Need advice on working from home with a doodle

[KLN]

I have recently switched jobs and am now working from home which I envisioned would go much differently than it has.  :)  I was so excited because except for when I was gone for appointments, Finn wouldn't have to be in his crate.  He goes to daycamp three days a week and is home with me for two days.  On the days that he is home with me, all he wants to do all day long is play.  I feel more guilty for not giving him attention during the day now than I did when I was leaving him crated and going to work.  I have to focus during the day and it's hard not being able to give him the attention he wants and I feel like he doesn't understand (which I know he doesn't). 

Do any of y'all work at home?  How do you manage it?  Do you have any advice?  My friends are telling me to crate him, even when I'm home working in my office, but I really don't want to crate him if I don't have to.  But at the same time, I don't know how to get work done with him jumping on me to give him attention.  Sigh. 

Any advice ya'll can give me would be much appreciated! 

[Terri, Murfee & Emily]

I too work from home as I am in sales. I have learned that if I shut the door to my office, everyone seems to understand that Mom is at work, therefore no play. You don't say how old Finn is so my way may not work for you. Murfee turns 1 on Friday and he pretty much has our schedule down. Good luck and just remember, they won't be puppies for long. 

[KLN]

Thanks Terri!  I'm in sales too.  It's a new position for me so I'm just now getting used to working from home.  Part of what really enticed me about working from home was the idea of the dogs (I have an 8 year old cocker spaniel and my doodle is 10 months) being able to hang out with me and lounge in my office.  I even got a great bed for them to lay in.  That was the vision, not the reality because Finn never lays in it.  :) 

I have a doggie door so closing the door to my office would definitely be doable and is a good solution...unless Finn (my doodle puppy) decides to whine outside the door because he wants in.  I think I need to establish those boundaries now though so they know.  Thanks for the advice. 

[Susan and Bentley]

I work from home.  It is a challenge, especially when I'm on the phone.  I get up early so I have time to feed and play with him for an hour or so, take him for a walk, etc.  He's 9 months old now and is getting better at just hanging out with me but some days I hardly get anything done bc he won't leave me alone.  That's when I give him a kong with pb or cream cheese, I put a treat in a ball that takes him a while to get out.  I give him bully sticks.  Of course I try to take breaks and play with him a little or, while I'm on the phone I throw a ball for him to fetch.  Again, some days he won't leave me alone but he's getting to understand the routine and when we finish breakfast and playing it's time for me to go in my office and work.

[Rita and Fazzy]

I have worked from home since we got our boy Fazzy...we also have two small dogs.  The office door is open and for the most part, everyone snoozes while I'm working.  Hard part is, my husband has been out of work for about 7 months now and they have all gotten used to having him around and taking them to the park every day that once he goes back to work, there will probably be an adjustment period to deal with.

Fortunately, Fazzy was a very calm puppy and just hung out in the office without much problem.  The biggest problem these days  is when he comes up to me at the keyboard and keeps shoving his nose under my hand so that I'll pet him............or, when he goes into the backyard and starts to bark at SOMETHING and I have to go shush him.

Frozen kongs are one thing that I used to give Fazz to work on while I was working.  In the afternoon tho, I used to put him in the kitchen (we had a gate there) and he would hang out there on his own for a few hours in the afternoon...I just wanted him to be ok hanging out alone.

Good luck....you'll get thru it and it's so wonderful to work from home and know that you're there for them if they need you!!!

[Abby Christos]

My husband works from home a lot and he has found that if he closes bob in the office with him, he will eventually lay down and fall asleep. Get him a good bone or nylabone!

[Alex]

We have a 6 month old doodle and both work from home a lot without problems. I have actually begun bringing Baci to work with me as well. 

I am not sure how useful this advice is since Baci seems to have a fairly calm temperament to begin with (although he is certainly not "low energy"). Basically, what seems to have worked for us is getting him accustomed early on to long stretches during which he is present but ignored during many types of activities. We never crate or exclude him except for sleep and when we are out, and make a practice of having him with us  -- but ignoring him completely -- when we are eating, preparing meals, and watching television. We have a strong rule about being firm and giving no attention if he tries to bug us during these times. It was draining at first, but he actually learned rather quickly to entertain himself or sleep. We also made sure that he always has *a lot* of toys around to entertain himself, and rotate them so that he doesn't take them for granted (too much).

