After a long day, most people want to go home and unwind, for many this means going home to their dogs. Whether it’s a Poodle or a Great Dane, dogs and humans have a special bond. This one-of-a-kind mutualist relationship has been deeply embedded into each species brains since before modern technology. Because of our new normal many owners are working from home and rarely leaving the house. This leaves dogs with a constant companion all day. Is this new change good for owners and their pets or is there such thing as too much quality time?

According to Cathy Madson, a writer for Preventive Vet, it is important for dogs and their owners to have time apart from each other. Dogs whose owners are constantly present can develop separation anxiety, which can lead to more serious health problems, like cuts or broken teeth from chewing on objects when away from their guardians.

“It’s much easier to prevent separation anxiety than it is to fix after the fact, and teaching your dog how to be alone is the number one thing you can do for anxiety prevention,” Madson wrote. Coronavirus can amplify these types of issues when there is no option to leave the house.

Dog owners, like Karen Galvan, have seen these new issues come to life in the midst of the lockdown.
“My dog Mango, who is a Yorkie Terrier, never used to cry at my door when life was normal, but now that he knows I’m home he is always trying to get in my room,” Galvan said.

Ashli Slesinger enjoys the quality time with her dog and believes the time they spend together is beneficial to all parties.
“I love that I am home all the time to play with Lacy [her dog], it is great because I feel like I was always busy with school. But I do think she has gotten more clingy to my family since quarantine. But I don’t really see it as a bad thing,” Slesinger said.