By Lauren Rubin, KPA CTP, CPDT-KA

I put out a call on Instagram to ask what you need right now to help you and your dog survive sheltering in place together. This is one of the great responses I got: “Now that we are home all the time, our dog is being more protective and constantly barking. What do we do?” 

With COVID-19, our dogs’ routines may be thrown completely off by our constant presence -- potentially causing stress through overstimulation or feeling like they need to constantly be ‘working’ to keep us safe and alerted to the neighborhood's activity. For reactive dogs, the sudden increased foot traffic throughout the day may be extremely triggering. Whatever your dog’s struggle may be, I hope you’ll find some ways to ease the tension for both of you below. 

Remember too that you’re not alone -- we’re all working hard to adapt to this new living situation. Above all, be kind to yourself and your dog. It’s ok to feel confused and frustrated and alarmed by all the barking! Take care of yourself too. 

Reduce the Stimulation 

It’s hard to bark at things you can’t see or hear! 

• Cover the window with an opaque window cling. This will keep light coming in, which is a necessity for our sanity right now, but will also make it harder for your dog to see activity outside. 

• Move furniture around to prevent them from resting near the window. Move their favorite chair away, or arrange a table to prevent them from getting right up against the glass. 

• If your dog alerts to every noise they hear, try white noise! You can get a machine, download a plethora of apps, or try a YouTube video on the computer. 

Encourage Relaxation 

Your dog should be sleeping 14-16 hours within a 24 hour period. (I know. When I learned that, I too decided I should have been a dog.) Take a quick look at your dog’s life since the quarantine started. Do you think they’re sleeping enough? Too much? The right amount of sleep should help your dog relax and be more comfortable with all this change. 

• If you think your dog isn’t sleeping enough: encourage naps! If your dog has a crate, put them in it during your Zoom meetings or Netflix binge with a Kong or Lickimat...cover it up so it’s cosy and dark, and put on some white noise. 

• No crate? No problem! You can use the same method as above with a dog bed in a darkened room. 

• If your dog is sleeping too much -- try breaking it up with a walk or short play sessions throughout the day!

• If your dog becomes distressed being left alone -- stop and contact a trainer for more help. 

Be Thoughtful About Exercise

Just like Goldilocks, exercise should not be too much, nor too little, but rather just right.  Too little exercise can leave your dog looking for an inappropriate energy outlet. Too much exercise can leave your dog wired-tired and overstimulated from all the input. Given our own cabin fever, it seems like more dogs are being over-exercised at the moment. 

Your dog is likely overexercised if they come home from walks and seem just as crazy if not crazier than before. If you’re getting wild zoomies throughout the house post-walk, then this is a good time to look at reducing some of that exercise. You are allowed to go for a walk without your dog, even though it feels weird. Leaving your dog home may give them a chance to relax without worrying about what you’re doing! 

You can also try calm exercises such as:

• Feeding using a puzzle feeder or by scattering their kibble in the yard or around the house for them to find.

• Puppy Push Ups! (Cue a “sit,” reward, cue a “down,” reward, cue an “up! Or stand!” and reward) -- bonus points, this is a great training exercise! 

• Working on “relax on a mat” or another calm behavior. 

I hope this helps. May I also suggest on a human note -- your dog taking a nap is a great opportunity for you to do some self care. Take a bath, write in your journal, drink a glass (or two) of wine...whatever you need to help yourself get through too!