It’s January 2021 and Lockdown 3 which means working from home again and isolation. Thank goodness for our four-legged friends who keep us sane but can also drive us insane if you are trying to work from home!
Your dog is delighted that you are home all the time – playtime he is thinking! And of course, many households have decided to get their first dog or add to the pack and so there is the additional challenge of puppy mayhem. Whilst we love them, there are many of us who are needing to work from home and that adds a completely different set of challenges.
You and your dog need to adjust to the new routine and this will take some time until you both settle into a pattern. If possible, set your workspace up in a separate area to give you some space and to alert your dog to the fact that you are in your workspace and not available to play. Top up the toys if you have a younger dog who wants attention, treat your friend to a bone or chew to keep him occupied and try and keep to a routine. Walk first thing before the start of your working day, take time to make a fuss of him when you have a coffee or tea break and if covid regulations allow, try and walk again later in the day. Puppies are a different matter altogether and you can’t expect him to understand that he can’t sit on your lap during your zoom call, or expect you to play whenever he wants to. You may have other family members who can help but if not, crate training may help accompanied with a chew or a new toy to while away some time. However, puppies demand more attention and you will need to work puppy playtime into your working day. That is after all what you signed up for when you got him!
At some point, you may be going back to work and you won’t be at home all the time and so establish some space, some time for both of you to do your own thing. Ultimately when he is left at home alone again it won’t be quite as hard.
When working at home, it is easy to work all hours and not even realise what day of the week it is. It is really important to establish a work-life balance for your sanity and your four-legged friend’s. Use the weekends or days off to go for long walks with your loyal companion. He will reward you tenfold with unconditional love and loyalty!
