Caissie Canine Instruction: Working from Home with a Dog

We begin this week’s “RUFF TAILS” featuring a beautiful 18-month-old English Retriever named Hugo.

Hugo is an affectionate dog who loves spending time with his family, eating socks, getting dirty in the mud and going on long walks. He loves chasing squirrel’s and playing with other dogs.

We are so lucky to have him as part of our family! We all love him so much. We are an active family outdoors and have reached out to Caissie Canine to assist us with Hugo’s obedience and recall.

Welcome to Doggie Dialogue

Working from home can be wonderful but can also be challenging if you have a new puppy or a busy seasoned K9.

Some K9’s love to be the “star” of your zoom meetings, and some K9’s love to bark out the window, if someone passes by. This can be very distracting when you are trying to get some work done.

When COVID hit, many people transitioned to working at home, which may have caused some confusion with your K9. This change in “structure” can cause some undesirable changes in your K9’s behaviour.

Here are a few tips to try for a smoother transition, as you begin to work from home.

1.    Create a routine: feed and walk your K9 at the same time daily. Stay consistent with this.

2.    Walk your dog early: sticking to your routine by walking your dog early, therefore they are happy, content and you will tire them out.

This will allow you to get a great start to your day without any distraction.

3.    Schedule some K9 playtime: remember one walk a day will not keep your K9 from seeking attention throughout the day. When you take a work break, schedule some playtime with your K9. A quick “zoomie” around the backyard would be ideal.

A lick mat or a Kong filled with treats will also keep your K9 mentally stimulated while you are working.

4.    Create a separate dog workspace: have a special area where your dog can spend some time, while you are working. Creating a space with a few quiet toys and comfy blankets or dog bed will work.

5.    Work on training your K9 to lower the amount of barking: we recommend taking notes on what is triggering the barking.

For example:  If your dog is barking because it is a passerby, then try closing the curtains.

If they are barking to get your attention, ignore them!!! Remember do NOT reward this behaviour. When your K9 is quiet and calm reward them with praise and/or a high value treat.

Should you need any assistance with any indoor behaviours, please feel free to contact Paul at any time.