This article was written by a student of ENGL 2310: Introduction to Journalism, which is taught by Mike Pulley.

At the start of quarantine in March, people all over the country figured out ways to stay sane in isolation. Many people adopted animals this year to deal with the isolation of the pandemic. 

However, being cooped up inside with a dog that cannot be introduced to new people does have some adverse effects. 

This year’s rescued animals tend to be hyper-attached to their owners, according to Lynn Bowden, a veterinarian at Crosswinds Animal Hospital in Greenville, SC.

“These are pets who display signs of anxiety when separated from their primary attachment persons,” said Bowden. This can be seen when the owner leaves the house, and in extreme cases even when the owner just leaves the room. 

Separation anxiety is hard to overcome, but Bowden does have some recommendations: walk your dog off your property at least once a day to expose them to other environments, reward your dog for friendliness and allow them proper space and time to explore foreign areas while on walks. 

Another characteristic that dogs need to learn is how to be comfortable by themselves. Allie Rangel from Allie’s Doggie Day Camp in San Jose, CA recommends boarding your dog overnight. This gets them used to being without their owner while simultaneously letting them interact with other dogs. 

Suzanne Reed from San Jose, CA has not been able to regularly take her new dog to groomers, dog parks or boarding facilities. She stated that these limited interactions “have really hurt his ability to be alone for long periods of time.”

Another way to avoid hyper-attachment is to begin pet training as soon as possible, according to California K9 Solutions, a training and boarding facility in San Jose, CA. This is necessary so that “any negative behaviors do not continue to develop or become regular behavior.” Training dogs early on teaches them the appropriate behaviors they will adhere to for the rest of their lives.

While we all may be dealing with a new way of life recently, it is important that new dog owners find ways to expose their dog to new environments. Clinginess in puppies is relatively common, but due to the pandemic and various social distancing safety measures, it is hard to introduce them to new things. And while it may seem cute at first, this severe dependency does hurt them if they cannot handle being by themselves.