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The Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown Restrictions on Dogs & Dog Owners in the UK

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The Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown Restrictions on Dogs & Dog Owners in the UK The impact of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on dogs & dog owners in the UK 26th August 2020 Table of contents Executive summary 1 Introduction 2 Dog demographics 4 Gastrointestinal health 4 Dog owners 5 Owners’ bond with their dogs 5 Owners’ feelings about their dog during lockdown 6 Contingency planning 8 Management of dogs 9 Routine changes 9 Exercise 9 Walk location 9 On/off lead walking 9 Frequency of walking 9 Duration of walking 9 Meeting other dogs 9 House rules 9 Time left alone 10 Dog behaviour 12 Behaviour towards adults 12 Behaviour towards children 13 General observations 14 Reactivity 14 Attention seeking behaviour 14 Behaviour on walks 14 Separation-related behaviour 14 Behaviour when about to be left 14 Behaviour when left 14 Enrichment, games and training 16 Toys 17 Puppies: socialisation/habituation 18 Conclusions 19 Future work 20 Appendix 21 Dogs Trust 1 Executive summary Lifestyle changes ensued for many people across the United Kingdom Dog behaviour (UK) in the Spring of 2020 due to ‘lockdown’ restrictions imposed to • Dogs’ behaviour towards household members was reported curb the spread of a newly emerged virus, SARS-CoV-2, which caused by owners to have changed considerably during lockdown, a global pandemic of the disease known as COVID-19. with large increases seen in the proportion of dogs reported to display attention-seeking and ‘clingy’ behaviours. Compared with More than 6,000 dog owners living in the UK completed our online February, there was an 82% increase in the proportion of owners survey between the 4th – 12th May 2020 (the most restrictive phase of who reported that their dog whined or barked when someone the lockdown measures). Dog owners were asked about their dogs’ was working or busy during lockdown, and a 41% increase in management and routine and behaviour at two time points; in early/ owners reporting that their dog was being clingy and following people around the house. With most people spending more time mid-February 2020 (before the lockdown was imposed and prior at home, it should be noted that these increases may be linked to individuals being likely to have changed their behaviour due to to the increased opportunity for dogs to display these behaviours COVID-19), and at the time of survey completion during the lockdown. and for owners to observe these behaviours, rather than an actual Owners also answered questions about their relationship with their change in the dogs’ behaviour towards their human household dog, and the impact of lockdown on their bond with their dog to help members. Further detailed investigation is thus important. us understand the population of owners who took part. • Behaviours generally associated with fear or frustration also were reported to have increased in dogs during lockdown but remained Key findings include: relatively rare amongst the population as a whole. For example, Dog-owner bond there was a 54% increase in the percentage of dogs that were • The people who completed the survey were closely bonded to reported to hide or move away when approached by an adult, their dogs, with almost three-quarters of dog owners (72%) but the proportion of dogs impacted by this remained below 3% believing dogs should have the same rights and privileges as of the population. family members. • There was a 57% increase in dogs growling, snapping or • One-third of owners (34%) reported feeling closer to their dog nipping children when approached or handled during lockdown, during lockdown and 97% of owners were happy to have the presumably linked with greater interactions between dogs and company of their dog during lockdown. children due to school closures. However, the overall number of dogs displaying these behaviours remained low, below 3% of the • Almost two-thirds of owners (65%) indicated that they would population. delay hospital treatment to care for their dog, if needed. • The percentage of dogs who showed separation-related • A quarter (26%) of owners were concerned about what would behaviour (including destructive behaviour, toileting inside the happen to their dog should they become ill with COVID-19, and home, vocalisation) when about to be left, and when left alone, 4% of owners reported that no one was available to care for decreased significantly during lockdown, probably as dogs were their dog (either due to a lack of availability or due to the dog’s left less often and for shorter periods. behaviour). A further 3% owners had not yet tried to organise someone to look after their dog but thought no one would be available. Overall, the findings in this report describe some of the many and varied ways in which dogs’ lives were impacted by the COVID-19 