Tips for Working from Home with Your Dog

Working from home sounds like heaven, but when you have a furry friend at home, it’s pretty easy to become sidetracked by their need for attention, exercise, and love. Your dog probably just thinks you’re there to hang out, so they won’t be prepared to spend the day vying for your attention while you send emails and update your spreadsheets. Here are our tips for working from home even with your doggo distracting you.

Prep Your Home

To actually be productive, you’ll need to modify your home a bit. First and foremost, you’ll need a strong and reliable internet connection. If your work entails downloading files and consistently working online, you’ll need a strong connection that will be able to handle all of the work that you’re doing throughout the day. You should also set aside an area of your home, like an office or the corner of a bedroom, where you can work in peace. This will also indicate to your dog that you’re home to work instead of play. If they consistently see that you only work in that space, they’ll associate work with that space and won’t bother you as much.

Plan Ahead

If you do plan on working from home, it’s important for you to plan ahead for your dog’s sake. If clients or coworkers will be visiting your home, make sure that your dog will be okay with having strangers in their space. Consider removing them from your meeting space if this is a concern of yours. They should also have their own space in your home or yard where they can get some alone time. This may also be useful for your dog if you plan on spending your day fully immersed in work.

Consider Your Dog’s Needs

You should be planning ahead for your dog’s needs, as well. While you may be busy with work, you need to be mindful of your dog’s needs as well. Schedule time to take them outside, exercise them, and give them some TLC. Your dog will want to spend time with you while you’re home, so consider taking a break every so often to give them some attention. You can also leave them with some toys and games of their own to play while you’re working. You and your dog will both need some time to adjust to your new arrangement, so be patient with them. Eventually, they’ll learn that you need some space every so often.

Find the Right Job

Working from home with your dog is not possible with every kind of job, so make sure that the job easily adapts to you working at home. Talk to your boss to ensure that you won’t lose anything from working at home instead of in the office. Some people successfully work part-time at home and part-time in the office to ensure they have a good working balance. Consider a flexible arrangement that works best for you and your dog.

Working from home should be easy and stress-free! Take these steps to ensure that you and your dog can benefit from the arrangement.