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There is an elephant in the room, and it has been growing quietly since the pandemic. During COVID, millions of people brought dogs into their homes, seeking companionship in a time of isolation. Dogs filled an emotional need with remarkable devotion.

What many new owners did not realize is that companionship requires communication — and communication with dogs must be learned.

Today, across parks and neighbourhoods, a familiar exchange unfolds. A dog barks. The owner responds, “Stop.” “No.” “Quiet.” Often, the dog complies. And then nothing follows. No acknowledgment. No reinforcement. No “good boy.” The moment closes unfinished. To a casual observer, the interaction appears successful. The barking stopped; the problem was solved. But behaviourally, only half the conversation took place.

Dogs do not learn primarily through correction. They learn through clarity. When a dog interrupts its instinct to bark and chooses restraint, it is offering cooperation. That choice must be marked immediately, or the lesson remains uncertain. Two words are enough:Good boy. Not indulgence. Instruction.

Yet many first-time pandemic dog owners never learned this language. Without prior experience, they default to a distinctly human habit — noticing what is wrong while saying little about what is right. The result is not a lack of love. Most of these dogs are deeply cared for. It is a lack of leadership. Love creates attachment. Clarity creates confidence.

Dogs are pattern seekers. They scan constantly for signals that define safety and expectation. When affirmation is withheld, even unintentionally, uncertainty fills the space where structure should live.

And here lies the elephant:In rescuing ourselves from loneliness, many of us overlooked that dogs depend on us for something just as essential — guidance. Fortunately, the correction is simple. When your dog makes the right choice — especially after being asked — tell them. Immediately. Clearly. Every time. Because what dogs seek is not perfection. It is direction.

The pandemic created a generation of new dog owners. Now it must create a generation of more conscientious ones.

Leadership is rarely complicated. Often, it is nothing more than closing the communication loop. A dog stops barking. You notice. And you say the words that turn obedience into understanding: Good boy.

The elephant has been there all along — not a crisis, but a missed opportunity repeated thousands of times each day. Correction interrupts behaviour. Recognition builds it.

And sometimes the difference between a reactive dog and a confident one is only two words long.

Carl Dourambeis is a pharmaceutical research chemist who builds IT systems for laboratories, from public health labs to private industry. He combines science and technology to help labs run efficiently and stay compliant.