6 Ways To Help Your Dog Stay Busy Quiet While Working From Home

Dogs whose owners work from home are less likely to suffer symptoms of separation anxiety, but can be more likely to distract owners or disrupt their workdays without proper training. Here are six ways to keep your dog occupied and relatively quiet so that you can achieve optimal productivity when working from a home shared with pets.

Close Up the Windows for Less Barking

Dogs have keen senses, and any activity outdoors can drive your dog to bark. Try closing the windows during work calls or focused sessions or using window treatments that limit your dog’s view. Set up a custom Zoom background with logo to minimize distractions and look professional in video conferences and calls. You can always open the windows back up when you don’t mind the occasional alert to the presence of a squirrel.

Create Dog Puzzles for Their Stimulation

Much like humans, dogs can tire physically or mentally. Try to balance walks, park visits or play sessions with mental activities such as puzzle toys to keep your dog busy while you are working. From puzzle feeders to toys that can be filled with treats that dogs have to work to enjoy, you can choose from many options for providing dogs with mental stimulation.

Take Periodic Timed Training Breaks

Most eye health specialists recommend the 20-20-20 rule to workers who look at screens for hours. Every 20 minutes, take a 20 second break and focus your eyes on something that is at least 20 feet away. You can also use this time to summon your dog, issue a command and provide a reward.

Schedule Walks Around Tasks

Longer breaks are also ideal for walks. Even a fifteen minute stroll offers a dog ample opportunities for relief and resets his or her focus. Consider taking a walk between calls, or going for a longer stroll during your lunch break or at the end of the workday.

Try To Let Your Dog Socialize

Dogs are social animals, and can get along well together given sufficient socialization. It is impossible to imitate the level of satisfaction and exhaustion that many dogs get from spending time with other dogs. Humans can also benefit from seeing each others’ faces. A Zoom Immersive View backgrounds download allows meeting participants to congregate in shared virtual space.

Balance Indoor and Outdoor Time

Whether you have a fenced, secure yard or have to accompany your pet outside at all times, it is important to strive for a good balance of indoor to outdoor time. Dogs can benefit from 30 minutes up to two hours of exercise per day, and should spend at least a minimum of 30 minutes of time outside per day. Using a Zoom virtual office background enables dog owners to maintain a professional appearance and participate in video conferences and calls from any

One or more of these tried-and-true strategies can be useful for dog owners who work from home. If your pooch is causing frequent distractions, you should focus on training.