The COVID-19 crisis has been one of the strangest times in most people’s lives. Our busy lives came to a screeching halt in mid-March, leaving many people with emotional stress, social isolation, and job insecurity. However, there have been several bright spots amid the crisis–one of them being the fact that pet adoptions are way up in many parts of the world.
When suddenly faced with nothing but free time, alone at home, people headed directly to their local animal shelters and adopted pets to keep them company during this time. What better time to spend working with a new pet, teaching him the ins and outs of living in a home? I mean, if you can’t manage to potty train a puppy during quarantine, when can you?
But, now the world is slowly coming back online and people are faced with heading back to their offices and leaving their new furry best friends at home alone for the first time in months. How do you prepare your new pet for their new normal?
Here are a few things to do NOW to help prepare your dog for going back to work:
Crate Train
If your dog is not already crate trained, now would be the time to do it. Begin by leaving her in her crate for short periods of time while you’re at home with her. Play soothing music, put soft blankets in the crate with her and make it a positive experience. You can also work up to having her sleep in her crate at night, to reinforce the idea that her crate is her “room.” Then, once you go back to work, she’ll be used to the crate and will find comfort in being in there.
Start a New Routine
If you’ve been sleeping in in the morning lately, now is the time to start waking up early and getting your dog used to an early morning, before-work routine. Establish a morning routine that includes plenty of potty time, breakfast and a little playtime, too. Keep things low key during the day, and then plan for more playtime, a nice walk, and dinnertime at a time of day when you’ll be home from work when your schedule resumes. This will help your puppy to adjust to a new routine when you return to work. Also start leaving her at home for short periods of time now, so that she’s used to you not always being there.
Make Midday Plans
Start planning now for coming home during your work day to let your dog go outside to potty–or start the search for a pet sitter or neighbor who can help. You don’t want to leave your puppy crated too long during the day, so you’ll want to make sure that she gets a break in the middle of the day to run around and potty.
We’re not going to sugar-coat it: it might be hard to leave your sweet, new friend at home that first day back at work, but rest assured that you’re doing a wonderful job of taking care of her and preparing her for her new routine. Besides, as they say, “absence makes the heart grow fonder,” and you’ll undoubtedly be greeted with many kisses, tail wags, and excited barks when you return home after that first day back at work!
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