If you’re a stay-at-home dog parent, you know how difficult it can be to get everything done and still spend time with your pup during the day. Work, errands, and housekeeping take up so much of our time that we often don’t have any left over to play with our pets when we get home from work. Working from home can be beneficial to us, but it might not be great for our dogs! Luckily, there are ways to keep both of us happy – here are some strategies to make working from home better for you and your pet!
1) Communication
Dogs have different ways of communicating with us, but they mainly use body language to convey their feelings. Body language is a huge part of dog-human communication; it’s something you should always be on the lookout for when working from home with your pup. If your dog isn’t a fan of staying in his crate while you work, it may just be because he doesn’t like being alone in general. He might not know that you aren’t physically present when he can hear or smell you, and so his reaction is to bark or whine until you return.
2) Grooming
Dogs left at home with nothing to do, or whose basic needs are not being met, may feel anxious and lonely. This is especially true if you work long hours. If you're gone during your dog's peak play time—around 8 a.m., when he'd normally be getting his morning walk—he may begin to feel frustrated or bored while he's alone in your absence. By doing something as simple as daily brushing, which can serve as an enjoyable activity for both of you, you'll be ensuring that your pet has a chance to release pent-up energy before bedtime rolls around. And in doing so, you'll both have one less thing to worry about!
4) Eating Schedule
The biggest issue with working from home is adjusting to a routine. Working in an office, I eat lunch at noon and go home around 5 PM. When I worked from home it was hard to stay focused after lunch, so I ate breakfast at 7 AM and then didn’t eat again until 4:30 PM. This meant my dog was fed at 6:30 AM and 5:30 PM each day. It turns out you can't just feed your dog whenever; he needs a predictable schedule like you do!
5) Pet Cam
A pet camera is one of those devices that makes your life a lot easier. You can watch and care for your pets even if you are working from home or travelling around. A pet camera helps reduce your stress when leaving them alone, which allows you to live a happier life. Pet cameras also help stop theft from local stores, and they can provide evidence in case something bad happens to one of your beloved pets. They record full 1080p HD videos, so you’ll never miss any detail while keeping an eye on your pets. The WINGLOVE camera comes with night vision capability so that you can watch over them 24/7. It is also packed with a motion sensor and two-way audio so that it will send automatic alerts whenever someone approaches or speaks into it.
6) Doggie Daycare or Pet Sitter
There’s nothing worse than coming home from a long day of work and realizing that you forgot to drop off your pup at doggie daycare. Many working dog owners worry about what will happen to their furry friend during a long business trip or a full day of meetings, and it’s easy to understand why: No one wants to leave behind his or her best friend. Fortunately, there are plenty of pet sitters out there who can look after your four-legged companion in your absence—and they might be cheaper than you think. While hourly rates vary by location, service, and overall experience level.
Conclusion
Overall, working from home is a great lifestyle to have. Not only do you get to set your own hours and have more flexibility in your schedule, but it’s also proven to be great for mental health and overall wellbeing. However, when it comes to being home all day with your dog (no matter how much they beg), it’s easy for them to get bored and act out on their own boredom. To avoid having a hyperactive dog when you sit down at night with family or friends, make sure that your pup gets his fair share of exercise throughout the day so he can expend all that extra energy! It might also help to turn on some music (with barking dogs only) and let him move around while he enjoys some playtime with his favorite toys.