Author: Bren (Creator of The Pet Frenzy Community)
Are You Wondering How To Work From Home With Your Pet Peacefully? As the creator of the Pet Frenzy Community I work from home. Although, I can honestly say it has been challenging with a 158 lb 2-year-old pup. I mean it isn’t like I can just pick her up and put her on my lap. Being a puppy, she gets bored very fast. Therefore, if I don’t make sure she stays busy and happy… Well, chaos can definitely break out quickly in our home.
Common Problems We Have Working From Home And How To Fix Them!
Some common problems may be barking, chewing, running, and eliminating on the floor. You want to avoid these attention-seeking behaviours. You should consult your vet about these behaviours if they are recurring.
If crate training is something that you never have done with your dog, perhaps these tips will help you. You may even have them crate trained already, and be ahead of the game by now! But let’s just say for instance your dog is not a crater!
Preparing for a phone call or Skype call
One of the biggest issues I had, when I started working from home, was keeping my dog quiet during a phone call or Skype meeting. I found some really good ways to prepare for your meetings ahead of time.
Exercise Your Pets Early
Perhaps starting the day with a walk or some playtime outside before your meeting. Try to do this an hour or two before you will need some solace and quiet. Burning off the extra energy your dog or cat will have in the morning will leave them tuckered out most of the day. You may find them even taking a few naps. Try to play ball for 15 -20 minutes when you are in a pinch or short for time. Or even playing vigorously with your kitten using some of their favorite toys.
Establish a Routine with your pet
I started a routine with mine and now I know approximately when she is going to nap, so I try to schedule my calls during those times. I can’t say it has always worked, but 95% of the time It really does work for me. Some pets just have a certain routine they stick to. Take some time to watch your pet and learn what they do during the day while you’re working.
Make sure you provide your pet everything they need ahead of time
Feed them breakfast so that they won’t be feeling hungry or need fresh water during your call. Make sure they are happy, clean the bed, and make sure they have time to be let out for a potty break. Below are some things you may want to prepare for a backup plan. These methods have worked amazingly with our dog.
Prepare some other ways to distract your pet
For instance, they have treat balls or puzzle toys that can keep your pet busy the whole time you need them to stay quiet. I absolutely love these. I could be on a 15 – 20-minute call and my dog would be so busy trying to get treats out of the toy, the whole duration of the call. Amazon and most pet stores sell these and they are very affordable toys. You won’t be disappointed!
Keep some chew toys and treats accessible. I also would make a sign for my front door for the delivery or mail person. The sign would read something like:
PLEASE do not ring the bell or knock! Text me at — —- and I will come to the door. I am in a meeting at the moment and if you ring or knock, the dog will blow my headphones off my ears!
You can really use any sign you like, I like to have a fun friendship with all my delivery people and sometimes I just like to make them smile.
Include your pet in the work space
We all can probably agree that locking your pets in a different room is not a good solution. Keep the door open, because we all know if they are closed off from you, they will whine, whimper, and cry. Destruction can also happen if they are suffering from doggy boredom. For instance, going to put your slippers on and they are half chewed up! Crack the door open a bit so they know you’re available to them, just a bit busy.
We have a big fenced in yard and I can see her outside right from my desk. In the summertime, I can leave the dog door open for her to come and go as I am working. In the winter months, it can be a bit more challenging. That is why having a good routine really helps. Dogs adjust very well but cats can be far more difficult. However, these techniques work well with dogs and cats.
Invest in some extra equipment if you can
You can now purchase headphones and speakers that will cancel out background noises. This can really help especially if there are other people in the home while you’re working. Even baby gates can help keep your pets safe and in a separate space. This way they can still see you and they aren’t knocking your water glass off your desk or climbing on your keyboard.
When you have a cat and you are trying to keep them off the keyboard, try a heated bed somewhere in your workspace that your cat can enjoy and still be close to you.
Pets will start to adjust to the boundaries of your setting. You just need some patience and maybe some extra things that can help you compromise with your furry loved one. Yelling or getting angry with your pet will only make them reactive. Stay calm and patient as you want them to learn how to be rewarded for good choices and avoid bad choices.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
There are trustworthy pet daycares that can help your puppy stay busy and stimulated. Especially if they are active and social with other puppies. Giving you just those few hours you need to really catch up on phone calls or work from home. Puppies can be very demanding and get bored easily.
You can also consider getting a trainer to help you with some common behavioral issues dogs may develop. But when hiring a trainer, you will have to do all the work with your dog. They are there to show you the proper commands and ways to do things. Only guiding you to keep it up. It’s money worth spending.
Finding Community Resources to Help
Pet Frenzy Community is suitable for all ages, and we can offer you some great training exercises I used to impress our trainer. We don’t just stop there, we offer many resources to the pet community such as pet food banks, rescue resources, and the TNR (feral cats trap neuter and release) programs in Canada.
Our Pet Blogging Tips on our website support the pet blogging community. Helping new pet bloggers build a strong website, skyrocket sales, and learn how to use some of the best plugins on WordPress. Or you can simply just drop us a line, send us a guest post or share new resources in the pet community.