are there health benefits to getting a pandemic puppy?

at first, it was  toilet paper  and  hand sanitizer . people stuck at home with time to bake bought up all the  flour . next came the terrifying shortages of hospital ventilators and  icu beds , and eventually  vaccines .

yep. a  dog shortage . yet, they are everywhere. parks are full of them. shelters are empty. adoption rates have risen  30 to 40 per cent  and  foster organizations  cannot keep up with the demand.

wait lists  for breeders are years long and vets are  booking appointments  months in advance. in the united kingdom, a torrent of dog-napping cases are being touted as the work of a “ puppy mafia .” the always  pervasive problem  of puppy mills and scams are thriving as people pine for puppies.

dogs are a huge part of my life. as an associate professor of anthrozoology, i attend yearly anthrozoology conferences which feature some of the  best dog-minds  in the world. early in my career i did a dog-training apprenticeship, with huckleberry, my labrador puppy, when reward-based training was  on the rise . i also teach a  course on dogs  and humans’ relationship with them. i even met my husband while walking my dog.

the rush for dogs

the frenzy makes sense. people who chose to not have a dog because they were away for long hours are suddenly able to since school and work now happen at home. and for many, this  may be permanent .

it may  actually be beneficial  to work alongside your dog. research shows  increased productivity and work-life balance , areas colleagues and i are  collecting data on  to further explore. at the very least, many new owners now have the time bond with, and train, their new family member — they’ve found a crack of light in the pandemic wall.

dogs offer a breath of fresh air, and are one of the few  permissible excuses  for people to escape the indoors. when lockdowns began, amusing stories surfaced of desperate people walking  stuffed dogs ,  fake dogs  and even  spouses  on leashes. now,  borrowed dogs  and even  rented dogs  are a thing.

sadly, though, most new puppies will  not get walked  enough, and the  many unexpected issues  that lead to behavioural problems will contribute to frustrated owners and  relinquishment .

dog ownership is a huge responsibility

knowing a lot about dogs is stressful because i zero in on problems. i sometimes cannot help myself from telling strangers that their new  unvaccinated  puppies shouldn’t be in a dog-crowded park. i cringe at exasperated owners yanking on choke chains, or using other  types of punishment  and  outdated training methods  because their frustrated dogs just want to run and play.

there is already a  rise in dog surrenders . this is due, in part, to impulse purchases of pandemic puppies. not surprisingly,  people are lonely .

herzog’s skepticism is understandable, and he maintains that the results are  not conclusive . “contrary to the claims of the pet products industry,” he says, “the vast majority of studies indicate that pet owners are no less lonely” than non-owners.

lack of socialization

a major concern among canine researchers is that pandemic puppies are  not being socialized , which is vital to the future behaviour and emotional well-being of dogs. typically, very few owners actually formally enrol in training or puppy classes, which are ideal for developing socializing skills. presumably, lockdown would worsen this situation for puppies.

james serpell agrees that this could create “a bit of an epidemic.” serpell directs the  canine behavioral assessment and research questionnaire (c-barq)  project at the university of pennsylvania. c-barq is an online survey tool that provides owners with an evaluation of their dogs’ temperament and behaviour. so far, it has yielded standardized information about the behavioural norms of purebreds and mixed-breeds for more than 60,000 companion dogs.

1. some dogs may become fearful of new experiences, leading to increased aggression toward both unfamiliar dogs and people.
2. dogs who are not used to being alone may develop separation anxiety, leading to destructive behaviour, including peeing and pooping inside the home.
3. and, of course, relinquishment. today’s puppies could become tomorrow’s shelter dogs.

a society of pet lovers

but what about the “ pet effect ,” the theory that  pets are good for us ? after all, research findings show that the presence of dogs  lowers blood pressure ,  reduces stress  and  improves emotional well-being .

herzog has repeatedly  raised red flags  about this, suggesting a bias in anthrozoological research. this concern is shared by  dog sense  author john bradshaw, who points out that although some studies do show positive health effects, the same number conclude “that pets have no or even a slight impact on health.”

after all, we are a society of pet lovers, with almost  60 per cent of canadian households  having a resident dog or cat. it’s often a simple pleasure to share the constant company of a nonjudgmental companion offering unconditional love. i have been thankful that the pandemic has given me more time with grasshopper, my 13-year-old labrador (who is perfectly behaved, of course).

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