now. “I find that my clients are struggling to find socialization opportunities for their puppies,” mentioned Kim Roche, a canine coach and behavioral advisor in Austin, Texas. “The length of a standard leash is exactly six feet, and this discourages Covid-cautious people from allowing their puppies to greet strangers in public places.” Ms. Benware recommends shopping for a 20-foot leash for this very goal.
Other puppy-specific issues have emerged. “It’s difficult to pay attention to a Zoom meeting when there is a puppy trying to climb into one’s lap,” Ms. Roche mentioned. She teaches puppies to retreat to a chosen place on command — say, an train pen, a mat or a mattress — the place they will cool down with a toy.
Crate coaching is essential, too, mentioned Jesus San Miguel, the proprietor of Canine Perspective, Inc., in Chicago. “Owners are not utilizing a kennel, thinking since they’re home all the time it’s not needed, but it is critical to both the potty training process and for the puppy to have a safe space when left unattended,” he mentioned.
Finally, it’s necessary to ensure puppies get sufficient sleep: 18 to 20 hours, based on Ms. Chillari. “Puppies get grumpier when they’re tired, just like children, and I think people assume the training isn’t working because the puppies really just need to sleep,” she mentioned.
