If you're in lockdown with the puppy you acquired before the world changed, you're probably finding plenty to occupy your time.
From little messes to big lessons, there is a lot of work involved.
To help with that, dog trainer Mark Vette has been running a "virtual" puppy school.
But with talk of lockdown restrictions possibly being eased next week, he says separation anxiety may be a new problem on the horizon for pet owners.
In the weeks before lockdown, Mr Vette had been busy setting up a virtual puppy school from his Coromandel home.
The author of the book Puppy Zen has a big idea, to ensure dog owners across New Zealand can access the right tools for the right start.
“We realised that, of course, if puppies didn’t get puppy school we were going to be in trouble.
“That formative period is the time when 80 per cent of the brain wires,” he says.
Lockdown has made the bonding part of the process easy. We are all home and the dogs are loving it.
“The most important thing a pup needs to learn is to bond with you and the extended family,” Mr Vette says.
"So now is a good time to really get stuck in and do it.”
But separation distress could be on the horizon when Kiwis do get released into Level 3 and some go back to work.
Mr Vette says active separation needs to be part of a dog's training so it will be able to remember it can cope with being apart from loved ones.
“We have to actively reinforce their ability to stay separated and alone for periods during the day,” he says.
Watch the video above to get the full story on puppy life in lockdown.
SHARE ME