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Pets — like their humans — had to adjust during the pandemic. As dog trainers, we have seen a stream of dog owners call us for training advice for what we call panic pandemic puppies. Many of these dog owners had plenty of time on their hands over the last year and now they are getting ready to go back to work and all of the sudden they need to do something with their dog to make sure they are safe in their home, or shall we say, the home stays safe from destructive tendencies. On today’s show, we are going to talk all about how pets need to return to a new normal routine that may include you being away from home most of the day.

Prefer to listen? Check out the Dog Works Radio podcast below and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts 

Our dogs, and other pets, got used to people being at home most of the time, just as people learned how to juggle caring for their pets while also doing their jobs remotely.

But now, with Covid-19 vaccinations picking up, if you have a pet, it’s time to prepare them for your return to normal — whatever that may look like post-pandemic.

And, according to some animal experts, it’s going to take time for them to adjust.

Remember, they had to make adjustments too: Some pets had to make a real adjustment to the sudden 24/7 intimacy of people being home all day, especially in households with small children.

Others were adopted during the pandemic.

“The overall percentage of US households owning pets notched up to 56% in 2020, with 44% of households owning dogs, 25% owning cats, and 12% owning other pets (including fish, birds, small mammals, and reptiles/amphibians),” according to Packaged Facts, a market research firm.

“Among current pet-owning households, 35% adopted pets in the 12-month period ending February 2021,” Packaged Facts said.

That means millions of pets have no sense of what “normal” life looked like.

Humans need pets as much as pets need humans, experts say. Patches agrees.

Start leaving them alone for a few hours at a time: So, if you’re planning a return to the office, Dr. Douglas Kratt, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, recommends you start by leaving your pet for two or three hours at a time daily, so they aren’t caught off guard when you’re gone for eight or more hours a day.

… but don’t fully change routines just yet: While you may be changing your routine, Kratt told CNN it’s helpful to keep pets as close to their routine as possible and make sure that “you’re not forgetting things because you’re into a new routine.”

Dr. Dana Varble, chief veterinary officer for the North American Veterinary Community, suggests pet owners keep some of the habits formed during the pandemic, such as taking their dogs for a walk during their lunch breaks.

Consider a pet sitter or dog walker: If your new normal doesn’t include time for that, Varble said it may be time to re-hire the dog walker or pet sitter you had before the pandemic, which can then give your pet some familiarity.

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Consider Day Training: Many pet owners do not know that there is an option for day training your dog while you are at work. It is sort of like a pet sitter, where you trainer comes to your home a couple times a week and instead of going on a walk the trainer works with your dog on obedience commands. The added bonus to this is not only does your dog get out and get some exercise during the day but they get to learn some new skills along the way. In fact, our company, Alaska Dog Works is working on starting a day training program in the very new future. Head over to Alaska Dog Works.com to check it out.

Keep up the good habits formed during the pandemic, such as taking more walks with your dog. Petey loves walks — as long as there are no other dogs nearby.

“In the last several years we’ve done a lot of research that’s shown that a lot of animals have a much more significant and longer-lasting memory than we thought that they did,” Varble said.

Realize that readjustment times will vary: Pets will need about four weeks to adjust to a new routine, Varble said — but noted that different animals are more adaptable than others.

Cats, for example, she said, need longer and may show signs of stress for up to six months.

“Although they’re a lot more independent, I think that they really, really thrive on routine.”

Regardless, if you see unwelcomed behavior in your pet — including vocalizing or shredding of toys — Varble said “it’s really important” to stick with your routine. But, if you notice more harmful behavior, it’s OK to correct it, she said.

Leave some distractions around: I would suggest dog owners find fun distractions for their dogs while they’re gone, such as leaving dog videos or easy listening music on. In fact, we have an entire playlist on our Youtube channel called Music for Dogs

Get your dog a new toy or food puzzle to keep them entertained as they adjust to less human interaction. These distractions can give your pet the comfort to be able to control access to all their basic needs. We urge you to understand the importance for dogs to have as much consistency as possible and that small environmental changes can cause them to stress.

Have you seen the new pet dispensers and monitors? Our favorite is the NPET Smart Pet Camera Dog Treat Dispenser, WiFi Pet Monitor Indoor with 2-Way Audio, 1080P Night Vision, App Control Compatible, and with Alexa for Dogs & Cats. This nifty device has a Fun Pet Treat Dispenser: From the NPET dog camera App, treats at varying distances, which keeps your pet entertained for hours. Just fill it with your pets’ favorite treats, play a game of fun and reward them for good behavior. Compatible with a variety of dry, crunchy dog and cat treats. There is a link to buy in our show notes.

