Working From Home With a Dog: Tips for Productivity and Bonding
The rise of remote work has allowed more pet parents to spend weekdays at home with their furry companions. While this constant togetherness is great for strengthening your bond, it can also be challenging to focus and get things done with an energetic dog craving your attention.
This guide will provide tips to balance productivity and quality time while working from home with dogs.
Setting Up Your Workspace
To effectively work alongside your curious canine, start by optimizing your workspace setup:
- Designate an office - Give yourself a dedicated workspace separated from play areas with a barrier like a baby gate. This signals to your dog when you're "at work".
- Minimize distractions - Face away from high traffic areas. Shut doors and windows to muffle outside noises that can divert your dog's attention.
- Invest in an office chair - Choose a comfortable, supportive chair since you'll be sitting for extended periods. Having your own chair prevents your dog from trying to squeeze in with you.
- Elevate your laptop - Use a stand, riser, or stacks of books to bring your laptop up to eye level. This prevents neck strain and keeps your work literally above dog level.
- Secure cables - Dogs love to chew cords! Use cable management sleeves or tubing to conceal and protect electrical cables from curious mouths.
With your functional workspace set up, you'll be able to better focus despite the furry office mate nearby.
Creating a Doggy Space
Giving your dog a designated spot to relax and entertain themselves makes it less likely they'll interrupt you while working:
- Offer cozy beds - Arrange plush beds in the office and in various sleeping spots around your home so your dog has places to comfortably lounge.
- Provide chew toys - Stock up on long-lasting chews like frozen Kongs, raw bones, bully sticks, and puzzle toys to keep your dog happily occupied for hours.
- Rotate novel toys - Rotate a selection of fun new toys to maintain your dog's interest when left to play independently.
- Consider a crate - For dogs that have positive crate training, a ventilated crate can provide a safe den space for them to settle in near you.
- Add background noise - Turn on soothing music, television shows, or white noise to relax your dog when resting alone.
With dedicated solo play spaces, your dog can entertain themselves steps away while you focus.
Balancing Work and Dog Play Time
The key to harmony is integrating productive work sessions with quality bonding time:
- Start the day with exercise - Wake up early to walk, run, play fetch, or practice training before your workday. Tiring your dog out first promotes settling later.
- Schedule breaks - Set reminders to take regular short breaks for one-on-one play, training sessions, or backyard romps.
- Offer praise and pets - Verbally praise and physically affectionate your dog when they choose to relax or play independently. This reinforces calm behavior.
- Coordinate lunch breaks - Eat lunch together and do a short midday walk or game. Then settle your dog back into their space before resuming work.
- End the day with doggy dates- Make up for your focused work mode with evenings of long walks, trips to the dog park, backyard play sessions, and cuddling on the couch.
Planning your typical workday to integrate both productivity and doggy time will lead to less conflict and more harmony.
Handling Common Challenges
Certain behaviors can derail remote work, but can be managed with these troubleshooting tips:
Barking - Redirect to toys that dispense treats/kibble when played with. Provide praise and attention for quiet moments. Consider anti-barking devices.
Chewing inappropriate items - Provide plenty of tempting chew toys. Use bitter sprays as deterrents. Restrict access to problem areas.
Demand barking/whining - Ignore attention-seeking behaviors completely to avoid reinforcing them. Reward moments of patience.
Jumping on you - Stand still and avoid engaging until all paws are on the floor. Reinforce calm sitting before giving attention.
Nipping/mouthing - Say "no bite", redirect to a toy, and walk away to teach mouthy play isn't acceptable. Use reverse time-outs if needed.
Pawing at you - Redirect to a trick like "shake" on cue. Ignore pawing otherwise. Reward ignoring distractions.
Getting into trash - Use trash cans with lids/pedals. Pick up trash promptly. Keep bathroom doors closed. Use baby gates to restrict access.
Remaining consistent with training will help curb problematic behaviors over time. Manage health issues like separation anxiety with your veterinarian.
Optimizing Your Schedule
Organize your routine in a way that sets you and your dog up for success:
- Wake up early - Try to rise at least an hour before starting work to walk, feed, and settle your dog for the day.
- Exercise before work - Spend the first 30-60 minutes of the morning engaging your dog in vigorous play and exercise to tire them out.
- Enforce nap time - Reinforce nap times in the early afternoon when your dog would normally be resting while you're busy working.
- Break up the day - Take regular short breaks every 1-2 hours to briefly engage with your dog and meet their needs so they don't demand attention constantly.
- Communicate schedule changes - Keep to consistent meal times, walk times, play times, and work times to set clear expectations.
Planning out a structured schedule will make the workday smoother for you both. Remain flexible on weekends and non-work hours.
Final Tips
Follow these additional tips for effectively working alongside your furry BFF:
- Stick to your regular work hours instead of letting the workday blur into personal time.
- If possible, invest in doggy daycare a few days a week for time apart.
- Practice training daily to reinforce manners and impulse control.
- Ensure your dog gets the recommended amount of exercise for their age, breed, and size.
- Lavish your dog with affection before and after the workday when you can focus on them.
- Seek help from a trainer if your dog has severe separation issues hindering remote work.
With patience and these handy tips, you and your dog can thrive as productive and bonded work-from-home partners!