Does your job allow you to work from home? Are you also a dog parent with a pup that is constantly looking for attention? If so, you’re in the right place. Despite everyone saying how awesome it is to work from home because you can create a schedule that works to your advantage, being a dog parent with all that makes the planning that more difficult. However, it is not impossible. Simply by stating a few simple rules, and doing your best to make the dog follow them, you’ll have the most peaceful, distraction-free workplace.
Take the dog out before you start working
Nothing can be as irritating as a dog who jumps all over you just because it wants to go for a walk. Instead of allowing that to come between you and your job and potentially cost you a bonus or even worse, a client, make sure you take the dog out first thing in the morning. If you start your work later, schedule walks before you need to go online. That way, your pooch will have its daily dose of workout and won’t be as needy as if you decided to leave walks for the break time. It’s imperative that you create a routine for the doggy, and take them out approximately at the same time each day. That way, it’ll learn that that’s the time both of you are spending together and outdoors. Feel free to make the walk as long as possible and include some playtime too. Give the dog all the attention it needs so that it doesn’t feel neglected when you start to work.
Only a dog-proofed home is a safe home. Therefore, do your best to remove all the possible hazardous objects from the dog’s surroundings and keep your pup safe at all times. Consider setting up gates, so that the pooch doesn’t wander around where it isn’t allowed when it gets bored. Make sure no valuable belongings and toys that can cause any racket are laying around. The dog will chew on them and highly likely, cause noise and big damage. Safely conceal all the cords and don’t forget to always keep the garbage bin well sealed and out of reach.
Set up a dedicated space for your pooch
Setting up a separate working space from the dog’s area would be the best option to avoid any distractions. However, some pups just enjoy being in the same room with their parents, in which case they won’t even make a sound. They’ll simply curl up next top your feet and enjoy your presence. If your pup is one of those canines, it would be a great idea to get a chair mat that you’ll place under your working chair and allow the pooch to peacefully hang out there. Not only will the chair mat make for a comfortable seating and laying area, but it will also protect your floors from scratches.
Take a break to play with the doggy
To keep your productivity on a maximum level, you must plan smart. Just as you don’t want to keep the dog lonely, you don’t want to burn out due to lack of breaks. Dog-parent time is crucial for a dog’s wellbeing, which is why you must make time for breaks that will be dedicated solely to the four-legged friend. Even if it’s just 10-15 minutes of playtime in between tasks, it will make the doggy much calmer and prevent any future tantrums. Working from home and working at the office shouldn’t differ in terms of how much time you spend behind the desk. Therefore, spend some quality time with the doggy during your lunch break too. Go for a short walk, cuddle, or just play outside to both keep the dog happy and yourself stress-free.
Working from home can be quite challenging. Add parenting a dog to the mix and you can have highly stressful working surroundings. However, all that can be successfully handled if you just add a few important rules into your daily routine. As long as you take the dog out before you start working, dog proof the home, have a place for the dog to spend time and take regular breaks to play with the pup, you’ll have no trouble finishing your daily tasks from the comfort of your home.