Keep an eye on any behavioral changes: Watch out for signs of separation anxiety. Watch out for sudden changes in your dog’s normal eating routine and even destructive behavior while you are gone.

Remember your bond with your pet: Some of the changes of returning to in-person work and school will stress us out just as much as it stresses our pets.

That’s why experts say it’s important to remember you need your pet as much as your pet needs you.

“Pets can help us manage our stress and keep our calm,” Varble said. “I think it’s still important you celebrate your bond with your pet, your human-animal bond, as a great source of stress relief in your life.”

Pets are often like members of the family, so you might worry about what will happen if you’re no longer around to take care of them. This is a very important show and kind of an eye-opener for me. If you follow us on social media you may have heard that I had a bit of a health scare and ended up in the hospital. While it was nothing major, just a bad kidney stone, I did end up spending the night in the hospital and for the first time in more than 25 years, I was not home to take care of my dogs.

Prefer to listen? Check out the Dog Works Radio podcast below and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts 

Setting up a pet trust to benefit your pet can put your mind at ease, and you don’t have to be a billionaire to do it. If you are in a very unique position like my husband and business partner, Robert and I this is something very important that you will need to listen to. As the owner of not only, Alaska Dog Works, where we also operate a sled dog kennel with 37 dogs. They are expensive and we want to make sure we have done the right thing now so that they will be cared for in the event that something tragic happens to us. If you would like to learn more, please check out the episode, Pet Trusts on Dog Works Radio.com

On today’s show, we are talking about pet trusts and why you might think about setting one up for your pet. Oh, one last thing before we get started, you may notice a little change in format to our show. I hope you like it.

Why a pet trust?

A trust, a legal entity that holds property and money for beneficiaries, is a good option to care for a pet because you can’t leave property, cash, or life insurance money directly to an animal.

Pet trusts got a dubious reputation after hotel heiress Leona Helmsley left $12 million in trust for her white Maltese, Trouble, and nothing to two of her four grandchildren. A year after Helmsley died in 2007, a judge reduced the dog’s trust to $2 million. Trouble lived in the lap of luxury until she died at age 12 in 2011.

Trouble’s original trust may have been excessive, but pet trusts make sense in some situations, and life insurance can be a good way to fund them, says Gerry Beyer, co-author with Barry Seltzer of “Fat Cats & Lucky Dogs: How to Leave (Some of) Your Estate to Your Pet.”

“If you care about your pet, you need to make proper arrangements and plan,” says Beyer, a professor at the Texas Tech University School of Law. Too often, he adds, “family members do not want to be bothered, and the animal ends up at the pound.”

Your pet may be part of the family, but the law considers animals property. That’s why you can’t leave money directly to your pet. “You might as well leave money to your desk or your car,” Beyer says.

Three primary options 

There are three main ways of planning for pet care after your death:

• Traditional trust: You can set up a traditional trust for a pet. With a traditional trust, you provide instructions for the pet’s care, appoint a caregiver, and name a trustee to manage the money. If you fund the trust with life insurance, you name the trustee as the beneficiary and include the name of the trust on the document. Your life insurance company will tell you how to word the designation. You can also designate a portion of a life insurance policy to go to the pet trust and the remainder to go to other beneficiaries, such as your children.

• Statutory pet trusts: With a statutory pet trust, you put a simple direction in your will, such as “I leave $5,000 in trust for the care of Rover,” Beyer says. The probate court will fill in the gaps, appointing people to provide care and oversee the money. Minnesota is the only state that does not recognize statutory pet trusts, but Beyer expects that to change. The downside of a statutory pet trust is it doesn’t let you leave detailed instructions for the pet’s care.

Setting up a pet trust to benefit your pet can put your mind at ease, and you don’t have to be a billionaire to do it. Click To Tweet

• Pet Protection Agreement: If you don’t need to leave substantial money for the care of a pet, another option is a do-it-yourself Pet Protection Agreement available through LegalZoom. The agreement, created by animal law and estate attorney Rachel Hirschfeld, lets you spell out instructions for care of your pets and is signed by both you and the pet guardian. It is legally binding.

A traditional trust gives you the most latitude in financially planning for the pet’s care, Beyer says. You can spell out all the details — from what your pet should be fed to how often he should see the vet to where he should sleep.

