Controlled Chaos

As the world reopens, routines are changing. Is anyone else finding this stressful? Does it take you longer to process your environment and make decisions? Are you shocked at what the bottom of peoples’ faces look like? While you may be vaccinated, your children may not be. Doing the back of the envelope Covid risk assessment before gatherings can sap the energy right out of you. 

While your dog isn’t making Covid risk assessments, he is making risk assessments of his own. Are the sounds of helicopters, delivery trucks, or cicadas a threat? Are the sights of children running down the street, bicyclists, people playing basketball, or other dogs a threat? In my observation, as a dog’s risk assessment frequency increases, the dog’s resilience decreases. 

Please consider this before bringing your dog to backyard BBQs or friends’ and family’s homes. As people socialize in-person more, ask yourself if these gatherings are appropriate for your dog. Post social distancing, it’s unlikely that your dog has had sufficient practice greeting adults or children without jumping and nipping. Can your dog settle amidst controlled chaos? 

If you are hosting family and friends in your own home, give your dog lots of breaks and encourage your dog to stay out of the fray. Your dog may seem “fine” only to lunge and bark once a guest gets up to refresh their drink. Dogs just haven’t had enough practice with these activities to truly enjoy them. Environmental variability can stress dogs out. If your dog is greatly affected by his environment, best to leave him in a quiet room at home while you catch up with friends and family. 

But how will they learn to cope with their environment, you ask? In small incremental systematic steps. Regardless of your timeline, your dog sets the pace. Exposure to controlled chaos can start with sitting on a park bench. Engage your dog while you both watch the world go by. 

Until your dog has been prepared for post vaccination socialization, let your dog sit this celebration out. Reach out to your local force-free professional dog trainer for a personalized plan that sets you and your dog up for success!