The widespread adoption of hybrid working has been revolutionary for dog owners, allowing us to spend more time with our pets, enjoy their calming influence on stressful days, and save money on pricey doggy daycare! However, the constant presence of your furry friend can also pose some challenges during the working day, particularly during calls and video meetings where you might need to focus intensely or keep noise and disruption to a minimum. For this reason, many people are still getting to grips with how to work from home with a dog. If you’re struggling to strike the right balance between productivity and playtime, read on to discover how to keep your dog occupied while working from home.
Create A Routine Of Regular Exercise Before And After Work
Keeping on top of your dog’s energy levels to prevent them from becoming bored and overexcitable is key to not only your own peace when working from home but also to your pet’s mental and physical well-being. Dogs thrive off of a stable routine, so creating designated ‘play’ and ‘calm’ periods will help to familiarise them with your schedule and know when it’s time for activity and time to relax.
If your dog is bored while you’re working from home, try setting up a simple exercise routine. Take them for a walk before the work day starts to give them a chance to burn off their excess energy and vent their excitement. This will help your dog to remain calm and create a rest period for them while you’re working. If your dog is an active one, then take them out again after you finish too. They’ll soon get used to these patterns throughout the day, with disturbances becoming fewer and far between.
Use Lunch Breaks As An Opportunity To Mentally Stimulate Your Dog
It’s not just physical activity that will keep your pet engaged. Dogs are highly intelligent animals and need mental stimulation and challenge to thrive. Taking a break during the day to provide them with this will help to reduce their boredom and break up the monotony of the work day for both your dog and yourself.
There are all kinds of mentally stimulating activities that you can do with your dog over your lunch break, including:
- Interactive Toys – Your dog will benefit immensely from having a selection of interactive toys to play with, particularly when you are busy or tucked away in a video meeting. Toys that provide sensory stimulation such as noises and satisfy instinctual needs to hunt or chew enable your dog to enrich their play experience.
- Puzzle Feeders – Puzzle feeders and snuffle mats make for great mental stimulation for dogs. They exercise your dog’s natural instinct to seek out food, while also requiring them to stay occupied, focus and use their problem-solving skills to get their reward.
- Training Sessions – Even a short session of training can be great for providing your pup with an engaging mental challenge during your working day. Reinforcing old training or starting with new sessions are both effective ways to stave off boredom and get your dog thinking.
Create A Dedicated Space To Keep Your Pet Close And Comfortable
It’s also important that you create a dedicated and relaxing space for your dog to spend time in during your work-from-home day. When dogs are comfortable and familiar with their surroundings, they are much less likely to crave or demand your attention. This means that you can get on with the work you need to complete, safe in the knowledge that the needs of your pet are being met and you can enjoy a cuddle when you need a break yourself!
At The Pet Carpenter, we specialise in making bespoke pet furniture designed to fit seamlessly into your home. By designing a completely custom piece of pet furniture, you can create a dedicated space for your dog to relax and even keep them close and comfortable. For example, we have created some amazing pieces which incorporate a pet living space into tailor-made home working desks. We also offer a range of clever features perfect for keeping your pet occupied and content throughout the day, including built-in feeding draws and comfortable soft furnishings.
We hope that this short guide on how to keep a dog occupied while you’re working from home has been helpful to you. At the Pet Carpenter, we’re always happy to work with you to achieve the exact look and functionality that you want for your pet furniture. Feel free to get in contact with the team with your ideas so we can make your dream piece of pet furniture a reality.