# Working from home with puppy



## Broughty (Jan 30, 2012)

Hi everybody

I just wondered if anybody has experience of working from home with a puppy? And actually managing to get any work done 

I am lucky to be able to and it really helped with toilet training him but now I really do need to get some work done!! He will sleep for a few hours but always wakes up right in the middle of an important call ready to play. I had to get a new phone with a mute button so people can't hear him! If I let him out Of my office without watching him i am worried what he will be up to even though I have an area gated off, especially as he seems to have the devil in him for the last few days!!

Any tips? I am worried that because he is either with me when I work from home or at day care he is not learning how to play on his own or be on his own. Should I start leaving him in a different part of the house on his own?

I don't want him to get separation anxiety when he is older but he is still a baby so don't want to leave him on his own either. 

Sarah x x


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Maybe let him be with you but use a portable phone and move out of the room when you get a call? My two love to be with me and follow me everywhere around the house! They dont have separation anxiety and sleep when I go out.


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## RubyCockapoo (Feb 5, 2011)

I've been at home pretty much all the time while we have had the pups here - it is distracting and you can guarantee that they'll start barking just as you're about to start a conference call.

It is nice at the same time.

When they were very young, I used to leave them in the kitchen - with their crate - crate door open, kitchen door shut (glass pannelled) and just check on them visually every now and again and let them out for their wees at usual intervals (and a cuddle/play of course).

Then as they could be more trusted (for thier own safety etc) I would bring them up to the office with their bed and attach them to their lead and attach that to something safe in the office - they could mooch about but careful positioning means they couldn't get to anything they shouldn't.

Again, next stage, off the lead and able to mooch about in a wider space - starting with office with door shut, then landing, then that plus bedroom, gate to front room shut, ect

Today, they have free reign and the back door is open (because its a lovely day here) so they can toilet themselves when they need to - the youngest, Pepper is 7.5 months at time of writing.

Just remember the toilet breaks while they still need to be taken out to do it.

For me, it is all based on how I think they can be trusted - sometimes its a leap of faith, and they normally reward you.

Hope this helps - good luck

Ian


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

I've always worked from home since I've had Dylan, and have found it works out fine. I think that they are very adaptable and soon learn the house routine. I take him for a really good walk first thing in the morning which I think is vital, then he just crashes in his bed, near me, for most of the day. In summer I leave the door open so he can go in the garden when he wants, but he mostly lies in the doorway looking out! Sometimes he'll come for a cuddle for a couple of minutes, but generally he knows that he doesn't get any attention while I'm working. Then I take him for another walk late afternoon. Although Dylan has a reputation for being really noisy, he actually rarely barks in the house, so noise has never been a problem, but I agree that a cordless phone should help. I've never had a problem leaving him and no separation anxiety at all, even though he's with me so much. As soon as I give him a bone, he knows I'm going out and doesn't even follow me to the door. I think that being with me most of the time has made him more secure and confident if anything. My advice would be to establish a routine of walk, play, rest times and he'll soon get used to it.


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

As others have said a nice long walk in the morning to tire him out,then i would pop him in a crate in the same room as you are working ,If Buddy's in his crate and can see me he settles no problem if i was in another room and he could hear me he would bark and bark.

Also id have some good chew's stag bars,hoofs,carrots anything that will keep him entertained while your on the phone.
Most puppies at this age will be fine with 5-10mins play and then they will sleep again,a quick run around playing fetch should carm him down ,then give him his chew to use up any spare energy he has.


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## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

I take Nacho to work with me and he is usually very good. Currently fast asleep on my feet. I take a lot of toys into my office which amuse him and usually a bone or kong which he doesn't have access to all the time. When I do get that important phone call and he decides to be a pest, I present him with the bone/kong - always keeps him amused and distracts him from wanting to play with me!

I also have lots of regular 5 minute walks during the day to mix things up a bit - usually a trip to another office or to go for a coffee break etc. xx


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## Janev1000 (Oct 4, 2011)

I work on and off part-time for a friend from home and whenever I do, I take Biscuit for a good walk beforehand and he usually settles well after. If he wakes up then I give him something long-lasting to chew such as a pig's ear, stag bar, meaty bone, etc and this usually works well - although I'm usually working for only a couple of hours. I think they soon learn to be ignored and settle down to something else.


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## Broughty (Jan 30, 2012)

Thanks. Maybe I will try a slightly longer walk in the morning. He loves venison ears (pigs ears don't agree with him ) so maybe I will keep one handy for when he wakes up. Is it bad to give them too many of those? We normally only give him one or two a week.

Maybe I just need to ignore him a bit more when he does demand attention so he gets into a routine. But it is hard to ignore such a cute little face!


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

I work from home and have to leave Millie alone when I go into my beauty room with clients.

Originally Millie would want to greet the client with me and then I'd put her in the crate whilst I worked. Then take her out when I'd finished. I'd pace the numer of clients coming in and not have them back to back. She never really liked the crate in the daytime, so eventually I just put a vet bed outside the room. She very quickly learnt to wait patiently until I'd finished.

Now she has free reign of the house. She still loves to do the meet & greet bit to everyone who comes to the door. Then she waits either outside the door, at the foot of the stairs or on her bed upstairs. She seems to know when I've finished as she comes to the door to get a fuss and see the clients off 

Occasionally if I have a really busy day, she does get up to mischief which can be a bit challenging. The latest is taking things she finds in the garden up to our bed to hide them


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