Keep your dog happy when you are at work


vizzla

New Member
Today, one of Swedens "dog whisperer" Fredrik Steen, has an artikle in a daily newspaper about how to keep dogs happy when you are at work.

He says:

To have a dog and work full time is an equation that doesnt match at al. Still that whats life of a dog owner is. But there are better and bad solutions to the problem.

Fredrik thinks it is wrong to allready plan to leave the dog at home when you thinking of getting a dog. It doesnt work out for most dogs. THey are pack animals and need company to be healthy.

The reality for many dogs is pretty lonely days. Some people come home on the lunchbreak to take the dog for a walk, wich is nothing Fredik recommends.
- You are supposed to have time to eat too during lunch so the dog gets a few minutes of walking and still long hours alone. He can see this to be an temporary solution only.

Fredrik says that dogs can get sick of beeing left alone for long hours on a regular basis. A dog that is left home alone often experiens stress. It can show this by howling, peeing or pooping inside, bark, chewing. But some dogs can react in an oppisit way. Some dogs get so passive and dont want to go outside at all or stop eating. He says that if a dog doesnt want to play or is not eating well its a big warning sign. This dog may be depressed.

Often it is very hard to tell how the dogs really feeling so Fredriks advice is just to not leave the dog alone at all, or at least as little as possible.

He finnish by saying that dogs dont complain, because they just cant.


Solutions to lonelyness:

Doggie -daycare
It can be fun for dogs to be in daycare with other dogs. One problem with this is that the dog can start likeing dogs more than humnas. It can be hard to get the dog to focus on you and not other dogs. Not all dogs like daycare, some get stressed out. Good staff would see this an can adjust to the individual dogs.


Taking the dog to work!
The dog appreciate your companionship and feels calm. Teach the dog to stay in its place when at work. Then you teach your dog to not greet anyone passing by your room, wich can become a stressfull behaviour.

Dog "whatchers"
Leave your dog at someones home when at work. A neighbour, a friend, leave an ad in an newspaper/internet, a relative or a senior that is home all day.

Company by another dogfriend.
Leaving to dogs can be bettern than beeing alone since they have company of eachother. But be sure they will not start fighting over bones, toys or other things.

Dog- walker
Someone walking the dog during the day can be an temporary solution but not for very long. THe dog is still alone for more hours than is healthy for them. Dogs dont benefit of being alone for too long on an regular base.

/Vizzla
 

schierling

New Member
I work from home now, but I have had to work in the past when we have had dogs. Our solution was to have multiple dogs which seemed to do the trick. My dogs bonded really well, and I often did come home at lunch and I rarely had to work late. We also are very early risers so our dogs always had several hours in the morning with me before I left for work. They survived. But nothing beats working from home and having them sleep at your feet. It is a big concern though, something to really think about before acquiring a dog.
 

vizzla

New Member
so true. We waited one year before we could get a dog just because we didnt have a solution to this. But then my parents in law said that they wanted to take them when we are at work! So now we have to dogs that never left alone for more then when we go shopping or so :) Now everyone is happy!
 

sherlock

New Member
But nothing beats working from home and having them sleep at your feet.
So true. I usually work on the couch with my laptop, and Watson sleeps right up against my leg on one side. Love it. I don't do a whole lot of work from home, but when I'm "at" work it's pretty flexible and I drop by to check on him/play/snuggle when I take a lunch break.
 
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