If you’re using life insurance to provide the pet-care money, you’ll need to decide what type of policy makes the most sense considering your age and the pet’s age:

• Term life insurance will cover you for a certain number of years, such as 10, 20 or 30. If you’re likely to outlive your pet and you want coverage in case you die prematurely, term life will work.
• If your pet is likely to outlive you, a permanent life insurance policy, which covers your entire life span, is the best choice. (It is also more expensive than term life insurance.)

When to consider a pet trust

Pet trusts are especially important if you have a pet with a long life span, says attorney Kim Bressant-Kibwe, the trusts, estates, and planned-giving counsel for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

African grey parrots, for instance, generally live 50 to 70 years. Horses usually live about 25 years, Bressant-Kibwe says, “but I know of one who lived past 50.” Some tortoises have been known to live more than 150 years.

Pet trusts also are advisable for people with exotic pets, which would be hard to place in new homes, or for people with multiple pets.

Mistakes to avoid

The pet trust that Helmsley set up for little Trouble was problematic from the start. A judge reduced it at the request of the estate’s trustees because it was so obviously excessive. It also ran into problems because the trust document directed Helmsley’s brother or her grandson to care for the dog. But neither wanted to, so the trustees had to find someone else to provide care.

To avoid such problems, follow these tips from Bressant-Kibwe when setting up a pet trust.

• Talk to the people you want to care for your pets to make sure they’re willing to do it.
• Choose a trustee who is different from the pet caregiver. This provides a system of checks and balances.
• Name successors for the trustee and caregiver in case either is unable to perform the role.
• Get referrals for estate attorneys who have handled pet trusts before. Ask your local animal welfare organization for names.
• Be reasonable with the amount you set aside for your pet, so the trust doesn’t become a target for disgruntled relatives.
• Designate where the remainder of the money in the trust will go when the pet dies. An animal welfare organization is a good option. Don’t designate the remaining money for the caregiver, Bressant-Kibwe advises. That would give the caregiver reason to want the animal to die sooner and perhaps skimp on care. You can designate money in the trust to compensate the caregiver while the animal is alive.
• Provide detailed instructions. “Don’t assume your caregiver and trustee will know how your pet should be taken care of.”

Thinking about what would happen to your pets if something happened to you is part of being a responsible pet parent, Bressant-Kibwe says.

“We don’t want pets to end up at the doors of shelters,” she says.

To find the right coverage amount and compare prices, use NerdWallet’s life insurance comparison tool.

What do you think? Is a pet trust something you might need to consider? Let us know in the comment section if you are listening on social media.

If you’re thinking this might be a good time to adopt a dog, you’re not the only one.

The Mat Su Animal Shelter usually adopts 10 to 20 dogs in one month, according to the adoption counselor, that number is much higher now we are in a pandemic. Colleen Bernhard, the director of operations at Lucky Dog Animal Rescue, told us that in one week in March, “we brought in 149 animals from high-kill shelters and adopted out 134. That is our average for one month normally.”

Prefer to listen? Check out the Dog Works Radio podcast below and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts 

Some rescues are seeing an unprecedented number of foster applications. Sue Bell, executive director of Homeward Trails, told us its foster applications have increased more than 50%.

It makes sense — in an era of shelter-in-place orders and social distancing, many of us long for a little companionship (and a reason to see the light of day). Before you rush into adopting a canine companion, here are a few things to consider.

1. Don’t adopt just because of the lockdown.

The coronavirus pandemic won’t last forever, and adopting a dog is a long-term commitment.

Michele Forto, our own certified dog trainer and owner of Alaska Dog Works, recommends thinking through some basic questions. For example:

• How much time will you have to care for a dog, now and post-pandemic?
• Do you have the funds to adopt right now? Do you have job security or extra savings to cover unforeseen pet-related expenses?
• How much space do you have for a dog? Does your current housing situation allow for pets?
• How much time and energy are you willing to commit to training a dog?
• Consider your lifestyle. Do you want a dog that can run miles with you every day? Or are you looking for a less active dog that will be content skipping walks here and there?

Think about your life post-pandemic. Make sure you’re adopting a dog that matches that lifestyle, not your current one or your aspirational one.

Speaking from experience, Forto notes that a lot of people like to think they’re more active than they actually are. “They’re actually not going out and really hitting the trails all day, every day in a way that some of these really, really high-energy dogs do need.”

2. There are upsides to adopting a dog during the pandemic.

Forto warns, “I would really caution people who weren’t thinking in January that they might get a dog in 2020 against springing on that now.”

But if you were planning to adopt a dog before the coronavirus pandemic, now could be a great time to take that step. More time at home means more time to bond with a new dog.

