How do I prepare my puppy for when I go back to work

There is a lot of talk about the potential of lifting lockdown this week, but is your lockdown puppy ready for when you go back to work?

On Sunday evening we will find out how lockdown will be eased.

There are people trying to predict what will happen and with other celebrating early that things will go back to normal.

Currently, we don’t have a vaccine.

This is important, as until we have one social distancing can not be reduced.

What does this mean?

That life cant not quite yet go back to normal.

We do need to look at this though as realise that even with just talking about it being lifted we need to start thinking about how we get used to a new normal.

Be prepared with your puppy for when lockdown restrictions are eased

How can you do this?

What do you need to do?

The key is to start now, our dogs have gotten used to us being around more so we need to start preparing them that we won’t be around all day.

Make a plan.

After weeks of not leaving your side, going back to ‘normal’ will undoubtedly have a big impact on your puppy.

Use my guidelines below to make a plan for the next week of getting your puppy used to you not being on tap all day.

Everyday spend time in their crate on their own

You want your lockdown puppy to get used to spending time on their own in their crate.

But first you must make sure you have met your puppies needs.

Has he been fed, exercised and been to the toilet?

Yes? thats great but dont pop them straight in there after a walk you need your pup to be calm when doing this training.

Now you can begin.

Build this up daily up to 2 hours, but do not try on day one try and do 2 hours – too much too quick.

To start we are going to provide them something to do.

Like a chew or a kong to start, as you won’t be going far and will be able to hear them.

Start off where you puppy is happy to be left, this may be 1 minute or 30 minutes.

Just start where your puppy is comfortable.

Don’t make a fuss when you pop them in there and when getting them out don’t make a fuss.

Leave some white noise on for him, such as a radio.

Just let him out, quick fuss and go back to watching the tv so he will follow you.

Once you have built this is successfully to 2 hours with you straying in the house.

You are ready for the next step.

For you to leave the house and for your puppy to be ok with you going out the front door.

To do this through, you need to reduce your criteria again, so back down to just 1 minute.

Then build up slowly again.

I know what you are thinking, what am I supposed to do for two hours outside the from of my home?

Go and sit in your car and listen to a podcast,

Read a book or listen to the radio with a cup of coffee.

Again through, when you go back in make sure it’s a calm release from the crate.

Quick hello and make another cup of coffee.

Puppy

By following my above guidelines, you are building up your puppies confidence of being able to cope with being on their own.

It will make it easier on them when more changes come in and life gradually returns to normal.

When you need to go back to work.

There may be new changes on Monday where we can exercise more than once a day.

So we are going to be able to make use of this to build up the time away from our puppy – but remember do it in stages over time.

Does your puppy not love their crate?

Cry when you leave them in there?

First then we need to make your puppy love their crate before you can work on the above.

One of my favourite crate games to play this is ‘you’re in, you’re out’ which is in my ebook The Pandemic Puppy.

If you want a free copy of my book, grab a copy here

Not sure of you want to use a crate?  Check out may blog on crate and the benefits of using one here- To Crate or not To Crate… that is the question!