Should you get a new puppy during the Covid 19 coronavirus restrictions?

The Covid 19 coronavirus epidemic is causing huge upheaval within the UK as well as of course a high level of concern and worry over our health and that of our loved ones, and our ability to access basic supplies and services. For many people, working from home for the first time or being unable to work at all and of course, practicing social distancing and so, spending most of the time at home is proving to be a steep learning curve too.

Whilst we don’t know how long the acute stage of attempts to slow the spread of Covid 19 coronavirus and so, restrictions, will continue, the chances are that we’re looking at a few months rather than a few weeks of things being very different to normal, and lots of people spending the bulk of their time at home with lots of time on their hands.

With this in mind, many people are wondering if now might be the perfect time to get a new puppy if this is something they were already considering, given the amount of time they could dedicate to their new companion that they may not otherwise be able to find – and there are arguments to be made both for and against this.

Everyone needs to make their own decision about what is right for them of course, but as Covid 19 coronavirus is a societal issue and not just a personal one and we all have a part to play in the fight against it, this article will discuss both the pros and cons of buying a puppy during the coronavirus restrictions. Read on to learn more.

Someone at home

When you get a new young puppy and first bring them home, you really need to ensure someone is able to stay at home with them or at least be around nearby for their first couple of weeks, to reassure them, prevent them from getting into mischief, and to begin to establish their rules and routine.

This is time that some of us find hard to find; and so in this respect, the timing may be ideal.

Time to train them

Training a new puppy is a time-intensive procedure, and one that should be ongoing and undertaken in short, fun sessions from more or less as soon as the pup comes home. Working from home or being at home more and not working means you may have plenty of time to do this, which you might once more struggle to find otherwise.

Potential separation anxiety

On the flipside, puppies need a set routine and rules, and getting a puppy when these things are vastly different to normal means making a big upheaval in their lives weeks or months down the line when you return to work and/or society begins to function in a more routine manner once again.

Coupled with this, a puppy that has always had more or less continual human company may suffer from separation anxiety when this changes; puppies need to be gotten used to spending time alone progressively to avoid this, which may not be possible if you’re at home all the time with nowhere else to go!

Visiting litters and exposure

Dog breeders who have litters for sale or litters due are in a really difficult situation; they need to place their pups in homes as planned, whilst also practicing social distancing or for some households, self-isolation.

Visiting a litter or multiple litters isn’t compatible with social distancing, and may help to spread Covid 19 coronavirus, and so some breeders might not be offering visits at all; and both you and they should consider the potential risks as well as whether or not it is responsible to view litters at all.

Potential sickness

You might be fighting fit now, but many if not most people in the UK are expected to contract Covid 19 coronavirus at some point, and if or when this happened to you, how would you care for your puppy if you felt unwell and whilst isolating yourself? This is a big and important question, particularly when you factor in the fact you will also need to try to isolate yourself from other members of your household too, and that you may all become sick at the same time.

Access to training classes

Puppy training classes and one to one dog training sessions will have, or should have, stopped entirely as part of efforts to achieve social distancing, which means that if you were planning on using such services to help train your pup, you’re going to be on your own.

Unless you are confident and experienced in training and understanding dogs and specifically those of the breed you’re considering buying, you might not be able to train them successfully on your own and won’t have help to fall back on if this is the case.

This might result in ongoing problems with your adult dog that are very complicated to resolve further down the line.

Lack of safe opportunities to socialise the puppy

Socialisation is vitally important for puppies, and they need to have plenty of exposure to other pups and older dogs too. However, whilst adult dogs that are already well socialised can play and range together without the need for close human proximity, puppies need their owners and handlers fairly nearby; and this means that they would be close to each other too, which conflicts with social distancing principles.

This means that you won’t be able to socialise your new puppy effectively but also safely, which is a big problem.

Access to veterinary care

Veterinary clinics are working hard to offer their services to animals that need help, but also working hard to protect their staff and customers too, and in the future, to maintain their services as and when staff fall sick.

This means that getting access to care for routine and non-urgent treatments like health checks, vaccinations, and spay and neuter surgeries might be challenging, and once more, involve closer contact with others than is advisable or safe.