Sharing Office Space with Pets - Page 2

Pet-proof your office.   Pet expert and Petside cat blogger Amy D. Shojai, author of "PETiquette: Solving Behavior Problems in Your Multi-Pet Household" recommends making your office impervious to canine or feline explorations. "My cat, Serendipity, used to walk across my fax machine to make the buttons play music," recalls Shojai.  "I placed a box lid over the top to keep her from tap-dancing, and she soon lost interest."

Create diversions.  Some animals make their presence known at the worst possible time, such as when you're talking with a client on the phone.  If your dog fits that description, "give him something to do," suggests APDT Certified Pet Dog Trainer and Petside dog blogger Victoria ("Madam Biscuit") Schade. "Activity toys that can be stuffed with treats will keep him constructively occupied." 

Forestall bad behavior.   Dogs and cats will misbehave if that's the only way to get your attention.  You can forestall their need to make such efforts by scheduling play breaks during the day. For cats, "get up from the desk and play chase-the-feather with a fishing pole toy for 10 minutes to wear her out," suggests Shojai.  For dogs, schedule a quick game of fetch or a walk once or twice during the work day.

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