Working from home with a puppy can be a lot of fun and rewarding, but there are a few things you need to remember in order to keep your puppy safe and comfortable.
Balancing the demands of working from home, while also looking after your new best friend so that it is healthy and happy can be sometimes demanding, time-consuming, and frustrating.
How Do You Work From Home With a Puppy?
There are many ways to make sure that working from home with a puppy is a happy and dynamic time for you and your pet. For example, you can develop a schedule, get plenty of exercises, and use positive reinforcement training.
Here are 10 sure-fire methods to help you stay productive and keep your puppy happy while you work from home.
1. Get plenty of exercises
Puppies spend their days doing three things: eating, sleeping, and being wide awake.
When your puppy is up and about, it needs plenty of time to play, be stimulated, and run around.
So make sure that before you start work, and during your coffee and lunch breaks, you play fast-paced games with your puppy. Not only will it help to tire them out so that they sleep while you work, but it will also get them used to your working routine.
Once your puppy has completed its first round of vaccinations, which occurs when it is 16 weeks old, you can then take it out into the wide world. This gives them the chance to get even more exercise and gives them the time and opportunity to socialize.
2. Bond together
Before it met you, your puppy spent its days playing and bonding with its brothers and sisters. When it moved into its new home with you, it had to get used to a completely new way of living. For most puppies, this will be the first time they are alone and away from canine companionship.
According to dogsforgood.org, bonding can take many forms, including:
- Having a cuddle on the sofa
- Going for a walk
- Playing together
- Teaching your dog tricks
- Training your dog to behave appropriately.
Bonding with your dog will also help them to get used to you and allow you to teach them basic obedience commands like ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ when you need some time to work without distractions.
3. Socialize your puppy
Once your puppy is fully vaccinated, it’s time to let it explore the wide-open world. This is perhaps the most important thing you can do for your pet, not only because it helps it adapt to the world we live in, but a well-adjusted puppy will make life easier for you at home.
According to the American Kennel Club, socialization is crucial in the first six months of life because it will learn how to behave in a variety of different situations and will have the chance to interact with people and children.
When you socialize your puppy, it will:
- Be less fearful of children
- Get used to riding in the car
- Will learn good manners while playing with dogs and interacting with people
- Will be relaxed at home and more likely to chill while you need to work.
4. Develop a puppy schedule
One of the best ways to acclimatize your dog to live in your household is to develop a routine and stick to it. Just like little children, routines are a great way to keep your puppy on the right track. And when you are working from home with a puppy, this is crucial.
Set regular times to walk your pup
Walk your puppy at least once a day, but more if you have an active dog, and make sure that you give it time to sniff, relieve itself, play, and explore.
Set regular times to feed your pup
Try to give your puppy its regular meals at the same time every day, and use the same place to feed it.
Provide regular toilet breaks
Not only will this help you toilet-train your puppy, but it will give you a mini-break from work and help your bonding. Although this takes time, patience, and repetition, it will save you time and mental anguish in the long run.
If you cannot stick to the routine for whatever reason, consider getting your family members or friends to fill in for you while you’re busy.
5. Praise good behavior
Your puppy is new to the world and it has a lot to learn about appropriate behavior. When you work from home, you need to teach your dog how you expect it to behave so that you can both get through the workday.
The American Kennel Club suggests that using positive rewards like treats is a great way to start.
This is called positive reinforcement training and it is an effective, positive and cruelty-free way to let your dog know it is doing the right thing.
Most dogs respond with a tasty treat. So the next time your puppy does the right thing, like sitting on command or being quiet while you’re on a conference call, praise it with a treat and a hearty ‘good dog!’.
6. Practice your training
Enroll your puppy in a local training group and enjoy a training session with like-minded pet owners.
If you don’t have the finances for regular professional training help, there are many excellent resources online that you can use for free, when and where it suits you.
Once you have confidence in the basics, there’s no reason why you can’t teach your puppy to ‘stay’, ‘lie down’, and ‘be quiet’.
Not only will regular training help you to manage your puppy’s behavior while you’re working, but it will also come in useful when you’re out in public or going for a walk.
You can start training your puppy the very first day that you bring it home.
7. Have adventures
Once your dog is fully vaccinated, try to include it in your daily tasks as much as possible. This helps both of you to form lasting bonds and it gives you the opportunity to practice your training in different situations.
In the long run, making sure your puppy is part of your daily routine will help it to adjust to the times when you are working and it needs to be quiet.
You can:
- Let your dog come to the mailbox to collect your letters
- Bring your dog to the playground with you and your children
- Take your dog on short trips to the shops (just don’t leave your dog in the car when you’re shopping).
8. Be flexible
Having a puppy will take a lot of your time. Rest assured, it will mostly be fun, interesting, and enjoyable. But it will also be exhausting and frustrating.
Similar to taking care of your toddler at home or homeschooling your kids, the key to overcoming the challenges of working from home with a puppy is being flexible. This means that you need to allow for disruptions when:
- Your puppy needs to relieve itself outside
- Your puppy needs to be fed
- Your puppy is in a playful mood and needs your attention.
Let your boss know that you have a puppy. Just make sure that you don’t let the quality of your work suffer and keep meeting those deadlines!
A great idea is to invest in some enrichment toys that encourage your puppy to use its brain. They are no substitute for human interaction, but a great option when you need to keep the puppy busy while you work.
9. Use a ‘relax’ cue
Once you have achieved results with your training and your puppy can ‘sit’, ‘drop’ and ‘lie down’ when you tell it, you and your puppy are ready for more demanding instructions.
One of the most useful is the command to ‘relax’, which will help your dog get and stay quiet while you have to attend to important work matters like a presentation, conference call, or client meeting.
You can use a mat or your puppy’s favorite bed. If you praise them when they use it quietly, it won’t be long before you can add a verbal cue like ‘relax’ or ‘settle’ to teach them to do it when you want.
You can even take your puppy’s ‘settle mat’ with you when you go out, so it always has a safe and comfortable place to sit when you’re at the pub or a café.
10. Enjoy your puppy
There’s no doubt that owning a puppy is a busy time, and it can be even more hectic when you are working from home.
But it won’t be long before your puppy grows into an adult. Make sure that, in between those deadlines and online presentations, you take the time to enjoy the littlest member of your family, because it will only be a puppy for a short time.
Why do I need tips for working from home with a puppy?
When you choose to bring a pet into your world, you are making a commitment to keep them as healthy and happy as possible. This takes time, planning, and patience, especially when you are also working from home.
Your hard work is worth the effort because a well-adjusted and content puppy will be a fantastic companion for you and your family, not only when you work from home but in your free time as well.
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