For 10-12 weeks many of us have been working from home, off and on or all the time. Your dog, cat, bird, or whatever is your best friend. They look over you. They help you. They play with you…and they have really gotten used to you being there and enjoyed your company.
Now, you are gone. You have gone back to work and your fur/feather baby doesn’t understand. The dog gets jumpy or shivering, cats, hide or poop and pee in your bed, or worse. In some cases, animal stress can kill them.
So what do you do? How do you help the one who helps you transfer your stress? Believe it or not, it isn’t as hard as you think, but it does take time and patience. Considering all they do for you, helping them transition is a small price to pay.
Here are some tips to help your quadroped
- Routine: Since animals are creatures of habit, change their routine. Kids do best with routines, so do animals. When you are going back to work, take a week and start a new routine to wake up, go for a walk, eat, shower, etc.
- Crates and gates: I am a fan of crates. The smaller the better, but not too small…and small crates reduce more stress. It makes them feel like they are in their mama’s womb. Some dogs like gates, as it gives them a place to play. chew on their Kong or just lay down and watch the house.
- Games: Animals LOVE to play. Dogs especially. It probably something you normally do, but it about how much you play, since you aren’t home and what time of day works best for your dog.Cats like to play too, but they relax when they are being groomed. A good brushing calms them down and lowers stress levels
- EXCLUSIVE TO CAT OWNERS: Make sure that cat box is sparkling clean. Cats have this thing about making sure their “business” isn’t seen or smelled (unless you have a cat like mine, who couldn’t cover a turd, if she tried. She just flings litter around the inside of the box)
- In all cases, be positive. It is all about reinforcing good behavior and easing the bad habits out. (Remember how it was to train your puppy to go outside or to teach your kitten to litter box train.)
Those may be the same habits you already have, you just need to modify them and keep the routine. It will make your best friend happier. After all, they only want to make you happy.