For Those Members With Dogs - How Do You Not Get Distracted?

[allanc]

Yes, this is real - please read!
So, I have an office in our house and a barky/yappy dog.
My office is on the same floor as the doggy TV (large amount of windows at the front of the house).
There is no where else in the house to move my office.
My better-half will definitely not give up the dog.
Blinds, drapes, etc. only slow her (the dog) down for a bit in terms of the barking.
I (not that anyone cares) am fairly easily distracted by the high pitched barking.
I also can't work with music near me.
I have closed my office door which only slightly alleviates the problem.
A closed door and ear plugs are even better but I obviously can't talk on the phone.
Has anybody else had this problem in the past and found a solution?
Thank you in advance!

 

[BlackLabTechs]

Can you block off the room next to your office from the dog? so the bark basically has to pass through 2 doors instead of just one?

I bring my dog to work every day and she distracts me but only when she's hungry or needs to go out. it's actually a good stress reliever having her around. What if your dog were allowed in your office? Would the barking cease?

 

[gikstar]

Your big mistake is letting the little yappy dog into the house in the first place... if you have a yard I suggest that you get yourself a dog house.
Your other option is moving the better-half out of the house as she is not supporting your need to work

 

[GTP]

Your big mistake is letting the little yappy dog into the house in the first place... if you have a yard I suggest that you get yourself a dog house.

No, no, NO! The dog is part of the family and should be in the house, not stuck outside!
I have 4 cats and a "yappy little dog" in the house at all times. Jessie, the dog, is an excellent "alarm!"
I do not let the cats out of the house for many reasons including, killing the wildlife, getting run over, getting some weird disease from other cats etc.
I walk the dog every night, great for exercise, fresh air etc!
My customers absolutely love them and always pet them or comment about them when they call.

Yes, this is real - please read!
So, I have an office in our house and a barky/yappy dog.
My office is on the same floor as the doggy TV (large amount of windows at the front of the house).
There is no where else in the house to move my office.
My better-half will definitely not give up the dog.
Blinds, drapes, etc. only slow her (the dog) down for a bit in terms of the barking.
I (not that anyone cares) am fairly easily distracted by the high pitched barking.
I also can't work with music near me.
I have closed my office door which only slightly alleviates the problem.
A closed door and ear plugs are even better but I obviously can't talk on the phone.
Has anybody else had this problem in the past and found a solution?

Do you or anyone else take the dog for regular walks? This behaviour is often associated with boredom.
Maybe it also needs to be socialised more? What about discipline? (please dont beat on the hapless animal, though!)
My little yapper has a bed in my office where she spends time while I'm at work. It seems to keep her a lot quieter if she is near me.

 

[allanc]

Can you block off the room next to your office from the dog? so the bark basically has to pass through 2 doors instead of just one?

I bring my dog to work every day and she distracts me but only when she's hungry or needs to go out. it's actually a good stress reliever having her around. What if your dog were allowed in your office? Would the barking cease?

Drawing a line between the dog and my office ... I think that the bark has to pass through 3 walls or travel down the hallway.
I think that it is doing the later to come through my doorway.
In other words, I don't think that I am hearing it through the wall.
The dog is allowed in my office and one of her beds is in here.
She is usually subdued in my office (no windows within doggie reach) until she thinks she hears something at the front of the house.
The dog is very attached to my better half who has her office in the dining room which is attached to the living room which has the doggie TV.

 

[allanc]

Your big mistake is letting the little yappy dog into the house in the first place... if you have a yard I suggest that you get yourself a dog house.
Your other option is moving the better-half out of the house as she is not supporting your need to work

Yikes!
The dog would bark outside if she lived in a dog house.
Besides, my office is at the back of the house.

 

[Larry Sabo]

@gikstar, you forgot the smiley (I hope).
@allanc, I know what you're going through. Our yellow Lab goes ballistic when someone comes to the door. Not everyone likes (or is comfortable around) dogs and I respect that and try to keep her away from those people. Most customers don't mind; some even have a dog of their own and make a fuss over ours. Shutting our dog in the basement, where I have my shop, while I tend to business at the door doesn't help. She just barks all the louder. I've just learned to live with it and give her a treat if she doesn't eat the customer, I mean, tries to behave. Probably the only good solution is to hire a dog trainer to help train her out of it. Good luck!

PS - Dogs are great stress relievers and want so much to be part of the family pack. Ours lies on her bed beside my desk and if I have a really tough problem, is there to help if I ask.

 

[allanc]

No, no, NO! The dog is part of the family and should be in the house, not stuck outside!
I have 4 cats and a "yappy little dog" in the house at all times. Jessie, the dog, is an excellent "alarm!"
I do not let the cats out of the house for many reasons including, killing the wildlife, getting run over, getting some weird disease from other cats etc.
I walk the dog every night, great for exercise, fresh air etc!
My customers absolutely love them and always pet them or comment about them when they call.

Do you or anyone else take the dog for regular walks? This behaviour is often associated with boredom.
Maybe it also needs to be socialised more? What about discipline? (please dont beat on the hapless animal, though!)
My little yapper has a bed in my office where she spends time while I'm at work. It seems to keep her a lot quieter if she is near me.