Of course, a lot of exercise also helps. He can be a real pain if he hasn't gone on any walks for the day or played with another dog. 

[Deb's Yarrow and Schatzi]

I work from home and I've been following Caesar's advice that a tired dog is a good dog.  An energetic walk/run for at least 45 minutes around 8:30 a.m. and Yarrow is content and quiet with her toys or napping until around noon/one-ish when we have to repeat for more quiet time, then again just before sunset.  I'm exhausted but it works.  I really am exhausted, but it really does work.  Day camp sounds oh so exciting and stimulating.  Finn will have to get used to the different routines and what is expected of him in each environment.  And he will. 

[Lucy & Ellie]

Well, from what you said in your reply to my post about puppy schedules, and what you said here too, it sounds like he's used to his crate.... I'd just keep using it!

We are totally new to the dog world but I keep telling myself that the puppy-ness will wear off and eventually we won't have to leave her in her crate while we are working (homeschooling).  She'll just be cool.  Right?!  Hopefully?!  And your Finn is just still a pup too.... I wouldn't feel bad about using the crate.  It sounded like you had a good routine going and the attention that you do give him is GOOD!

[April S.]

I have been working from home since June and I love it.  I am on conference calls all day and it can sometimes be challenging with Luna... (she is just over 1 year old).   We have a play session in the morning before I start and I take her potty before I start my day regardless of whether she thinks she needs to go or not.  If I am going to be on a call - I take her out about 15 minutes before it to make sure she's good.  We have another play session when I decide to take a lunch break and another potty break.   She sometimes will grab a squeaky toy and start squeaking it loudly while I'm working and then drop it on my foot.  I just take it away from her and replace it with another chew toy and throw it across the room. When my husband gets home we normally play again before dinner time.  Other than that she normally just sleeps next to me or chases the cats around. :)

[Kelly & Zoe]

Closing the door to my office works for me too.  When Zoe was very little, and very rambunctious, we have a dog gate and I'd confine her to a small area near the back door (where we have dog doors).  She'd whine a bit at first but as she got older she realized when i'm in the office and door is closed or she's confined that she has to fend for herself.

I'm with you in that I didn't want to crate if I didn't have to, and after Zoe was fully potty trained around 4 months, I just used the dog gates to confine her if necessary.  She's 8 months now and she really only bothers me at 3:00 (her walk time).

Do you walk Finn in the AM?  If not that may help on the energy?

[Jen W]

Everyone else seems much better at it than I am!  My puppy (15 months old) likes to sleep in so I generally get up and work from 6:00 - 9:00 before she gets up.  Then we got outside for potty and for a short walk (or when it's 2 degrees out like today, no walk at all) and come in for breakfast and a short playtime.  I probably don't sit down at my desk again until 10:00 - 10:30 and then she'll sleep or play by herself until 1:00 when we go for a nice walk.  I generally work around her: working when I can, playing when I can't.

On days when I'm really busy or have back-to-back meetings/conference calls she goes to daycare and there is always an antler or a new toy at the ready in case of an unexpected client call or emergency meeting.

I hope that as she gets older my work day will be less interrupted than it is now, but I just consider myself lucky to have an office mate who doesn't steal my yogurt from the fridge, microwave fish, or talk non stop about reality TV.

[Kelly & Zoe]

:-)  Sounds like you spend a lot of time with your pup!  I guess I'm pretty lucky.  Zoe is mellow most of the day as long as we take her on a nice long walk in the AM.  Then around 3:00 she wants to play or go for a walk and it's a good time for me to take a break anyway.  We have a dog walker come 3 days a week in the afternoon and if I happen to be working at home that day, I let the dog walker take her.  I'll get an additional 30 minutes of play in the day with her as well.

Haven't found any doggy daycare that I like so thankfully this seems to work for us.