Man, our four-legged pups can be handfuls.
Isn't that why we equate them to toddlers? Isn't that why we call them our fur babies? Our dogs act like children probably 75% of the time. Just this morning, I ran after my dog at the park screaming, "What's in your mouth?? Spit it out!"
Well, Higgs the dog isn't getting his way and even though he isn't a Husky or a hound, he is still just as vocal. He throws a pretty big temper tantrum when he isn't allowed to sit in his owner's lap, and he makes his voice heard.
https://rumble.com/embed/u7gve.v15l31/
It looks like Higgs' owner works from home and that can provide its own challenges. While it's nice to have the flexibility to work from the couch, or break for a quick trip to the park or a walk around the block, puppy eyes staring at you or a head in your lap when you are trying to work is is a tough.
Having a dog like Higgs that barks, sits on feet, and is jumping around your work space is even more of a distraction, and that's why it looks like Higgs and his owner need to set some boundaries.
If you work from home and your pet makes it hard for you to be productive, here are some tips.
1. Set a schedule.
If Fido knows he gets two walks a day, once before you start your work day and once after you finish, he will be more ready to take a long nap during your work hours. A tired dog is a dog more willing to leave you alone.
2. Make sure you get out of the house a little bit.
Take a few hours out of your day to work at a coffee shop, a library, or a community workspace. This will help put some distance between you and your dog so that you can be more productive.
3. Set boundaries.
Maybe you close the door to your office, or maybe Fido goes outside in the yard for a few hours. Make it known that you are not available for your dog at all hours of the day.
4. Set up dog walks.
Resources like Wag and Rover are great because you can set up a daily walk. We even have a local service that picks dogs up and takes them on hikes. This will get your dog some of his own social time with other dogs and other people. It will also help preserve your sanity since your dog will be out of the house during the day and you can have some quiet work time.
These tips will help establish some hierarchy in your household. Whether or not we adhere to them all the time is another story and it is easy to let things slip. But dogs benefit from structure, just like children. And laying down ground rules from the beginning is important.
Now, Higgs just needs to take some of this advice to heart because we all know he doesn't like being told "no..."
This article was originally published February 21, 2018. But in 2020, work from home tantrums seem even more relevant!
