The reality is that puppies are a lot more like babies than we think. Particularly with how much they need and rely on us. For new dog owners, this clinginess can come as a bit of a surprise. Wherever you go – be it the toilet or the kitchen – your puppy will be there. Leave the room for even a minute and your puppy may whine until you come back. Over time, this dependency on you will lessen. But it takes time, patience and many repetitions of short micro-absenses before your puppy will be ready to be left alone. Realistically, this can’t be achieved in a week or even two.

This means having a dog and working 9-5 can be challenging. However, with careful planning it is possible.

So what’s the solution? The great news is that there’s a growing trend in businesses introducing dog-friendly policies. Some even offer paw-ternity leave to support new dog owners. 

Whilst paw-ternity leave is yet to become mainstream (and it tends to be for just a week) it shows that employers now recognise dogs as part of our family. Furthermore, being a new puppy parent can be really exhausting – just like having a human baby. 

Another development is the rise in dog-friendly workplaces – meaning that dogs get to go to work with their owners. Not that long ago, only assistance dogs would have been allowed in the workplace. Many employers now welcome pet dogs. Dog-friendly workplaces include big names such as Google and Ticketmaster, as well as plenty of small and local businesses. 

Nestle Purina introduced a pet-friendly policy in 2015. It was so successful that the company has gone a step further to help other businesses become pet friendly. Read this guide for employees on how to convince your boss to become pet-friendly. Apparently being able to take your pet to work scores higher than parking as a desirable employee benefit.

That said, whilst taking your puppy to work may seem like the paw-fect arrangement, it may not be suitable for all.  Having back-up dog care is a good idea. This will allow you and your colleagues to do some work without being distracted by puppy cuddles (as lovely as they are).

It’s great if you work for a dog-friendly employer but what if you don’t? Maybe you’re one of the 1.54 million people who work from home – a figure that has almost doubled in the last decade. Homeworking is a great solution for juggling work and caring for a new puppy. However, it’s not always that simple. Dogs and Zoom conference calls or Google Hangouts don’t always go that well together. Some careful planning of your day to give your dog the attention they need but also enough quiet time for you to be able to do your job will be required.

• Read these tips from homeworker Tracy about how to stay paw-ductive when you have a canine colleague.

If you can’t work from home or take your dog to work with you, what do you do with a puppy while at work? 

Puppies need constant care in the early months, something that new dog owners often don’t realise and then try to leave their puppy alone too soon. This can be really distressing for a young puppy who is too young to be separated from their carer. It’s also important to be consistent with your puppy’s toilet training to help them learn and establish a good routine, to contnue to socialise and learn how to be a good pet. This would be hard to do without closely supervising your puppy until they are a year old.

Eventually, you will be able to leave your dog alone at home for short periods of time. Until then, here are some options for puppy care while you’re at work:

• Ask a family member – a willing grand pup-parent perhaps – or a friend to puppy sit while you’re at work. 
• Employ a professional pet sitter. They can come to your house during the day and keep your puppy company.

Is it OK to leave a dog alone for 8 hours? The answer is no. Dog experts advise that even adult dogs that are comfortable with being isolated shouldn’t be left alone for more than 4 hours at a time. However, getting to the point where your dog is happy to be left alone takes time and it needs to be built up gradually.

If you have a puppy, read this comprehensive guide to helping your puppy learn to cope with isolation.  With gradual and frequent micro-absenses, your puppy will learn to be confident when alone rather than scared and anxious.  

Here’s some steps recommended by the RSPCA for teaching your adult dog to be left alone:

• Encourage your puppy or dog to go to their bed, with you close by, and stay there for a short while. Reward them for remaining quiet. 
• Ask your dog to stay while you move away. Reward them when you return.
• Start to move further away and leave them alone for a little longer each time. Reward them when you return. If they move away from their bed or bark, don’t reward, but don’t punish either. Simply go back a step and slowly build up the time again.  
• Start to leave the room before returning, eventually progressing to closing the door when you leave, increasing the amount of time you stay outside and varying the time before you return. 
• Once your dog has reached the point of being happy to be left alone for an hour, they should be happy being left for longer periods of time. 

For further help, consult a professional behaviourist www.abtc.org.uk

Even when your dog is happy to be left alone at home, you’ll need to find a way to make sure that they are not left alone for more than 4 hours at a time. If you can’t get home for a lunchtime walk, there are plenty of dog walkers who can help you out and give your dog some exercise and company during the day. Alternatively, your dog may enjoy going to doggy day care while you’re at work. Think of it as day nursery – but for dogs instead of children.

• Read our guide on how to find a professional and trustworthy dog walker.
• Find out more about doggy day care and how to find the best day care for your dog.