Did you know a dog’s hearing ability is almost seven times that of a human? That would be like your younger brother shouting into your ear with a microphone outside the engine of an aircraft.  Now imagine your dog’s plight during Diwali when loud firecrackers would go off constantly and without warning. Not surprisingly, this is the time when most pets (dogs and cats, in this case) go missing trying to seek a hideout to get away from the loud sounds and people.

This sparkling festival of lights and happiness can easily turn into a time of tremendous stress and horror for our four-legged children. Alleviating their suffering at this time of the year should be one of your key priorities as a pet parent. Here are some tips to help you to be more mindful and careful about your pet’s needs during this difficult period for them.

Almost three months ago, pet parents and their dogs first adjusted to a whole new normal - we were home all through the day and many of us had to cut down on walks with our dogs too. Now, as the lockdown is lifted across various places, more and more of us have been stepping out of our work-from-home routines. This means we must gradually get ourselves and our buddies ready and prepared for the way things were before.

In this changing context, separation anxiety could be a major issue that some dogs and pet parents might have to confront once again. We catch up with canine behaviour expert 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗹, 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗦, to give us her invaluable guidance on what exactly separation anxiety is, how it relates to generalised anxiety, and how to prepare every dog to deal with the human closest to their heart getting out of the house.