The world is (hopefully) working hard to live with the new concept of Social Distancing to protect us all. For a social species it isn’t easy. For people used to schedules and habits, it isn’t easy. For people with plans, anticipating future adventures, it isn’t easy.

However, it has one lovely benefit for those of us with dogs… we get to enjoy our dogs 24/7. And the dogs get to enjoy us. One would think this is a silver lining of this very dark cloud. And mostly, it is.

But what happens when life returns to normal? (It will; it may be a new normal but it will.) What happens when our dogs, used to being constantly at our side, no longer have us around? For some, it won’t make a big difference. They will adjust as they always have. For others, it could be devastating.

As a preventive for all, I suggest a new kind of Social Distancing… from our dogs. Times during the week when we leave them home alone… for shorter and for longer times. Here are some ideas in no particular order.[1] Varying them will keep things more interesting for both of you:

• Leave and sit on the front porch without your dog. Enjoy your morning coffee or evening cocktail
• Work in the back yard but leave your dog in the house
• Leave your dog in the house and sit in your car for 15 minutes (here is some good social media time for you).
• Leave your dog, drive around the block, park and read a good book (or knit!) for an hour
• Leave your dog if you have to go out to shop.
• Leave your dog while you go for a walk (that would be a very hard one for me since we always walk together).
• Make the way you do this as close to what you did before our shelter in place orders and what you are likely to do after as possible.

Vary what you do. Keep it fun for you. That will keep it fun for your dog…. It’s just practice for the future when your dog will go back to being left alone in the same way s/he was before this new/temporary normal. But, please, do it. You owe it to your dog!

[1] This is not a list in order of work that might be done with a dog who already has separation anxiety although many of the ideas come from that work. If your dog is suffering from separation anxiety, please consult an expert. Here is a great place to start: https://malenademartini.com/