My humans and I are now approaching the third week of self – quarantine because of the Covid 19 Coronavirus. Now this doesn’t mean a lot to a dog, but I thought you needed to know my take on it and how your fur babies may be affected.
First of all, if you have a fur baby, how lucky for you. I bet you’re getting much needed emotional support with the extra time you’re spending with them. I can tell when my humans are under stress, so I try to give them extra attention. You can also learn a lot from us. So far I’ve been able to teach Warren and Carol how to adjust their schedule. They have done very well at following my regimen:
- Wake Up
- Go Potty
- Eat
- Nap
- Go For a Walk
- Nap
- Repeat
We had already planned on spending this time at our Myrtle Beach condo due to Mama Carol having knee replacement surgery. She felt this was a great place to recover. Just get out of the car, into the elevator and into the condo. Physical therapy comes in every few days to help and they are pleased with her progress. I’m also pleased to report that Carol has been teaching Warren to “fetch” things for her and his training is coming along great (you’re such a good boy!).
Warren and I have made trips back home to check on things including making sure to replenish my supply of dog food. When I was a pup, our friend Phyllis Ashley Beasley introduced us to the Nutro brand. And this has served me well over the last 12 years. PetSmart is offering online ordering of your pet products with store pickup. Warren placed the order, payed with a credit card and upon arriving at the store found they even had a special parking place reserved. He calls the store to let them know he has arrived and they bring out the order and load it into the car.
So if you’re needing pet supplies and have a PetSmart in your area, this is a good way to keep contact with people and surfaces to a minimum. Other pet stores may have similar programs.
Even though we pets don’t seem to be able to carry or transmit the virus, it’s a good idea to wash your hands after petting us, especially if you’ve been able to go outside and maybe our leash may have touched something. Of course I love the attention other humans give me but Warren is keeping me a good social distance so they won’t pet me and perhaps leave something on my fur.
Other things to consider during this pandemic include having a backup plan for your pets if you become ill. Many kennels and shelters may not be taking pets in due to closings or working with a reduced staff. So if you’re in a position to help, fostering a pet during this time will keep some of my fur brothers and sisters happy. And you may find it to be good therapy for you too. Here is an article about fostering pets during the Pandemic. And while we may not need those 80 jumbo packs of toilet paper like our humans, we do need adequate supply of food and any medicines that may be required. You don’t want to be out in stores any more than necessary.
Everyone stay safe and have the optimism of a dog looking forward to its next treat!