Working from home with a puppy

Notice when you cannot stop work

Some tasks are easy to pause. You may be able to read emails while your puppy rests nearby, then stop when they wake. A presentation or a long call can be different.

Look at tomorrow’s work. Mark the times when you cannot respond and arrange help for those times. Sleeping beside your desk does not mean your puppy will stay asleep for the whole meeting.

Make room for care in your day

Before a call, offer your puppy what they need: a toilet trip, food when due, a little play or quiet company. Give yourself enough time for the whole trip outside.

During work you can pause, keep your puppy nearby and be ready to respond. During work you cannot pause, ask someone else to help. Let naps stay quiet and decide who will be there when your puppy wakes.

Check the next day each evening. Your puppy’s needs and your meetings may change, so the plan can change too.

Who can help during your calls?

Ask a partner, family member or sitter to help during calls you cannot pause. Tell them when your puppy last ate, slept and went outside, and agree who takes over if the meeting runs late.

If you work alone, ask whether a meeting can move or whether you can leave it when your puppy needs you. Arrange help if you cannot. Do not rely on a nap lasting until the call ends.

A day with Sam and Jo

Sam has two morning calls. Jo agrees to look after the puppy until both calls are finished, including a toilet trip if he wakes. Before the calls, Sam explains what the puppy has already done and where the supplies are.

After lunch, Sam reads emails beside the puppy and can stop whenever needed. For an afternoon deadline, Sam arranges a sitter to stay until the work is finished.

This is a made-up example. Your day may look different. The useful question is simple: who can help your puppy right now?

The desk setup

Put a comfortable bed within sight of your desk, away from busy doorways. Keep water accessible and the play area safe. Watch how your puppy uses the space and adjust it if they cannot settle.

Keep walking supplies and shoes ready so you can pause work and offer a toilet trip promptly.

Practice when you can stop

Practice time apart when your puppy is settled and you can return promptly. A meeting you cannot leave gives you little room to respond, so arrange care for that time separately.

Our guide on alone-time practice describes the small steps; the rule is comfort first, one change at a time, and a person for anything beyond what the puppy currently manages.