The pandemic has forced many offices to close in 2020, and, till now, many offices have not started functioning normally due to the outbreak of different variants of the virus. I enjoy working from home, mainly because it helps me stay around my 10 months old dog. Having said that, my work gets affected a lot, mainly because my puppy does not understand I need to work for a certain number of hours and expects me to pay her attention the entire day.
Dealing with a puppy is altogether another challenge, as young dogs are always more energetic. Reading and researching this dog website have helped me train my dog well, but I still need to tackle her a certain way so that she lets me work.
I am sure anyone with a dog goes through the same situation while working from here. Here are a few tricks I have deployed that have considerably made my work distraction-free for a few hours at least.
- Long Walk in the Morning:
To ensure your dog does not trouble you in the daytime, take him out for a long walk in the morning. This will tire your dog for some time, and you will get a few hours of uninterrupted work time. This works well, especially for large dog breeds which are more energetic. If you do not tire them enough, they will only be more mischievous throughout the day. I take my dog out every morning for a walk for 30 minutes. The result is that she comes back and takes a nap for an hour to regain her energy.
- Create a Play Area Inside House:
When I am working on my laptop every day, my dog comes to me with a ball in her mouth and drops it on my lap, indicating she needs to play. This is her daily routine I have gotten used to. I have created a play area in my house, a long corridor. The floor is carpeted; hence it makes the ideal place for my dog to play fetch. I work 8 hours a day, so I have to take short breaks to give my dog attention. While I am on call, I throw her the ball, and she brings it back. It hardly takes about 10 minutes for her to get completely tired, and after that, she does not disturb me for quite some time.
- Get a Few Puzzle Feeders:
Another easy trick to keep your dog busy is by using puzzle feeders such as treat dispensers or tornado feeders. These kinds of feeders make it interesting for the dogs, as they need to solve puzzles to reach the food. This can be physically as well as mentally exhausting. A small puzzle feeder can tire your dog quickly and calm them down too. You can also make use of snuffle mats where your dog sniffs and finds the hidden treats. This also stimulates their senses, and they get tired.
- Invest in Lick Feeders:
Scientifically, it has been proven that dogs get calm when they constantly lick something like their food. This is why lick mats are very popular to use when your dog gets anxious. Just spread peanut butter on the mat and freeze it. Then give it to the dog to lick when you work. This will calm your dog and ensure they do not disturb you at work. There is something called a Kong feeder, which again is a lick feeder. The treat is hidden inside the feeder, which is like a cone inside. The dog licks the wider size of the cone and slowly tries to reach the end of the feeder. This is also a frozen lick feeder; hence it takes a considerable time for the dog to finish.
When I have to hop on conference calls, I give my dog a frozen Kong in the living room and lock the door of the room where I work. She gets busy for the next 30-45 minutes, and I can efficiently finish my calls.
- Remember to Take Them for Pee Breaks:
When you work for several hours, you may forget to take breaks. Your dog needs to relieve itself every 4-6 hours if an adult. Hence, set alarms throughout the day to take the dog outside for peeing. If your dog is taken out timely, it will not trouble you or request you to take it out. If I forget to take my dog out, I have taught her to ring the bell to know she needs to go out. If you can train your dog to communicate similarly, it will be really beneficial for both of you.
- Take Short Breaks:
When you work from home, you need to take short breaks to freshen up your mind to increase your productivity when you get back to work. You also need to take breaks for your dog as your dog will find it challenging if you do not interact with it throughout the working hours. If you can spend 10 minutes every 2 hours with your dog, it will not disturb you much while you work.
As I work for 8 hours every day, I take at least 4 breaks in between where I stretch myself and then play tug of war with my dog. She loves those small interactions and troubles me less while I work.
- Train the Dog:
If you can teach your dog basic commands, then it becomes easy to communicate with the dog, especially when you need to quickly make your dog calm. Teach your dog commands like sit, down, stay, leave it, and quiet which you can use if your dog disturbs you while working.
The Bottom Line:
Dogs behave like small kids who do not really understand your responsibilities. It can break your heart when your dog wants to play with you, and you are busy working, but it is ok. You have to take care of your responsibilities first and then play with your dog. Do not feel guilty about not giving your time all of your time. As in practicality, it is impossible. It will take some time for the dog to understand, but they will get used to the routine and adjust to it over time.
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