HOME : Home has taken a whole new meaning these days. It is now a space where work happens too, but how do we get into our prime work flow when the pups are around. I have compiled your survival guide to: Working from home with pets. #WFH
-
Plan your day. Planning is everything when you are working from home or have had a change [ or interruption] in your normal routine. Plan the walks, feeding time, the potty breaks & the play time. Here is a sample routine from the days I stay in and work from home.
- Morning potty run. Happens around 6:30am Before I jump in the shower I take sunny & daisy out for their morning potty time, this is only if gabe is not available to take them as he normally is the one in charge of the morning potty run.
- Feeding Time. 7:00am We try to stick to a feeding schedule and feed the babies at the same time everyday to keep a flow of things as well as set expectations for them.
- Adult feeding time + coffee chats. 7:30am We have a quick bite. Gabe is the cook in our home so he is in charge of breakfast. We normally have breakfast & coffee around 7:30am right before we get our work day started.
- First potty break. 9:30am I take a quick walk to take sunny out for her first potty break of the day.
- Morning play time. 11:30am We take 15-20 minutes to give our entire attention to our babies. We either train [sunny] as she is still a puppy and is in the learning stages. Or we pet daisy, maybe rub her belly [she loves that]. We dedicate this time to play & love on our babies. It keeps our day rolling and motivates us to get back to work with a fresh mind.
- Quick break to stretch the legs & second potty break. 12:30pm & 2:30pm Usually my first part of my day is composed of a lot of sitting & admin work so it is super important to stretch my legs and not to stay seated too long. It has been a hard habit to control as I like to keep working non-stop for hours on end. Having the responsibility to take the dogs out for a break forces me to have a break, its a win win.
- Feeding Time. 4:30pm We take this time to feed the pups and feed ourselves. Again Gabe will prepare something delicious for us to eat.
- Nap Time. 5:00pm For the dogs that is. This is when the dogs take a long nap and gabe and I use this time to catch up on any work that needs to be finalized prior to ending our work from home day.
- Last potty break. 6:30pm This is the last potty break of the work day and normally gabe is the one that takes care of this one, unless he is out on a job then I take them out on a quick walk.
2. Stick to your work from home plan [schedule]. Your dog [s] knows you're home and they can't understand why you are not spending time with them. This can create anxiety for your furry friend so the first few weeks to maybe a month is the most important time to stay on track and stick to your schedule, When your dog gets into the new flow of things they will understand why things have been a little different & it will help them cope + adjust.
3. Fussy dogs means its time break time. If the dogs are being fuzzy and are acting out, it may be time to take a breather and tend to them. Not only will things flow back into place a lot sooner than if you ignore them but it will help keep your cool. I used to ignore all of the signs and let the dogs continue to be fuzzy until it made me snap and get after them when all they wanted was a little love and if I would have given it to them they would relax and everyone would keep their cool. It's a process and learning is always part of our daily routines.
4. Keep their minds busy. Keep all the toys handy and ready for their alone play time. This will make things sun smoothly and will keep your dog from going stir crazy. We have a variety of toys, mainly for sunny as she is still a puppy and very much so enjoys playing will every and all toys at once. Daisy is more of a chill at home type of dog and spends most of her day napping. [ now thats the life ] Some toys that we have found to be super helpful for keeping sunny entertained for longer periods of time are the following: antlers, kong toy [we put banana or almond butter] and that keeps her busy for a good while. We also like the ropes & any toy that squeaks, mainly because she loves it [although it can get a little annoying at times]. Here is a link of our favorite local dog store where we purchase most of her toys and treats. Mikes Dog Store | San Antonio, Texas.
5. Give yourself credit for all you do. Having pets is like having children. I know some people may not say its the same but dedicated dog parents would beg to differ. Know that you are doing the best you can and don't be too hard on yourself. You got this.
I hope this survival guide helps with adjusting to your new workflow with pets at home. I know it is something everyone has to adjust and get used to but once we are in the rhythm of things everything flows much easier.
Until next time.
Love & WELLB, Tania Garza