Although some of us might be going a little stir-crazy during this shelter in place order as we are forced to stay home and practice social distancing while navigating the new world of online school and work, there is no denying that one family member is having the time of their life: our dogs. With all of their favorite humans home, the dogs around the nation are triumphing. 

Dog-owners everywhere can rejoice because the World Health Organization has announced that “there is no evidence that a dog, cat or any pet can transmit COVID-19.” According to the American Kennel Club’s website, the “novel coronavirus, aka COVID-19, is believed to not be a health threat to dogs.” Dogs might not completely understand what’s going on in the world right now, but they’re not too bothered with these unprecedented levels of attention and playtime. 

With extra time on our hands now that sports and extracurriculars are canceled, our pets can be our sole focus like they’ve always dreamed of. “Marty [her dog] loves the quarantined life because we are all home and are always spending time with him,” junior Claudia Gravano said. 

 “I think my dog [Grace] is pretty happy because she has more people “to protect,” she is kind of like a guard dog,” sophomore Natalie Kurtz said.

Much to our dogs’ delight, many of us have been taking more walks—making sure to stay a safe six feet away from any neighbors— to escape boredom and get some time outdoors. “Marty is in the best shape of his life with all of the walks he has been on,” Gravano revealed. 

“I think Grace also likes the fact that she gets multiple walks a day because my family isn’t doing much,” Kurtz said.

This quarantine is a great time for our dogs to learn some new skills. “My older sister and I have been trying to train them to roll over. Unfortunately, Lilly is incredibly stubborn and refuses to do anything but shake your hand, and Jezzi is too distracted by the peanut butter to notice you telling her to spin around. Despite the consistent failure, it’s a blast to watch them jump around and I’m sure they enjoy all the treats as well,” junior Daniella Resch said. 

Our furry friends are also helping us stay sane during these uncertain times. “Marty is great comic relief and defuses some tense situations around the house. He is also always a topic of conversation during dinner,” Gravano said. “I think Marty will be sad when quarantine is over. He will miss having everyone around 24/7. He is a real people dog.”