Petco promotes pet mental health, own brands
Petco Health and Wellness has launched a free virtual training course intended to help pet parents support pets facing new routines after a year and a half spent mostly at home. The new course, found here, is free through the end of September, and aims to help pet parents recognize signs of stress in their pets and learn relaxation techniques.
Petco’s own brand products are utilized and promoted during the course, including calming oils, thunder suits, and toys, helping pet owners overcome their pet’s issues.
Some of the Petco private brand products featured during the mental health pet awareness initiative include puzzle toys that keep pets physically and mentally stimulated while a pet owner is away, for example the Leaps & Bounds Cat Track Cat Toy with Sisal Mat. Also, calming supplement, treats and chews relieve stress like the Well & Good Calming Oil for Pets ($14.99) and Well & Good Calming Chews for Dogs ($17.99), Well & Good Calming Soft Chews for Cats ($8.99)
“Our pets, including the more than 11 million new furry friends and counting that came into our homes during the pandemic, have unquestionably been our emotional saviors for the last 18-plus months, and now it’s our turn to be theirs,” said Ron Coughlin, chairman and CEO of Petco. “As our routines begin to change, whether it’s returning to school, work, travel or more social gathering – it’s more critical now than ever for pet parents to understand how these changes can affect their pets’ wellbeing and what we can do to help them adjust in a healthy way.”
Approximately, 72% of dog parents and 51% of cat parents believe their pets have exhibited symptoms of anxiety, according to a new Petco survey. However, less than 25% of them can correctly identify all the physical symptoms of mental health issues, and 60% of dog parents and 48% of cat parents say not having the right resources — like knowing where to get help and information about their pet’s mental health and how to prepare them to spend more time alone — is an obstacle in helping their pet adjust to the return to normal.
In addition to its own brand offerings for pet mental health, Petco is launching a free one-hour interactive training seminar, titled "Well-Adjusted Dog: Preparing for Separation and Social Anxiety,” as well as a newly released four-week separation anxiety training for pet parents looking for additional training education. The new training seminar will bring the brand’s Four-Week Guide to Helping Your Pet Deal with a New Routine guide to life with actionable steps to help ease pet separation and social anxiety. The class will be led by Petco’s certified dog trainers in small group Zoom sessions. Within the sixty minutes, pet parents will learn how to recognize the escalation from excited to anxious and be introduced to relaxation techniques to help deescalate their pets.
“It’s important for pet parents to pay close attention to their pets and be able to identify the warning signs they demonstrate when they feel anxious,” said Petco national dog training manager Darris Cooper. “The full four-week separation anxiety class builds upon the core teachings of the seminar and provides pet parents with actionable learnings that will be essential to successfully navigating new routines.”