Running a business from home requires discipline in itself as it is so easy to get distracted when working in your own home environment. The last thing I needed was a puppy asking me to play with it or to go for a walk every hour, so I needed to develop a routine for my dog as soon as possible.
When I got my latest dog Zoe as a 7 week old puppy, I felt it was important to start the puppy training and get her into a routine at an early age to ensure that she got the attention and exercise that she needed and I was able to carry on with my own work without many interruptions.
I am an early riser and like to put in 2 – 3 hours work online before breakfast, Zoe on the other hand likes to sleep in, so it suited me fine that she preferred to stay in her bed until breakfast time.
Being a Jack Russell Terrier, Zoe has boundless energy and I planned on walking her twice a day. So, immediately after breakfast we got into the routine of going for our first walk of the day. Whilst this keeps my blood circulating and gives my eyes a break from the computer it gives Zoe a good start to the day.
I use a 15 foot retractable lead which gives Zoe quite a lot of freedom on her walks and in the area I live there are places where I can safely take her off the lead so she can have a good run around. She does not wander far and will immediately stand still when I say the word “wait”.
When we get back home she is happy and content and as she has the run of the front garden and the house she is in and out for the rest of the morning doing her own thing, such as chasing lizards in the garden, guarding the house or just basking in the sun. She will pop into my study every now and again just to say hello and to let me know she is still around.
From the day I got Zoe, I have always set aside about 30 minutes after my lunch and supper for what I term quality play time. I played more frequently with Zoe when she was a puppy but for shorter periods of time. She really looks forward to this and as I am finishing up in the kitchen she will bring her favorite toy for a game of tug-of-war! Once I say “back to work now” she is quite happy to stop playing and let me return to my study.
Just before 4pm every day she will come into the study to remind me that it is time for our second walk of the day. This is usually a long walk and on the way home we stop in to see my mother where Zoe gets a biscuit! Her inner clock is extremely accurate and at exactly 5pm she will come to me and lick her lips as if to say “can we please go home now so I can have my supper”.
Once again she is content to do her own thing until I have had my supper and she will remind me that it is time for another game of tug-of- war by bringing her favorite toy to the kitchen.
Whilst I spend a couple of hours on the computer in the evening she usually sleeps under my desk until I tell her it is bed time. She then races down the passage to the bedroom with another special toy and sits beside it waiting patiently for her two bed-time biscuits.
I also made a point of taking Zoe in the car from a very young age and now she loves to go for a ride and I just have to say the words “shall we go in the car” and she will run off and sit beside the car door ready for me to put her harness on so she can sit on her specially covered part of the seat in the back, with a short leash attached to her harness and secured so she cannot fall off the seat or be thrown around the car in the event of sharp braking.
The daily routine works well for us both in that it keeps us both exercised, Zoe rarely gets bored, it allows me to run my home business without unnecessary interruptions, and she is content and knows what the day holds for her.
It may take time to get the routine established but they adapt very quickly to those parts of the day when they get your full attention and become resigned to the fact that that is not going to happen all day long.
I enrolled her at a puppy school at a dog training center close by when she was 4 months old and continued to train her at home. I stuck to the daily routine as rigidly as possible so now she knows exactly what the day holds for her and she is happy and such a pleasure to have around as well as being a great companion.
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