Working From Home With a Dog: Hints and Tips
Updated: Nov 1
Working from home sounds perfect when you have a dog. No more long days alone, and walks whenever you like. But anyone who has tried it knows it isn't always that simple. Your dog nudges you during calls, barks at the post halfway through a meeting and can't work out why you're home but not playing. And you may find your own days blur into one long stretch at the laptop. I've worked from home for more than 20 years, with dogs at my feet for all of it. Here's what helps both of you, from routines and breaks to keeping your dog settled while you work.
THE SHORT ANSWER
To work from home happily with a dog, build a simple routine for both of you. Start the day with a walk or a good sniff before you sit down, so your dog is ready to rest. Keep regular working hours and take proper breaks, including a midday walk if you can. Give your dog a comfy spot near you or in a quiet room, with a chew or food toy for the first part of each work block. Teach them that you being at the desk means rest time, not play time. Close the curtains or use a gate if they bark at the window, and plan calls around walks where possible. End the day with a routine too, like a final walk, so your dog knows work is over. And practise short spells apart, so your dog still copes when you go out.
Start the day with a routine
What you do before work matters as much as what you do during it. A good pre-work routine helps you switch into work mode, and helps your dog settle.
Our own mornings start early, with feeding the animals and a walk with the dogs before breakfast. By the time I'm at my desk, the dogs are fed, walked and ready to snooze. Yours might look different, but try to fit in a walk or a sniffy game before you start. A dog who has used their nose and stretched their legs is far more likely to rest.
Keep regular hours
When your office is also your home, work can easily creep into your evenings. Set a start time, a finish time and break times, and stick to them as best you can.
Dogs love predictability too. If walks and meals happen around the same time each day, your dog learns when to expect them and is less likely to pester you in between. If you work across time zones or around family commitments, that's fine. Just keep your own pattern steady.
Take proper breaks
It's easy to skip breaks at home or feel guilty for taking them. But in an office you'd get up for a drink, chat to someone or pop out for lunch.
Give yourself the same. A midday walk is good for both of you. It clears your head and gives your dog something to look forward to. Short breaks matter too. Stand up, stretch and move every hour or so. If you have phone calls that don't need a screen, take them on a walk with your dog.
Give your dog a working-day spot
Your dog needs somewhere comfy to rest while you work. That might be a bed under or near your desk, or a quiet room away from the bustle.
Pop a chew, a stuffed food toy or a lick mat there at the start of each work block. Over time, your dog learns that you sitting at the desk means rest time, not play time. If they nudge you for attention, calmly guide them back to their spot and reward them for settling. Read reward more of what you want to see.
Barking during calls
The doorbell, the post and people walking past can all set a dog off at the worst moment. A bit of planning helps a lot. Try these ideas:
close the curtains or use window film if your dog watches the street
put the radio on low to soften outside noise
give your dog a chew before an important call
schedule calls after a walk, when your dog is more likely to sleep
work in a room away from the front door if you can
Over time, you can also teach your dog to go to their bed when the doorbell rings. Read stop your dog barking at the doorbell.
Keep your workspace separate
In an ideal world, you'd have a separate office. Most of us don't, and the kitchen table becomes the desk. Even then, a small line between work and home helps.
Set up in the same spot each day, and pack your work away when you finish. If the laptop stays open, it's easy to answer "just one more email". For your dog, a clear start and end to your working day makes the routine easier to follow.
End the day with a routine
Just as your day starts with a routine, finish it with one. It tells your brain work is done, and tells your dog it's their time now.
For us, it's the final walk of the day, then the animals' evening feed. A walk, a game in the garden or a short training session all work well. Your dog soon learns that when the laptop closes, the fun starts.
Don't forget time apart
When you're home all day, your dog can forget how to be on their own. That can make it hard when you do need to go out.
Build in short spells apart each day, even when you're home. Shut the door to your office for a while, or pop out for ten minutes while your dog has a chew. Keep these calm and boring, so being alone stays normal. Read why dogs destroy things when left alone.
Go easy on yourself
Working from home takes a different kind of discipline, and some days will be messy. The dog barks on a call, the walk gets cut short or your focus drifts.
That's normal. Do what you can, keep the routine roughly steady, and enjoy the perks. Having your dog beside you through the working day is one of the best parts of it.
RENEE'S TIP
Make your dog a "desk box" with a few safe chews and food toys that only come out when you start work. Hand one over as you sit down each morning and after lunch. Your dog will soon look forward to you going to your desk, because that's when the good stuff appears.
QUICK CHECK
ā Walk or sniff before you start work
ā Keep regular hours and proper breaks
ā Give your dog a comfy working-day spot with a chew
ā Plan calls around walks and quiet times
ā Build in short spells apart, even when you're home
ONE-TO-ONE HELP
Help with a dog who won't settle
If your dog barks through your calls, follows you everywhere or can't cope when you go out, I can help you build a plan in an online Dog Behaviour Consultation from wherever you are.
Online on Teams, wherever you are. 30 or 60 minutes.
FAQs
How do I keep my dog quiet while working from home?
Walk them first, give them a comfy spot and a chew, and plan calls for times your dog is likely to sleep.
Should my dog be in the same room while I work?
Either works. Some dogs settle best near you, and others rest better in a quieter room.
How often should I walk my dog when working from home?
Most dogs enjoy a walk before work, a midday walk and an evening walk, adjusted to their age and needs.
Can working from home cause separation problems?
It can, if your dog is never alone. Build in short, calm spells apart every day.
How do I stop my dog pestering me while I work?
Guide them back to their bed, reward them for settling and give them a chew or food toy there.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Renee Patience Ā· National Dog Trainer of the Year 2025
Founder and head trainer of Paws Academy, with more than 30 years training dogs and a Level 6 Diploma in Applied Canine Behaviour. Renee has competed in agility, obedience and heelwork to music across the UK, including at Crufts and Olympia, has appeared on CBBC, and is the author of the Modern Training Guides and the Modern Breed Handbook series. Pictured with her boxer, Kookie.
