Pandemic puppy owners struggle with bad behaviour say vets

Dogs bought in the pandemic have high rates of problem behaviours, a Royal Veterinary College study suggests.

It estimates high rates of behaviours such as separation anxiety and aggression towards other dogs.

New owners are more likely to use punishment in training which risks worsening behaviour, the study's author warns.

Rescue charity Battersea says it has seen a rise in dogs with problem behaviours linked to the pandemic.

Denise Mariner-Chappell, 53, got her Labrador Ted in 2020. Due to lockdown measures, she said she struggled with "the training and the socialising".

"He's a crazy dog when he's out," she said.

"He's just manic. He just wants to play and sniff, and everything, but not with humans."

Ms Mariner-Chappell, from near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, she said she had been verbally abused by other dog owners. One swore and shouted at her to "get your dog away from my dog before I kick him round the field".

Ted was not able to attend puppy classes during the pandemic, but was taken to a trainer afterwards.

Dr Rowena Packer, an author of the Royal Veterinary College's (RVC) study, said introducing puppies to people, other dogs and the world around them was "potentially very important for their long-term mental and emotional well-being".

She added "puppies have a blueprint for the future based on just the first couple of months of their life".

A Commons hearing earlier this year heard the UK's dog population rose by about a million to an estimated 11 million, with many people becoming first-time owners.

The RVC warned there was a boom in illegal puppy purchasing practices during the pandemic.

The number of cases where an out-of-control dog caused injury rose by just over a third between 2018 and 2022, a previous BBC investigation found. In January, a plastic surgeon in West Sussex told the BBC they were now seeing twice as many dog attack victims compared to before the pandemic.

Robert Bays, Battersea's senior animal behaviour manager, said the charity had seen a rise in dogs coming to its centres with behavioural issues, including "separation anxiety, which can often be linked to the pandemic and the training challenges this unusual time presented".

The RVC study, funded by Battersea, received 1,007 valid responses through an online survey of UK residents who got a dog during the first nine months of the pandemic.

On average, owners said their dogs had five behaviours they considered problems, while one in five said they had eight or more. The most common were pulling on the lead (67%), jumping up at people (57%) and not coming back when called (52%).

The study estimates almost a third of dogs had separation anxiety at 21 months.

Dr Packer warned owners struggling with problem behaviour - combined with the cost of living crisis - could lead to them "reaching the end of their tether" and rehoming their dogs.

She said in addition to the problematic behaviour recorded, some new owners struggled knowing what behaviour was normal for dogs.

Such behaviours "are, in many cases, potentially being exacerbated by owners using punishment-based training techniques", she said.

Four in five of those who participated in the study reported using aversive training methods, such as shouting, which vets said could increase fear and anxiety.

Dr Packer said although such behaviours could be frustrating for owners, "they are often a sign a dog is struggling to cope or that they haven't been taught an appropriate response in a situation, rather than dogs intentionally behaving 'badly'".

The most commonly used aversive training methods were moving the dog or shouting at them. Other owners reported using rattle bottles, water pistols and choke chains.

Only 18% of owners who took part in the survey used no aversive training methods or aids.

Mr Bays said he was concerned by the high levels of aversive methods highlighted by the study, adding: "Without the right kind of positive training and support, a small behaviour problem in a puppy or dog can quickly escalate into a serious issue.

"This approach can often cause further behavioural problems in adulthood and lead to suppression of behaviour, not to mention significantly damage the relationship between pet and owner, which can be challenging to overcome in the future."