For those who commute to work each morning, you may think working from home is living the dream. The fantasy is that you can wake up whenever you want, work in your pajamas, and take an extra long lunch break. For those of us dog parents who work from home, we know it’s not that simple.
Working from home comes with a bunch of challenges. Caring for your dog while on the clock can sometimes be one of them.
Is being a pet parent getting in the way of you working from home? Check out these tips to keep your sanity and your paycheck.
Set designated play times
One of the greatest challenges of working from home is time management. It’s easy enough to get distracted from work while at home by yourself. Add a cute puppy begging for a play session to the mix and your productivity goes out the window.
In order to keep your dog — or other distractions — from eating into your work day, set specific break times for you and your dog. Having this structured play time will not only help you get your work done, but it will also help reinforce obedience with your pup.
Create a dog-free workspace
The best way to ensure your dog doesn’t interrupt your workday is to keep them in a separate area.
Yes, it’s nice to be able to pet your pup while you are listening in on a conference call. But letting Fido join that call tells your dog they can get your attention whenever they want.
Setting up a separate workspace is great, not just for you and your dog, but also for your work-life balance in general. It helps makes you feel like you aren’t actually living in your office.
Don’t give in to begging and whining
If your dog is used to getting your attention at any time they want, you may start to see signs of anxiety.
If your dog starts whining, crying, or batting at the door when you’ve told them to stay out, do not cave and let them in. This will only tell your dog that they’re in charge, and by crying, they can be near you.
Keep your dog occupied
If dogs are bored or anxious, it can lead to destructive behaviors like chewing or marking around the house.
To avoid an interruption to your workflow — like stopping to scold your pup for chewed-up shoes — make sure they have plenty of physical and mental stimulation for when you’re hard at work. In simple terms, this means stocking up on stimulating toys.
Aim for progress, not perfection
None of us are perfect puppy parents — period. So, if you find yourself playing with your pup for 20 minutes when you really should be reconciling this month’s budget, don’t beat yourself up about it.
Time theft occurs in an office environment in the form of loitering near the water cooler and scrolling around on social media. You’re allowed your one “work vice,” as well, and that can be your dog.
Be flexible
Freelancing or working from home means that every day is a different beast. Sometimes you’re so swamped, you’re lucky to get a hastily thrown-together sandwich down for lunch. Other times, you can find yourself re-organizing your bookshelf while waiting for your next assignment.
This flux in schedule can make it difficult to keep all the “rules” for working from home with a dog as rigid and routine as you’d like. Part of working from home — and having a dog — is learning how to be flexible and roll with the punches.