lockdown and highlight the strong bond between dog and owner, and Dog management & routine the role this bond has played for owners during the pandemic. The • There was an increase in how often people played with or trained findings have impacts for managing the canine welfare implications their dogs during lockdown, particularly for owners answering, of previous, current and future COVID-19 lockdowns. At the time of ‘More than once a day’, which increased from 38% before writing this report (August 2020), local lockdowns are in place in some lockdown to 49% during lockdown. regions of the UK, the Government’s furlough scheme is still in place • The majority of owners (80%) reported that their dog’s routine and many people are still working from home, and redundancy rates had changed (57% a little, 23% a lot), with only 1 in 5 owners have increased. Vet practices are not permitting owners into consulting (20%) stating their dog’s routine had not altered compared with rooms, or offering euthanasia of dogs at the owner’s home, unless the before lockdown. dog is too unwell to travel to the veterinary surgery. These, and other • Dogs were less likely to be walked off-lead during lockdown and factors may impact on the health and well-being of dogs and the well- were more likely to have just one walk per day (increasing to being of owners themselves. Of particular concern in relation to the approximately one half of dogs, from one third before lockdown), findings of this report is the potential impact of any sudden increase in instead of two or more walks. However, the total time spent on the hours dogs are left alone in relation to separation-related behaviour, walks was broadly similar with 79% of dogs walked for between and potential delays for dog owners seeking hospital treatment if they 30 minutes and 2 hours a day. do not have anyone available to help care for their dog(s). • The proportion of dogs left alone for 3 or more hours at a time decreased dramatically from 1 in 2 before lockdown to 1 in 20 during lockdown. dogstrust.org.uk 2 Introduction The initial lockdown phase of the COVID-19 pandemic restricted business and leisure activities, access to services and led many people to adopt changes in lifestyle. These changes have the potential to impact the short- and long-term health and behaviour of dogs, as well as the wellbeing of dog owners. This report describes data collected from online survey completion by UK dog owners between survey launch (4th May 2020) and 12th May 2020, (i.e. during the first ‘strict’ phase of COVID-19 lockdown within the UK, and before widespread initial easing of lockdown restrictions). COVID-19 A novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) linked to cases of human viral pneumonia was first reported in Wuhan, People’s Republic of China in December 2019, and the disease it causes was subsequently named COVID-19 in February 2020. The World Health Organisation (WHO) characterised COVID-19 as a pandemic on 11th March 2020, noting the alarming levels of spread and severity of the disease. The WHO called for countries to take urgent and aggressive action to prevent infections. These and further details published by the WHO around the COVID-19 timeline are available online1. COVID-19 UK lockdown – key dates The first case of COVID-19 transmission in the UK was confirmed on 28th February 20202. Within the UK, lockdown restrictions around the message of ‘stay at home’ were announced by the Government on 23rd March 20203. Restrictions relating to staying at home, working from home where possible, closure of schools, exercise restrictions and restrictions to non-essential veterinary care were all hypothesised to impact canine welfare. Since 13th May, some restrictions have been eased. Key differences, statistics and dates across the four UK nations, which are relevant to this report, are summarised in Figure 1. Figure 1: Key dates up to the end of the first phase of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in the UK. 1 who.int/news-room/detail/29-06-2020-covidtimeline Accessed 2nd July 2020. 2 bfpg.co.uk/2020/04/COVID-19-timeline/ Accessed 2nd July 2020. 3 gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-address-to-the-nation-on-coronavirus-23-march-2020 Accessed 2nd July 2020 Dogs Trust 3 Potential impacts of lockdown Lockdown restrictions around the Government message of ‘stay at home’ were suggested to impact pet dogs within the UK, in terms of their management, behaviour and bond with their owners. Implications for owners were also anticipated, relating to the relationship with their dog, anxiety around aspects of caring for the dog such as accessing veterinary care and emotional support provided by the dog during the COVID-19 pandemic. Examples of key areas of interest which formed the focus of this research are listed below: Proportion of time that dog owners spent at home: • This increased for many owners due to working from home and/ or furlough.
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