Realistic Tips For Working at Home with Dogs
It’s National Work From Home Day, and because a large majority of the world is working from home, we wanted to share our tips on how we manage WFH with two crazy dogs.
How are you guys holding up this week…this month…this year? I know that everyone’s life has changed over the past few months in one way or another. As social distancing becomes the new normal, more and more people are working from home. When Zach isn’t on the road, he is working from home. I’ve never had the opportunity to work from home, nor did I ever think I’d be able to. I definitely recognize that I am privileged to still be employed and be allowed to work from home during this time when so many others do not have that option. Now that I’ve been working from home the past three months, I wanted to write down a few tips for keeping our two dogs entertained and out of our hair during the work day.
The transition from office life to working from home isn’t as easy as it may seem. I know it took myself, Zach, and the pups some getting used to. From juggling our new routines, fitting in walks and play time during the day, and managing the pup’s confusion of us being home but not not being able to play, we’ve finally figured it out. For my fellow work-from-home dog parents out there, this one’s for you! Here are some general tips and tricks that will make working from home with dogs a whole lot easier.
- If you can, try to stick to a general schedule or routine. Dogs do really well with schedules and routines. Though every day is a little different, we do try our best to keep things as normal as possible for Duke and Navy. Take a look at what our current quarantine routine looks like.
- Have a designated “office space” and set boundaries. Zach works on the couch and coffee table and I work in the office. During our office hours the dogs learned to not bother Zach and play on the couch. He made sure to set that boundary. Though it may seem counterproductive, I have a toy basket in the office for Duke and Navy. However, the dogs do not play in the office. Instead they enjoy coming in, picking out a toy and taking it elsewhere. Every dog is different though. For my pups, digging through the toy basket is a fun game!
- Make sure to take breaks for you and your pup! When I first transitioned to working from home, I felt guilty taking breaks but I quickly realized I needed to give myself a break or I would be glued to the screen and working ALL day. We’ve seen a ton of memes about dogs being so excited their humans are working from home. While our dogs were incredibly excited, they were also very confused. They didn’t understand why we were home and not playing or going for walks whenever they wanted.
- Get outside! Just because you are working from home it shouldn’t mean you need to stay inside all day. Take care of yourself and your dogs and go outside at some point during your day. I am sure your pup will enjoy the extra chance to stretch his legs outside.
- Establish a quiet space where you can’t be bothered. Zach and I both have our separate quiet spaces-mine is in the basement with the door shut, and Zach’s is upstairs in our master bedroom. If we need to buckle down and focus on a task or dial into an important phone call, we go to our quiet space where we can’t hear the dogs barking, the TV, doorbell, etc.
- And if you don’t have a quiet space, try to schedule important calls or video chats during your dog’s down time. I know this is definitely not feasible for all, but our dogs generally get antsy first thing in the morning after breakfast. They are ready to start their day and so are we. Zach and I generally try our best not to have calls before 930am.
- While you are working, give your dog something to work on too. We give Navy and Duke a bully stick, a chew from our Real Dog Box, or even a Kong filled with frozen peanut butter. This will keep them occupied and quiet for an hour or two.
Contrary to popular belief, working from home is not easy! I found it hard to get myself, and Zach, and the dogs into a routine and at first. Also, having all of us home at once, I felt constantly tempted by distractions. There were definitely a few days I was left feeling completely unproductive and frustrated. Nonetheless, by sticking to the above tips, I’ve been able to build a foundation of good habits to make working from home a little easier.
Are you working from home with dogs? What has helped you get through the work day? Let me know in the comments. We love hearing from you!
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