Keeping my dog entertained while I'm at work?

HereSadie

HereSadie

Well-known member
Does anyone here have tips for keeping my dog Sadie entertained while I'm at work? She does okay when I leave her alone for short periods, but when I work longer she gets into mischief.
 
Wow, thanks for the quick reply Kirsten! Sadie does pretty good for about six hours, but sometimes I have to work longer at the office for about eight to nine hours at a time. I work from home a lot, so it doesn't happen often. I have a doggie door and a fenced in yard, so Sadie can go outside to use the bathroom as needed.
 
Sometimes life just is and we can’t make it perfect. That said, a dog walker might be a good solution to come visit you pup and spend some time playing with her or taking her on a walk.
 
Since you work from home a lot, would it be an option to take her to a doggy daycare type of place on the days when you go into the office? My dogs don't like places like that, but I have some friends who swear by them for keeping their dogs entertained while the humans are gone all day.
 
Kirsten said:
Also making sure she gets extra exercise those long days either before or after work.
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Would also think about adding more mental stimulation daily if not already. Just to add onto physical excercise :)

  • Food puzzles
  • KONGS stuffed and frozen
  • Few quick training sessions
Just to name a few for an overall environment plan.
 
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Have you ever heard of Petziconnect? You have the capability to talk to your pet, see what he does during the day and even dispense a treat to him using your smart phone. Look this up and let us know what you think.
 
Hello, yes I heard of Petziconnect and I think there might be a few others on the market.

Without overthinking it my first response will be when using any tool or device is; All dogs are different therefore when it comes to behavior we always like to go slow.

Sometimes a first association can have such a bad response that it can be hard to change that emotional response later on. For example a fearful anxious dog might get terrified if we just turn it on and use it without desensitizing the device (tool).

In my opinion and to be honest and fair I never tried one of these devices or even spoken to someone that used it. I would probably just caution and advise to go slow and definitely use DS/CC when introducing the tool/device.

Little article on Desensitizing and Counter Conditioning Note: I always advise to desensitize all tools before using especially with puppies and fearful anxious dogs...
 
I can't thank you all enough for the great advice! I'm still looking for a petsitter, but in the meantime, I decided to take the advice here about enriching Sadie's environment. The Kong has been a big hit and it keeps Sadie occupied for a long time! I also got her a wooden puzzle box that allows me to hide toys and treats inside for her to fish out. I mostly just use the treats to bait her into working the puzzle. She goes wild when I pull it out. Both of these toys do a good job of keeping Sadie occupied while I'm not here. She'll work on it a little bit, then go outside. Then she'll work on it a little more before lying down to take a nap. To make sure they'll hold her interest for a long time, I'm only letting her have these puzzles when I'll be working late. Petziconnect sounds like a cool piece of technology, but I'm afraid that it would scare Sadie, so I'm going to pass.
 
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