How To Work From Home With A Puppy

If you are someone who is fortunate enough to work from home, then there is a high chance you’ve decided to get a puppy. After all, you don’t have to worry about your dog being left alone for too long. 

Although working from home and having a puppy sounds like the perfect scenario, there are lots of things you need to consider. The last thing you want to do is have a puppy who has major separation anxiety issues. 

You also want to consider how having a puppy will affect you. Puppies are hard work and you need to have the right balance so that you can do your work as well as look after your puppy. 

So, here are a few things you can do to help make you and your puppy happy when it comes to working from home. 

How to Work at Home With a Puppy

1. Have A Routine

It is the golden rule when it comes to raising a puppy anywhere, but it is especially important when you are working from home.

Making a clear routine will allow your puppy to get used to times when they can play with you, times when they need to sleep, and times where they need to be alone. 

Dogs are more at ease when they have a routine. So, in order to make your life easier, set a routine when your puppy is young. This way they will know what to expect from the day and you can have them adapt to your life. 

2. Be Prepared For Distractions

Even if you have established a routine with your puppy you need to be prepared for distractions. Working from home comes with many distractions and adding a puppy into the mix will mean there are more.

Whether this is hearing your puppy bark or having to let your puppy out to go to the bathroom, if you are prepared for these you will feel less frustrated. 

Accepting that there will be days you might not get as much as you had planned is how you can stay happy when working from home with your puppy. 

3. Separate Working Area

It can be very tempting to allow your puppy to sit on your lap all day when working from home. However, you need to think of your own work-life balance. This means having an area you can go to work when you need to be free from distractions. 

This is also a great way for teaching your puppy how to be alone for a few hours. If you leave your puppy for short periods and build up to longer ones, this will help to reduce the chance of your puppy developing separation anxiety. 

4. Crate Training 

Crate training is really important when raising a puppy. Having a crate and using it for your puppy’s safe place will help them to settle. This means if you have to do something for an hour or so, without distractions, you can crate your puppy. 

It also means you don’t have to worry about your puppy chewing something they shouldn’t or getting caught whilst you are away. Having your puppy in the crate also reduces your stress when working. 

5. Exercise

The most important thing for a happy puppy and a happy human is keeping your puppy exercised. Make sure you go on the right amount of walks that your puppy requires. This will tire them out and you should be able to work in peace. 

You could also find things for them to do in the day whilst at home that make sure your puppy is exercised. This could be something as simple as playing fetch for 10 minutes with them. 

6. Keep Them Entertained

If your puppy is bored, it will probably be more likely to bother you during your working hours. To stop this, set aside time that is for playing with your puppy. This will get them used to playing with you at a set time so they don’t bother you before that. 

Alternatively, on particularly busy days you could put out an interactive toy to keep them entertained. This way they are still getting all the mental stimulation they need. You could even play games that involve treats or their food. 

7. Training Is Key

Training your puppy is the best way to ensure they listen to you when working from home. Set aside a bit of time during your lunch break to spend a few minutes going over training commands.

This is the perfect way to satisfy your puppy’s need for attention, whilst also teaching them things that will make your life easier at home. 

Once your puppy has learned the basics, you could also teach them to settle. Teaching your puppy to settle will be a life-saver when it comes to working from home. It will really help in those moments where you need to focus on work. 

8. Cuddle With Your Puppy

Puppies need a lot of love and attention and working from home is the perfect way to ensure they get that. Spend some time cuddling your puppy during this day. This might even help them to settle down when you need to do work. 

A puppy that is receiving a lot of love and has had attention is less likely to bother you. 

9. Enjoy It! 

The whole reason you got a puppy is that you wanted a furry friend. So try to enjoy the moments you have with your puppy during the day. They may be a bit frustrating at times, but take a deep breath and remember it will get easier. 

If you accept that things might not go as planned then having a puppy and working from home will be a lot less stressful. 

Final Thoughts

Puppies are little bundles of joy but they can cause quite a bit of stress when you work from home. The best advice we can give is to accept that things won’t go as planned every day. Keep your goals for the day realistic and remember to enjoy the moments with your puppy. 

They may cause you a bit of stress, but puppies can a