Rise in anti-social canine behaviour after lockdown

A national Royal Veterinary College study has suggested that the pandemic is responsible for a higher rate in problem behaviours for dogs, such as separation anxiety.

Police have also reported an increase in out of control dogs last summer, with 52 recorded incidents between August 2022 and August 2023.

GSPCA manager Steve Byrne said that the shelter had seen a surge of pet adoptions during lockdowns, and estimated that the local dog population had increased by as much as 20% since 2020.

‘Before Covid there were about 10,000 dogs on the island. I estimate there’s now between 11,000 and 12,000, which could explain why there have been more reports of behavioural issues,’ said Mr Byrne.

He said that due to more dog owners working from home during the pandemic, their pets had become accustomed to spending large amounts of time together.

‘Luckily we weren’t as bad as the UK in terms how long we were locked down for, but dogs were still almost always with their owners and families for long periods.

‘With the world returning back to normal, that has presented significant changes for young dogs and puppies, especially in terms of adapting to not being with their owners as much.’

He said that there was no easy fix to changing antisocial behaviour, and it required owners to work with their dogs.

‘Dogs can become stressed and may start chewing stuff, as well as howling, barking and scratching things.

‘We treat each example on a case-by-case basis, but some methods of fixing the behaviour include giving the dog activity toys to distract them, leaving the TV or radio on while you’re out, and gradually increasing the time you’re away from the dog by five minutes to ease them into getting used to being by themselves.’

Katie Ozard, owner of Active Dog Behaviour and Training, said that a lack of socialisation within the first few months of a dog’s life had the potential to impact the way it felt about other dogs and people further down the line.

She said that she put an emphasis on using positive reinforcement training as part of her work to help owners address their pet’s behavioural problems.

‘It’s praise-driven and uses desensitisation and counter conditioning techniques to help change the dog’s emotional response, which in turn changes their behaviour,’ she said.

‘I also think it’s important for owners to not assume that every dog you meet on a walk is friendly, and to be constantly aware of others.’