Dog education specialists in Quebec permitted to reopen Monday

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MONTREAL — The organization that trains and educates dogs in Quebec will be able to restart its activities Monday after being forced to halt operations due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The Regroupement quebecois des intervenants en education canine (RQIEC) sent a letter to the Quebec government asking when it can restart its operations as the window for socializing puppies is fast closing, and extended confinement could damage dogs’ abilities to learn social skills.

The organizations said in the letter that prolonged confinement measures will “greatly impact the development of puppies.”

“In the short term, Puppies who have experienced confinement risk developing fears of the presence of humans, animals or objects they are not familiar with,” the letter reads.

In the long term, dogs’ fears may increase and the risk increases of them becoming aggressive, the RQIEC said.

The province’s workers health and safety board (CNESST) responded that canine education workers can begin offering services June 15.

The RQIEC is an organization that trains dogs with behavioural issues such as barking, jumping on and biting people, aggression and over-excitement.