Coronavirus pandemic has had an impact on the lives of most people. Our travelling has been limited, we started spending most of our time at home – with our furry friends in many cases. However, it has also been a change for them. They suddenly had their master close almost all the time, sensed his/her moods, his/her worries and they had to get used to the change of their rhythm of life. They got used to our presence, regular walks and became accustomed to new, stable rituals. Now it seems that our lives may slowly get back to normal and there is a question – what shall we do about that? We may be forced to change those things overnight and their world will change again. But a cat or a dog doesn’t know that their master needs to go to work every morning. It shakes things up a lot for them and with changes, stress comes. That’s why it’s a good idea or maybe even a necessary thing to prepare them for those changes. Also, training for this will help us strengthen our bonds with our pets.
Cats are very sensitive to any changes in their surroundings and they can react to these changes with the deterioration of their health. It’s very important to prepare a cat for the upcoming changes. It’s a good idea to prepare a shelter where the cat can hide if it doesn’t already have one. A box or a kennel you can put on the spot where the cat likes to lie down. It’s important to gradually shorten the time the cat spends with the person during the day so it can start getting used to being alone. Even though it doesn’t seem like it, being alone might be stressful for a cat and it doesn’t do it well when it doesn’t have regular contact with the person she was used to. It’s enough if you put the cat in another room and close the door for a while and then come back for the pet. It’s important to offer the cat some treat, stroke it and talk to it at this moment. This way, the cat will learn that everything is okay when its owner disappears for a while.
Preparing a dog for the normal, “pre-covid” life is also very important. A dog is a very sociable animal which likes living in a pack and the separation from its “pack” might be very stressful. In such a situation, a dog might express its sadness very loudly. And that might be stressful for our neighbours.
The training for being alone needs to start with setting up a stricter regime. We should plan all activities, walks, workout and food for the same time and it should be done in the same rhythm as when we have to go to work. Dogs need such a strict schedule, it’s very important for their mental health and well-being.
At the same time, we should start preparing the dog for its “alone” time. In the beginning, put it into another room where it will spend a while alone. When you come back to the dog, praise and reward it. Gradually, make these intervals longer, up to 30 minutes. If the dog can be alone for 30 minutes, it can be basically alone for any period of time. A perfect way to teach the dog this is to set a “spot” for it. A small kennel for smaller dogs is very useful here and bigger dogs can stay in the hallway, for example. However, the dog needs to get used to one specific spot where it will be waiting for its owner. Say goodbye to the dog on this spot several days before going back to work and it will also welcome you there. Therefore, it’s very useful if this spot is somewhere close to the entrance to the living space. When saying goodbye, we shouldn’t use any commands, such as stay or wait, because we can’t stop the command after we leave. The dog would stop obeying it itself which is not good for its training and upbringing. It’s good to use words such as “bye” or “see ya” and use a treat, of course.
We are all looking forward to seeing the world in the way it used to be. Now it’s the best time to show our companions we love them, care about them and to help them to get “back to the normal” without any mental issues.
If you have decided to buy a purebred cat, you still have a lot of questions ahead of you. Which breed should you choose? A female cat or a tomcat? A kitten or an adult? Only if you consider everything carefully, you'll get the right companion for...
Lots of rabbit lovers choose this breed mainly by its appearance. The cuter, the better. But maybe they don’t know that a certain kind from the order of lagomorphs lives in nature, and hardly any domestic rabbit can match it in its cuteness. The same...
If you've noticed that your fluffy friend excessively licks and nibbles at his paws, you should not leave it like that. It might have several causes. Whether it's a psychological problem, allergy, yeast or other problem, the situation must be...
Did you know that our senses include the perception of the magnetic field? While we have almost lost this ability already, dogs still have it and use it every day. Do you know for what?
The British Shorthair cat is without a doubt the most popular cat breed not only in the Czech Republic, but also in the rest of Europe. This is caused not only by its appearance of a small Teddy bear, but also a mild, trouble-free nature.
In individual rodents, we’ll find breeds that are more popular with breeders than others. One of those is the American Teddy, typical with its peculiar hair structure that gives it the appearance of a teddy bear.
There is certainly no doubt that the Labrador belongs among the best known and most popular dog breeds. The reason is his extraordinary versatility, adaptability, intelligence and loyalty. Like the British Shorthair cat, the Labrador Retriever can be...
To spend a few days outside of civilisation - in the forest, on the ridges of the mountains - away from the hustle of the cities, in the wilderness and ideally with your dog. An imaginary return back to nature is the trend that did not avoid even the...
Hunting and exercise. If the dog loves both these activities, then coursing is the perfect activity for it. This cross-country race is based exactly on the desire of the dog to catch its prey.
No matter how thorough we are with the prevention, a situation might come up when a dog or a cat will get to a poisonous thing, whether it’s by our inattention or it's somebody else’s fault. That’s why it’s not off-topic to prepare yourself for the...
Under the name of dogtrekking, imagine an orientation walk with the dog. Official rules rank it among extreme dog endurance sports.
There may be more causes of dog fear. And the first step to eliminate it is to find out its origin and cause.