Dianne, the better-half, tries to take her for a walk in the morning - weather permitting.
She sometimes has playmates visiting.
We never strike (or whatever) the dog - never.
Discipline? If I go into the living room to give her the evil eye ... she will get submissive, lie on her back and wag her tail.
She will be good for a couple of minutes and then turn the TV on again.
Lots of people in the area walking their dogs past our house.

 

[allanc]

@gikstar, you forgot the smiley (I hope).
@allanc, I know what you're going through. Our yellow Lab goes ballistic when someone comes to the door. Not everyone likes (or is comfortable around) dogs and I respect that and try to keep her away from those people. Most customers don't mind; some even have a dog of their own and make a fuss over ours. Shutting our dog in the basement, where I have my shop, while I tend to business at the door doesn't help. She just barks all the louder. I've just learned to live with it and give her a treat if she doesn't eat the customer, I mean, tries to behave. Probably the only good solution is to hire a dog trainer to help train her out of it. Good luck!

PS - Dogs are great stress relievers and want so much to be part of the family pack. Ours lies on her bed beside my desk and if I have a really tough problem, is there to help if I ask.

Larry....
Dianne and/or I have had dogs (or even multiples) most of our lives.
This one is particularly loud and high pitched (11-12 pound female red mini-poodle).
Anyone have experience with white/brown/pink noise machines in terms of this scenario?

Edit: Maybe I should start a separate thread about the noise machines?

 

[GTP]

PS - Dogs are great stress relievers and want so much to be part of the family pack. Ours lies on her bed beside my desk and if I have a really tough problem, is there to help if I ask.

 

[Kitten Kong]

@allanc, do you have things like Kong toys?

If so, buy one just to try for now. Fill it up, with anything from their food, a little bit of peanut butter smeared on the inside, to jars of meat paste, to bananas.. Stick it in the freezer, let it go rock hard, then when you want to work, and not your 'allowed' to for want of a better expression give your dog the kong.

This will certainly keep it quiet for a good 20-30 mins.

Some alternatives include.
Fresh frozen pigs trotters.
Frozen dog bones. (We never give our dogs ANY cooked bones. Only fresh. Reason being that the chemical composition alters durIng the cooking process. Yes that even includes fresh chicken carcasses!.

Learn to use a clicker, and do some clicker training. Basically ignore the bad, reward the good.
Dog barks, ignore it. Dogs quiet, click and treat. After a while start putting a cue to the quiet behaviour.

It certainly sounds like your dog is getting bored or anxious. I certainly don't mean this in a derogatory way.

Did you know that just 10 mins of mental training. (Which can include some obedience work, and when that's mastered, start doing some tricks) is the equivalent of a 5 mile walk to your dog.

It seems like barking is your dogs way of releasing this lent up energy.

I know all the above through personal reasons, which I can't go into on a public thread. But feel free to pm me, and I can go into details.

I do dog training (well agility training) of a weekend, when we aren't competing, and these are some of the tricks I use with my dog.

Hope this helps you some.

 

[4ycr]

You say that your partner tries to take your dog out, weather permitting. This should be every day regardless of weather. I have a neighbour who got complained about as their two wee yappy dogs drove everyone nuts and it was because thy did not get enough exercise. They now walk the dogs and it is a lot quieter. I also have a dog and she is usually quiet but she is walked twice a day for an hour minimum regardless of the weather.

 

[MichaelEC]

I have been raising and training German Shepherd Dogs for around 30 years. I currently own a K9 bred working line GSD that also keeps me company at work. Work is out of my home and she is very protective of that home when clients arrive. She is told to be quiet and sit when a client enters the home.

I like having her around here. There are strange people entering my home, that in many cases I do not know and have never met. She keeps a very good eye on them while I talk to them about their computer problems.

No one moves in this house without her watching.

Yours sounds like a training issue if the dog will not be quiet on command or will not otherwise pay any attention to what you are telling it.

 

[Kitten Kong]

You say that your partner tries to take your dog out, weather permitting. This should be every day regardless of weather. I have a neighbour who got complained about as their two wee yappy dogs drove everyone nuts and it was because thy did not get enough exercise. They now walk the dogs and it is a lot quieter. I also have a dog and she is usually quiet but she is walked twice a day for an hour minimum regardless of the weather.

I'm the same. I'm classed as physically disabled with motorbility issues.

I'm out walking my dogs 4-5 times a day. Irrespective of what ever the weather is. Sun, rain, snow we are out.

It's part and parcel of being a responsible dog owner.

 

[MichaelEC]

Yes, it is. Lisl von Schlaf takes up a lot of time between jobs, at lunch, and before and after work. She is worth every minute I spend with her. I invested an incredible amount of time and energy to train her properly and make sure she was socialized correctly.

 

[Kitten Kong]

I have my 2 in the garden with me most of the day. Well until Molly decides she wants to come into the workshop. Then she lays down by the side of me.

When a client comes, they (usually) ring the bell, alerting me that they are here. