疫情隔離導致寵物狗焦慮 狗吠聲和咬人的情況增多

Dogs have struggled during lockdown with owners reporting an increase in barking and biting. Charity the Dogs Trust carried out a study to explore the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Britain’s pooches, and have warned of an impending behaviour crisis in pets. More than 25% of owners say their dog has developed at least one new problem since the start of lockdown. This is combined with a staggering 82% of owners reporting an increase in barking, or whining when they are busy.
狗在疫情期間很受折磨，狗主人都說吠叫和咬人的情況增多。慈善機構“狗狗信託會”開展了一項研究，證實新冠疫情對英國狗狗的影響，並警告說寵物將出現行爲危機。有超過四分之一的狗主人說開始居家隔離以後，狗狗至少出現了一種新問題。此外，多達82%的狗主人說吠聲增多，或者他們在忙的時候狗亂叫的情況有所增加。

The study also found online searches for ‘dog bark’ increased by around 48% – and searches for ‘dog bite’ increased by around 40%. Rachel Casey, from the charity, said: ‘These are challenging times as millions of us across the country have had our daily lives turned upside down. ‘While some dogs have been happy to have their human family at home more, others have been stressed by reduced exercise, inability to find a quiet place to rest or no contact with other dogs. ‘Our research shows some early warning signs that lockdown is having a negative impact on some dogs’ behaviour.
研究也發現網上對“狗叫”的搜索量增加了約48%，“狗咬人”的搜索量增加了約40%。該慈善機構的Rachel Casey說：“現在我們正處於困難時期，全國有數百萬人的日常生活都發生了徹底改變。雖然有些狗狗覺得主人在家的時間多了很開心，但其他狗狗因爲鍛鍊減少、沒有安靜的休息地方或者不能和其他狗狗玩而變得焦躁。我們的研究發現了隔離對狗狗行爲產生消極影響的早期徵兆。”
‘A big worry for us is what the long-term impact of lockdown will have on dogs’ ability to cope when left home alone. ‘Dogs that had separation anxiety before the lockdown are likely to get worse when left again as owners head back to work – but we also expect to see new cases developing, because other dogs, and particularly puppies, have learnt to expect company all day.’ People have also seen a 20% increase in their dogs frequently seeking attention, and there has been a 54% rise in the number of people saying their dog has hidden or moved away when approached. The Dogs Trust said it is now worries that if these behavioural problems aren’t identified and treated early on that the country could see an increase in dog abandonment in the future – or even euthanasia. The charity, which said the single biggest reason why dogs are abandoned is because of behaviour-related issues, predicts that up to 40,000 dogs could be at risk of abandonment as a result of the pandemic.
我們很大的一個擔憂就是隔離對獨自在家的狗狗會產生什麼長期影響。主人復工，狗狗又要被獨自留在家了，疫情前就有分離焦慮的狗狗在疫情之後情況會變得更糟，但也可能出現新情況，因爲其他狗狗，尤其是小狗崽，已經習慣了期待一整天都有人陪。人們發現狗狗頻繁吸引注意力的情況增加了20%，說接近狗狗時狗狗躲起來或跑掉的人數增加了54%。狗狗信託會表示，現在大家普遍有個擔憂的問題，如果這些行爲問題沒有被早期認定並治療的話，那未來全國範圍內會有更多狗狗被拋棄，甚至安樂死。該慈善機構說寵物狗被拋棄最主要的原因是寵物狗行爲相關的問題，意味着受疫情影響，有多達40,000只狗狗將有被遺棄的風險。