Pandemic has trainers finding ways to teach new pet owners old tricks

By SHERYL RICH-KERN
Granite State News Collaborative

Once the pandemic hit, dog trainer Denise Mazzola pivoted to Zoom where she can accommodate more clients at once. Courtesy photo.

KEENE — Denise Mazzola of Everything Dog has been training dogs and their owners for more than two decades. When the coronavirus pandemic infiltrated the U.S., she figured her business would be another lockdown casualty.

But instead, a surge occurred.

As people sheltered in their homes, they sought comfort in four-legged companions. Between the weeks of March 15 and April 15, the number of adoption inquiries on petfinder.com, an online, searchable database of animals who need homes, jumped 122 percent, according to a spokesperson from Purina, which owns the site.

But the puppy honeymoon can be short-lived once the chewing, biting and barking begins. This is typically when canine owner newbies cry out for behavior modification.

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