Dogs have always been “Man’s best friend” and a staple of the “nuclear family”, but this doesn’t make dog-owning an easy process, especially with the time needed to properly raise and care for any animal. Which is why, when the first COVID-19 lockdown was initiated, many people with more time on their hands decided to purchase and adopt dogs and puppies.

This one decision is life-changing for both owners and dogs, and because these animals are a lifelong commitment, they shouldn’t be bought on a whim.

One effect of this decision is that these dogs are having mountains of issues, mainly in regards to extreme anxiety, according to phys.org, especially puppies.

With everyone being home all the time and then suddenly going back to work and school as restrictions lift, these people-dependent dogs are going into near panic when their humans are not around. Unfortunately, there isn’t a one-size-fits all solution to properly combat these issues, as it differs from dog-to-dog, and dog trainers have a variety of different methods.

A pivotal socialization period, the first three months, is where the majority of behavioral issues come from, as most of these “COVID-Puppies” or “Generation P” puppies had abnormal experiences due to a lack of socialization and normal contact with other dogs in this timeframe and beyond. A lot of these owners are also inexperienced in the dog-training process, and even more are first-time dog owners.

“It’s great that a lot of people are getting them from shelters, but also if you’re not going to give that puppy a whole lifetime of support… no, don’t get a dog,” junior Christina Derry said.

Some may argue that this adoption-influx is a good thing, as it means fewer dogs in shelters and an improvement on our mental health because of this companionship, but the cons outweigh the pros here. More inexperienced owners trying to raise their new furry companions without research or a trainer means even more issues are likely to arise in the dog, and the dog-training world is notoriously hard to navigate with many conflicting views.

These aren’t merely related to separation anxiety either; oftentimes, dogs, especially high-intensity breeds, get bored or frustrated and act out destructively in response to a lack of stimulation.

So how do you solve these issues? There isn’t a magical solution, it depends on the dog, the behavior and external factors and triggers. The only surefire note, especially when researching online for help, is this: It’s best to learn and utilize all four quadrants of dog training (also called ‘balanced training’ methods), working with a trainer based on the personality of the dog and the issue at hand.

“Go find a trainer that really specializes… fitting to each dog’s needs instead of, ‘oh this program works for every dog.’ No, it probably doesn’t,” Derry said.

Everyone wants the best for their dogs, but giving them everything they want and never having consequences or stimulating them (mentally and physically) only opens doors for issues to grow into a difficult mess.