Puppies Raised during the COVID-19 Lockdown Showed Fearful and Aggressive Behaviors in Adulthood: An Italian Survey

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prime Minister's decree issued by the Italian government on 9 March 2020, known as #Iorestoacasa (I stay at home), required everyone to stay indoors, with a few exceptions, from 11 March to 3 May 2020. This decree had a substantial impact on the mental health of both people and dogs. We carried out a national survey to compare the personalities of adult dogs who were puppies in lockdown (from March to May 2020) with those of adult dogs born after that time (from June 2020 to February 2021). Our results highlighted a significant increase in personality traits related to fear and aggression in dogs who experienced lockdown restrictions during their socialization period, further confirming that the COVID-19 pandemic strongly impacted the behavioral development of dogs. Therefore, it may be advantageous for these dogs to be closely monitored by veterinary behaviorists and receive specialized behavioral rehabilitation therapy to lower the risk of episodes of aggression and fearfulness as well as to increase the wellbeing of dogs raised under social restrictions.

Automated summary

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Italian government implemented a decree called #Iorestoacasa (I stay at home) from 11 March to 3 May 2020, requiring people to stay indoors with few exceptions. This measure had a significant impact on the mental health of both humans and dogs. A national survey compared the personalities of adult dogs that were puppies during the lockdown period with those born later. The results showed an increase in fear and aggression traits in dogs that experienced socialization restrictions, indicating the strong influence of the pandemic on their behavioral development. It is recommended to closely monitor these dogs and provide specialized behavioral rehabilitation therapy to reduce the risk of aggression and fearfulness and improve their well-being.