Dogs and Work in the City – Making it Work for Your Dog

 

If you live in a large American city, or are moving to one for a new job, you’ll definitely be bringing your dog along. Employment is important, but so is the happiness of your dog. Many canine companions face sitting for hours a day, alone, while their owners are at work. This can be a stressful situation for a dog who wants you around all the time. But for many people, there don’t seem to be alternatives. Still, in much of the country, dogs are still abundant. There are over 1.6 million dogs in Los Angeles County. That’s more than 1 per household. With so many animals, it’s clear that these families and individuals are making it work one way or the other. Here are three of the best ways to live your life, while keeping your fuzzy friend happy too.

 

1)    Dog Parks and Friends – Most cities have lots of dog parks. These often aren’t well publicized, but trust me. They’re there. And you only need to find the first one. Other dog owners will direct you to the rest. So right after you research “Los Angeles Jobs”, look up “Los Angeles Dog Park”. Once you’ve found one, get to it as often as possible. Most dogs will only need about 15-45 minutes of intense running and play per day to be satisfied. If your dog needs more, take the time and get your animal the exercise. But as you meet other people in your neighborhood who have dogs, set up times when the other owner can take your dog to the dog park for you, and vice versa. I’ve seen systems where each owner only has to go once or twice a week. It’s a very workable situation for people who don’t have a lot of time in a busy work week to get the dog to the park during the day.

2)    Doggie Day Care. If your job requires you to be away from the house 60-80 hours a week, and there’s no one at home to watch the puppy, this may be a necessary recourse. But don’t worry, most doggie daycares are great establishments. Just make sure you take a tour of a prospective daycare before signing your animal up for daily visits. At these places, dogs are safe and active, fed at regular intervals just like at home, and given naps in quiet spaces. Most dogs love it. They’re happy to go home with you when you arrive in the evening, of course, but it’s fun for them during the day. Many places offer hourly rates for short weekend visits, as well, if you ever need to get the dog out of your hair for a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday.

dog and lady

3)    Training. Exercise isn’t the only way to tire your dog out. If you’ve got an active pup, try intensive training sessions at home. My giant schnauzer will get very tired after about 20 minutes of work on a command she doesn’t know yet. Concentration, for a dog, is very taxing and can work to tire them out if you can’t make it to the dog part that day.

 

Whether you work from home or have one of the weirdest jobs on the planet, you should be able to find a way to make your dog happy in LA.

 

Article submitted By Community Writer

 

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