Stuck at home with the Dogs?
Welcome to the first WaGB blog post! It’s during an unfortunate time, but we will make the best of it. With a lot of people working from home, now is a great time to fix those problem behaviors! My wife and I are extremely thankful to be able to social distance without added stress from our dogs. Being stuck at home social distancing with an unruly or hyperactive dog is like working, living, and raising children with your spouse in quarantine. Challenging. This blog will explain whats happening right now with our dogs and what to do moving forward.
Just about every person on this planet right now is having to live a very different life. Those of us that are able to work from home or have been temporarily laid off, are going stir crazy at home. A lot of essential workers are spending more time away from home to fill demand at work. Either way, our dogs are being affected as well. They have had their routines thrown out the window without having any idea of what’s going on. Have you ever been laid off, injured or just stuck at home for some reason for a period of time? Not having a schedule can create quite a mess. You forget things, eat too much, not enough, hygiene doesn’t matter much, sleep in, stay up late etc etc until you start to feel less and less like yourself? No? Me either.
Whether Rover is driving you up a wall due to energy or he loves the couch more than The Simpsons, a consistent schedule is extremely important. Feed your dog at the same time to keep their digestion normal. Some kind of structured exercise will help with physical and mental energy. This can be a game of catch with rules like a thirty second down stay before the next toss, tug of war with commands, a structured walk with free time, some basic obedience in the back yard or even just a game of hide and seek indoors. Most importantly, you should always spend time away from your dog. During the day set a timer for a couple hours or spread out a couple hour sessions and crate or separate your dog from you. Different part of the house, no interaction. This will ensure that your dog can handle when you go back to your regularly scheduled broadcast.
“Essential Employees” We have not forgot about you. First off, thank you for kicking ass out there. All your effort might be pulling you away from your dog and family more so than before. Unfortunately, it is much harder to help a dog that’s home alone. Brain games, puzzles, walks, obedience, fetch, tug of war and crates will be your best friends. Try finding a friend or family member that can let your dog out during your shift without risking themselves or others. Regular PPE as well as having them use their own leash and collar will help limit contact.
We will be sharing videos on our Facebook and Instagram pages with tips and tricks to a better life in quarantine and after, with your dog.
WaGB is offering Board and Train and Home School options only right now to anyone interested with Essential workers getting priority. Our Discovery Camps are completed with no contact, video and picture updates as well as video lessons and follow ups upon completion.
If you have any questions please check out our website, Facebook or Instagram page. Contact us any way you can with questions and we will be happy to help!