When the COVID-19 emergency began, many people were asked to work from home, to the resultant joy and ecstasy of many dogs! Spending more time at home hasn’t necessarily meant having more free time for our favorite pooches, though. In fact, some people may have been scrambling and working more hours in order to adapt to unforeseen pandemic-related challenges and a new reality. If you’re one of those people for whom working from home hasn’t necessarily meant more time for your dog, here are a few suggestions for you, as well as some ideas for preparing your dog for the day you have to return to working in the office.
Time your work breaks with walkies.
Despite all the memes on social media claiming that dogs are now getting too many walks, the truth is, most dogs would be thrilled with more walk time! Keep your gear stashed right by the door (shoes, leash, treat bag, poop bags) so that it’s easy to get outside quickly. Then, put your work breaks on your official calendar so that you get a reminder when it’s time for a quick 15-minute jaunt to stretch your legs and get some fresh air. This might mean you’re just going for a quick walk around the block or stepping outside to toss a ball in the yard. The joy on your dog’s face will be gratifying, and perhaps you’ll be happier too and the quality of your work or productivity may actually improve.
There’s nothing wrong with an emergency snuggle sesh.
Every now and then your dog might suffer from an attention emergency. If you have a dog who has trouble settling while you’re working and is a serial pesterer, you may not necessarily want to encourage this habit (see “tips for settling” below). However, if it’s not a constant issue, and you don’t mind once-in-awhile being interrupted by the request to bury your hands into soft fur, this may just be the ticket to a sweet, win-win compromise. After all, what better way to diffuse a moment of work-related frustration or tension, than having a wonderful animal with soft bright eyes and slowly wagging tail, remind you to take a breath and hug your dog?
Enrich your dog while you’re working.
Dogs are a species that have historically hunted or foraged for food. If you have an important meeting or conference call, a work-to-eat toy is a fantastic way to provide your dog with their regular meal ration, while giving them the species-specific enrichment they crave and keeping them busy when you need them to be quiet! There are many work-to-eat toys and long-lasting consumable chews on the market – some of these will last longer than others. If your meeting needs to run for a full hour, keep in mind the ones that last the longest will be frozen or harder, but no less tasty. You may want to audition anything new prior to your actual meeting, to be sure it will engross your dog. If your dog doesn’t have a lot of experience with work-to-eat toys, help them out the first few times until you’re sure they understand how it works. Then, once that’s in place, you’ll have an activity to keep them busy when you need it most!
Tips for settling.
If your dog is so excited that you’re home all the time now, and it’s been challenging to find a quiet space to work without being constantly pestered (in the form of barking, pawing, or other behaviors), then here are some tips to help your dog learn to become a better “co-worker”. Generally, we recommend a solid program of exercise, enrichment, management & training. An example routine for this might include:
Solid exercise before your official workday starts – consider an early morning jog or, if your dog will come when called, a romp in the nearby woods (a long line can be used if you are still training your dog’s recalls).
Time your dog’s meals for important meetings and convert all meals to long-lasting work-to-eat endeavors (see “enrich your dog” above).
Provide your dog with immediate consequences for the unwanted behavior, by gently removing them from the room you’re working in when they do this. If you’re struggling, consider getting the help of a private trainer who will use reward-based methods and can coach you through the mechanics.
Find a training class both to help you build more positive fun and productive interaction time with your dog (many training classes are now available online, if you don’t want to risk exposure to the coronavirus). The effects of these can be long-lasting and training exercises are both a great way to tire your dog out mentally as well as teach them more desirable behaviors, like an excellent down-stay, when it’s crucial that you not be interrupted!
Preparing for a return to the workplace: Practice temporary separations.
If your dog was used to you going into the office every day and then suddenly you’ve been at home with them nonstop for the last three months, now is the time to test the waters and see if your dog still has the ability to function at home alone. Try leaving every now and then and not taking your dog with you. Some ways to incorporate this more “naturally” without imposing extra work for you are to include times when you have to go to the grocery store, run errands, etc. Consider making these “family trips” if the habit has been for one person to go to the store while the other person stays home with the dog. Vary the times of day that you leave, as well as the length of time you spend. If you suspect your dog has separation anxiety, seek the help of a qualified separation anxiety specialist to work through this while you have the opportunity to practice. Be aware that training for dogs who have separation anxiety can be a months-long or longer process, so If you have to return to work before you can complete training, consider planning in advance with options like day care or leaving your dog with a friend during the day, as temporary stopgaps while you finish the separation anxiety training.
A version of this ‘blog was published in the quarterly magazine 4 Legs & a Tail, Northern VT & New Hampshire edition, June 28, 2020