You’ll also have increased availability to work on training. This can be especially helpful if your dog needs to be crate trained or if you’ve adopted a puppy or a rescue with more behavioral concerns.

Forto recommends implementing a training protocol called Positive Reinforcement:

• See your dog doing something you like.
• Mark it by saying “good dog” or “yes.”
• Reward your dog.

“If you are using treats, counting out 50 pieces of kibble and rewarding your dog for 50 small good things throughout the day,” says Forto. “If you do this and nothing else to train your dog, you’re going to end up with a relatively nice dog.”

If you adopt a fearful or anxious dog, this is a good time to work through some of those issues. You can take it for walks during off-peak hours and slowly build up to meeting strangers

3. There are also downsides to adopting during the pandemic.

Socialization, which is important for puppies and fearful dogs, will be more difficult to achieve in an era of social distancing.

If you feel like you’re in over your head, it’ll be harder to seek help from outside sources. You won’t be able to take your dog to classes.

Don’t delay dog training just because you can’t go somewhere in person! A lot of dog trainers are currently offering online classes, and YouTube is a great resource if you need to teach your dog basic commands like sit, stay or come.

Another downside? You may have limited access to necessary supplies. Try to anticipate everything you’ll need initially to care for your new dog. You’ll want to minimize trips to the pet store and consider how many orders you place online. Deliveries could be delayed. Cleaning supplies are still hard to find in some places, so plan for that too.

If you don’t have a car and you’re avoiding ride-hailing services right now, consider how you plan to transport your dog to the vet.

Should I adopt a dog during the pandemic? Click To Tweet

It’s not fun to think about, but the Humane Rescue Alliance urges people to have an emergency preparedness plan for what happens to their pet if they fall ill. You may want to prepare an emergency supply kit for your pet with two weeks’ worth of food, medications, and other necessary supplies.

4. Make a plan for the transition to post-pandemic life.

If you’re working from home, currently furloughed, or unemployed, you’re able to spend 24/7 with your new dog. “Down the line, when you do restart work, that might be a really big shift for your dog,” Fratt notes.

Sticking to a schedule will help your dog transition to post-pandemic life. Fratt recommends feeding and walking your dog at the same time every day.

If you plan to be out of the house 40 hours a week when this is over, plan some time apart from your dog now so it doesn’t come as a total shock later.

“One of the beautiful things with this pandemic is you can build up to this,” says Fratt. Try leaving your dog alone incrementally — you can start out with as little as three minutes, graduating to five minutes, then 10, then 20, and beyond!

5. Budget at least $100 per month for pet-related expenses on top of initial costs.

The initial costs of adopting a dog are high. You’ll have a lot of upfront expenses: food, a bed, a crate, a collar and leash, medicine, vet visits, shots, toys, etc.

After that, expect to budget around $100 per month for pet-related expenses, not including money for training or dog walkers. If you plan on hiring a dog walker post-pandemic, that could potentially cost you $100 per week.

During the 2008 financial crisis, pet surrenders went up because people could no longer afford to take care of their dogs.

If you’ve gotten to this point and you’re convinced that adopting a dog right now is right for you, then…

6. The adoption process is different now. Prepare for it.

Even though shelters are closed and rescues have paused in-person adoption events, many are hosting virtual meet-and-greets. Check with your local rescues to find out how they’re handling adoptions in light of COVID-19.

Focus on the quality, not quantity, of your adoption applications. Molina, of City Dogs Rescue, suggests you “scope out one or two rescues that you do want to adopt with and … stick with the process.”

Molina also recommends checking the rescue’s social media accounts for the latest available dogs — they’re likely to be more up to date than the website during periods of high demand.

Consider looking at dogs that have been at the shelter for the longest. If you’re willing to adopt a puppy or take on harder behaviors, include that on your application too. Molina says that this could make it easier for an adoption counselor to match you with a dog sooner.

Be prepared for an online home visit. If you demonstrate you’re thinking about the future, it will make you a more attractive candidate.

Molina advises, “You might say something like, ‘I’m working from home right now. I don’t need a dog walker. But when I go back to work, I intend to send my dog to daycare or get a local dog walker to come visit when I’m at work.’ … People who are demonstrating long-term thinking, those [people] are going to stand out more than people who are kind of impulse-applying for a dog.”

Specificity — and patience — are key in the adoption process.

If you’re not sure if you want to adopt or if you’re not sure what kind of dog you can handle long term, fostering or dog-sitting are great options. Get some practice — you don’t have to adopt right now just because you have more time at home.