It is a good idea to have some distractions for your dog if you’re working from home.
While pets have played an important role in supporting their owners during isolating times, there is also a time and a place for their affections. There could be some circumstances where you and your dog are temporarily not a match made in heaven. Such a time might be when you are participating in work meetings or filling out important tasks related to your profession.
It might be quite tough to set your dog lower down the priority list for a while but providing them with a few distractions could help to ease your guilt. That way, they might not be missing you for long while you get to work, and the need for ‘me’ time may become mutual.
Therefore, below you will find 5 potential dog distractions that might well help you as the owner of an otherwise needy canine companion.
Consider a Longer Early Morning Walk
Hyperactivity in your dog could be a symptom of sheer boredom, so when you’re working from home, a tired dog could be a good dog as others suggest, as their curiosity may have been satisfied already for the day.
A viable solution in countering your dog’s constant restlessness could be to give them a long walk first thing in the morning. That way, they may get plenty of exercise, social stimulation, and lots of enjoyment out of the thrills of exploration. This kind of routine may keep your dog sharp and active only at appropriate times that better fit in with your schedule and needs also.
Depending on the needs of your dog, your walk could have varying demands to consider. For example, as the resource above shows, puppies should go on short walks only. Forced exercise like jogging should generally be avoided; instead you should consider walking at a comfortable pace that suits both you and your pooch. In other words, you should try not to take your dog outside with the express purpose of fatiguing them, and consider doing it to accommodate their specific needs instead, such as going to the toilet. If you go for a quick walk and miss that toilet break, your dog may still disrupt your work to ask to go out.
Ultimately, a long early morning walk could be one of the biggest distractions in your arsenal, simply because they may be filled with so many other sub-distractions, depending on the day in question. New smells, new dogs, new people – they could all help stabilise your dog’s emotional health and make sure they are less likely to pine for attention, or cause disturbances, throughout the day.
Giving Your Dog a Chew Project
If you are looking to keep your dog preoccupied, then toys and chews could help your dog to stay healthy, happy, and active over a long-term period, potentially enriching their personal life and your work life in the process.
It is quite normal for dogs to be protective over what they view as their resources, and chews and toys could sometimes fall into that equation. These kinds of goodies may give your dog something to preoccupy themselves with throughout the day and could also be a point of pride for them. Having objectives throughout the day to bunker down and get chewing could help free up time for your homeworking, as both you and your best friend get to work via your respective methods.
Variety may be in your best interests here, so that your dog doesn’t get bored of one chew and thus resolve to resuming their chaotic war against your professional life. Chews of different flavours, toys of different shapes and sizes, and a plethora of products may better the chances of your pooch being more preoccupied over longer periods of time. Your dog may also respond better to things like squeaky toys, thereby holding their attention for longer and potentially giving them more stimulation as the day unfolds.
Encouraging Outdoor Play
If your pooch is raring to burn off some energy around your lunchtime, having a dedicated outside space for them could work wonders for their wellbeing.
A small and secure garden space may just be enough to let your dog run around and let loose at certain points throughout the day. Many dogs even love paddling in pools, so diversifying the terrain might help to inject some more excitement into their lives too, if someone else in the house has the time to dry them off. It might be best to try to make all the fences secure so that they cannot wriggle under or leap over and ponder working near the window so you could supervise your pet from inside.
There are some common injuries in dogs that push themselves too far or encounter bad luck outdoors, such as rupturing ligaments during intense play sessions. Bad luck can sometimes happen. Unfortunately, no matter how safe your garden space is, it is sometimes the way that dogs create their own trouble. You could feel helpless here, but you may be able to be proactive via other means.
Being prepared is likely in your best interests, not only in the space you create but in insurance policies too. Things like pet insurance for dogs could help you be ready for these eventualities, and Everypaw may be able to help you choose the right policy for your pooch. There are 6 levels of Lifetime coverage to choose from with them, so a flexible dog insurance provider may give you plenty of plans to consider.
Providing Puzzle Projects
Humans are not the only creatures that have a high aptitude for puzzle solutions; some dogs can love them too!
If you give your dog a treat from time to time, then it could be likely that all you are doing is providing them with instant satisfaction. If that keeps up, then further consequences could be increasing their neediness, as they may become used to getting exactly what they want precisely when they want it.
However, puzzles could lengthen that equation somewhat, potentially giving you more time to work before your cheeky dog comes slinking back for more. For example, placing their food in a Kong may help relieve boredom in your dog, and just give them more time to spend enjoyably eating their goods. Hide and slide puzzles may also be great for a distraction, as you could deposit a treat within and leave your dog to figure it all out.
Preventing Disturbances
Unfortunately, some dogs will bark at disturbances outside, such as the sight of passers-by through the window or the noises that could come from vehicles or building work.
If your dog is prone to these bouts of outbursts, then it could be suitable to close curtains or play some soothing music to drown out the sounds of the outside world. That way, they might be more in tune with the quieter mood of your home, and much more inclined to settle down and relax.
Another solution could be to create a dedicated dog space that amounts to more than a mere basket. It could be that all your dog needs a comfortable retreat, whereby they can get out of everyone’s way and relax undisturbed. Consider creating a dedicated room that they could call a sanctuary, and perhaps fill it with all their favourite toys, bedding, and other oddities. That way, they may not be solely reliant on your company for comfort.
