Many people now work from their homes, choosing to telecommute instead of going into a on office. They use technologies like Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams to work and collaborate. Since they’re at home, many take that as an opportunity to have a dog with them as a companion during the work day. But is a dachshund a good dog for someone who is working from home?
Dachshunds are a great companion for people who work from home. They provide constant companionship, entertainment and love throughout the entire work day. But they do require care and attention that could distract from work and they can sometimes become excited by outside distractions that lead to barking and other disruptive behaviors.
I have worked from home for many years and I would recommend having a dachshund with you as you work out of your home.
Here are some benefits and drawbacks to working from home with a dachshund and some tips for working next to your dog.
Dachshunds Are Great Work From Home Companions
Working from home can be a lonely and solitary pursuit. Many of us now spend hundreds of hours per year in front of a computer screen typing and clicking. Even if your family is home with you while you’re working, most will not want to spend a lot of time talking and engaging in other traditional forms of interaction while also trying to work. In a situation like this, a dachshund can be a great and loving work companion.
Dachshunds like to be around people, so as you are working your dachshund will likely be extremely content to sit in a room for you for hours on end. Kal-El, my miniature dachshund, has for years sat with me while I work out of my home office including during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A lot of the time while you are working, your dachshund will be sleeping. Statistics show dogs spend only 20% of their day being active, another 30% awake but not active and a whopping 50% of the day sleeping. Because dachshunds were bred as hunting dogs, they use sleep to conserve their energy so they can be ready for a “hunt,” even though most no longer actually hunt for anything. For a dachshund this could mean up to 14 hours a day sleeping their little lives away — this is ideal for a home office environment.
My dachshund spends most of my work day sleeping, and especially loves climbing up on my shoulders and sleeping there (he likes to snore into my ear).
Dachshunds Can Be Distracting In A Home Office
Even though dachshunds sleep a lot during the day, they can become excited and disruptive on occasion. If your dachshund usually likes to bark at squirrels, other dogs, people passing by, be aware that they could see these things through an office window and start barking while you are trying to work. Try to keep window blinds closed while you work if you think your dachshund might be stimulated this way.
Sometimes dachshunds get the zoomies and they run back and forth through your home, and this can be a distraction. They also don’t know – and don’t care – that you are working, so they could bring toys to you to play with while you’re working, including squeaky toys.
If you have to teleconference with your coworkers with a program like Zoom, remember to put away your dachshund’s squeaky toys and to mute yourself so you and your dog are not disruptive to others.
Give Your Dachshund Their Own Space In Your Office
If you’re going to have your dachshund stay with you while you work, you should give them their own space so they can relax. Because of their small size, you will generally need just one dog pillow or dog bed tucked into a corner for your dachshund to sleep on.
Depending on your dog’s habits, you can place this pillow or bed close to your work space, but be careful in case your dachshund likes to chew on things like computer cables – this can be harmful to them and also get in the way of your work.
It is not necessary to move their food bowl and drinking water into the work space if they have already become accustomed to food and water being placed in a regular spot already. When they are hungry, your dachshund will most likely walk out of your office, go get something to eat, then come back to their spot to relax some more.
Remember To Take Your Dachshund Out While You’re Working
You can become absorbed in your work and forget that your dachshund needs to go potty more often than you do. Set up a routine for taking your dachshund out while working, often this means taking them out every 2 hours or so. A dachshund should not go over 4 hours without being taken out to go potty.
This is also good for you as well. Getting up from your work space and walking helps to keep your blood properly circulating and pumping, and also gives you some exercise.
How To Distract Your Dachshund While You’re Working
When your dachshund is awake but you can’t provide them with attention because your working, there are a few ways to keep them distracted and occupied.
A bully stick is a great treat that takes a dachshund a good while to chew through, and they will often become obsessed with it and ignore everything else in the room – including you while you’re working. For dachshunds, get the smaller varieties – 6 inches or so – so they can fit it in their paws, which are smaller than a standard sized dog. A himalayan chew is also a long-lasting treat that can distract a dog while you are working.
Dog toys can be a good distraction as well but this depends on your dachshund’s play style. If they like to play “fetch,” remember that they will come to you looking for someone to throw the toy and you might be working. If your dachshund prefers to play with their toys on their own, this is a good way to keep them distracted while you are at work.
Dachshunds Are Good For People Who Work At Home
Overall, I would recommend that people who work from home have a dachshund with them. They are excellent companions who provide you with love and attention even when you are busy earning a living. While they can sometimes be a distraction during the work day, those distractions are also an opportunity for you to take a break from work, and get some needed exercise and sunlight.