Tips for Raising a Puppy While Working Full-Time

Having a puppy while working a full-time job is hard work! Balancing your career with the needs of your new furry friend, on top of all the other things you have going on requires some great skill. However, there are a few tips and tricks to hopefully make things a bit easier.

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Leaving your new puppy at home by themselves for 8 hours straight while you’re at work is not going to be good for you or your dog. If we say that your puppy is 8 weeks old, they will need to go out to go potty at least every three hours or even more. Plus they need walks for exercise, they need to be entertained, and they can develop anxiety when being left alone for too long.

However, help is available to assist in meeting your dog’s needs if you can’t pop home every few hours. Some options include:

• Friends, family, or neighbors – call in someone you know who may be willing to help out for a while
• Hire a dog walker – pay someone to come let your dog out for you, other through an app like Rover or some other way
• Leave your pup with a friend – if you have someone who would be willing to watch your dog while you work, consider that as an option
• Doggie Daycare – drop your dog off every day at a daycare to play with other dogs and be constantly supervised

Keep Fido Happy

Even if you are able to have someone come over to take your dog potty on your behalf, there still exists all those other hours in the day when your dog is alone. However, there are some things you can do to help pass the time and keep them happy while you’re gone.

• Leave them tired – Before work, try to wear your puppy out a little bit so they will be sleepy for the first half of the day.
• Toys and games – help fill the rest of their day with puzzle toys, lick mats, snuffle mats, or anything else to help give their brain something to focus on.

Monitor Your Pet

To keep an eye on your pooch throughout the day, you can set up a camera in your home that connects to an app on your phone so you can check in throughout the day and see how things are going.

Some apps even allow you the opportunity to talk to your pet or dispense treats to them. Petcube is an option that will allow your dog to play “hunt the red dot” and give them treats as rewards!

Overall, raising a puppy while working full-time just may require some extra assistance at times to ensure your pooch’s needs are being met. But, the best part of your day will always be being reunited with your pup at the end of a workday.