Dog days of COVID

BY SAHAR CHMAIS coronavirus would transfer from dog fur, to

At this point in time, person, to person. I did the coronavirus has safety seminars on conaltered cerns with many of the things Working online COVID-19; there has humans hold so dear and gives Bond the ability to give been a tiny number of dogs that it has changed our way of immediate feedback. caught it ... the concern life, from grocery shopping When the dog guardian is transfer between people.” to going to school. Dog lives is the only person present, Online training seems to are no exception, and trainit can also build a better work for some dogs more than ing has dynamically changed relationship between them others, according to Bond’s for some dog trainand the dog. observations. She ers more found that than others. virtual training can be

COVID-19 has brought just as effective for some out a creative streak withpuppies, if not more in almost every industry, beneficial for those who dog training included. are more comfortable at Infection cases have not home or those who have slowed down enough a short attention span. for some people to There are some things feel comfortable to do they cannot do online, anything in person, and Bond said, but notes that includes training most of it is doable. their puppies. Yet peoWorking online gives ple have not stopped Bond the ability to give bringing dogs into their immediate feedback. homes and those new When the dog guardian is members often need the only person present, some form of training. it can also build a better The pandemic has relationship between moved dog training to themselves and the dog. the virtual realm where “I have a lot of people trainers can teach dog that say their dog beguardians how to train haves perfectly with me,” their puppies from the Bond explained. “But the comfort of their homes. challenge is transferring

While this may not that to them. At some be an ideal situation for point it has to transfer many, some dogs have back to the guardian.” benefited from the shift. Bond doesn’t plan Sarah Bond, owner of on virtual training to Bond Dog Training, remain her main way has moved all of her of training, saying business to online video she plans to monitor conference. COVID-19 rates of hos

“I do think there’s a pitalizations and new lot of safety concerns,” cases. When it appears Bond said. “We don’t to be safe, she plans to know a lot about if the change to in-person training outdoors. But virtual training will remain part of her overall dynamic for those who do not feel comfortable doing anything in person. Bond also said that working online has expanded her client bubble, bringing in people from out of state to partake in her service, so she will continue offering it after the pandemic

Dog trainer Sarah Bond has been giving virtual instruction to dog owners during the pandemic.

Sarah Bond

subsides.

Not all trainers have fully moved online, though. Whole Pooch, owned by Caitlin Lane, started doing virtual training at the beginning of the pandemic, but soon moved back to in-person training. She finds teaching dogs face to face to be the most effective method.

Lane said her company had to change some things to ensure safety. During in-person training, they wear masks, abide by social distancing rules and sanitizing and they teach lessons outdoors. Some people do not want the trainers coming to their home so, instead, they decide to meet at a large store. This technique keeps people out of the blazing hot sun, while giving them the room to do leash training. Still, some of Bond’s clients are immunocompromised, so they prefer to keep things virtual. Much like humans, dogs have also been affected by the coronavirus on a psychological level. Both Bond and Lane discussed how dogs are creatures of routine, which has been broken for many dogs. Their sensitivity spans beyond this change; Lane said dogs pick up on what is going on around them. When they sense the anxiety, stress, depression, they pick up on those emotions and it can make them regress. Some of Lane’s clients have told her that they believe their dog has become depressed or feels anxious.

On the flipside, some people have had more time to be home, giving them the chance to better focus on training and on being present with their pet, Lane said.

The other piece of good news, according to Bond, is that a lot of people are adopting and getting puppies. Not only does this create more business in the future for dog trainers, but it has opened up more homes for dogs who need it.