How To Help Your Stressed Out Dog

You think you’re the only one stressed being with your family 24/7? Your dog may be wondering what happened to their quiet time. After all, you and the kids are usually away from home all day. Now with the COVID-19 shutdown, the house is packed. Man’s best friend may be having a hard time adjusting.

We thought about your lovable pet in mid-April during National Dog Bite Prevention Week.

Turns out, it’s quite possible that your dog is stressed with the family at home all day. He/she isn’t used to the noise, attention, and lack of space.

Here’s what we found when we looked into the situation at the Insurance Information Institute (III).

How to Help Your Dog Cope with Sheltering At Home

These tips are offered by the National Dog Bite Prevention Week Coalition. The Insurance Information Institute is a member.

• Create a safe zone in your home for the dog. Make it a “den-like space” that is for the dog only. It can be as simple as a crate where the door is always open. Or just a quiet location that you don’t interfere with that the dog learns is his/her quiet space.
• Make sure you supervise small kids when they’re around the dog. When you’re not there to supervise, put up some gates to keep the little ones from bothering the dog.
• Now is a good time to mentally engage your dog. Teach him new cues. Many trainers are now offering virtual consultations if you need some advice.
• Keep your dog on a leash when you go out for a walk. And don’t allow her to interact with other dogs or people. Dogs should social distance, too.
• Think about what you’ll do if something happens to you. If you get sick do you have a plan for the dog? Who will take care of him? Other members of the family? A relative’s home? It’s best to figure this out ahead of time.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, dog bites and dog-related injuries accounted for almost one-third of all homeowners’ liability claims paid in 2019. The cost was a whopping $797 million. This is an increase of 18% over the payments in 2018.

The coronavirus pandemic is not making it any easier on dogs or their owners. We encourage you to consider that your dog is as vulnerable to the stresses of the “new normal” as the rest of your family.

You can find out more at the National Dog Bite Prevention Week website (link above). There’s lots of info on keeping your dog calm. Including some cute videos for the kids called “Jimmy’s Dog House.” They discuss some of the things kids do that can irritate your dog. Instead of you lecturing the kids, Jimmy will set them straight in a very nice way.

We hope you and your family are coping well as you hunker down at home. And that goes for the dog, too!

Until next time,
Your SZW Team

SZW Insurance is your Utica area Trusted Choice™ independent insurance agent. Call us for a quote on insurance for your home, car, business, or life at 315.792.0000. Or request a quote here. In Westchester County call Zak Scalzo at 914.246.0315 or email at zaks@szwinsurance.com.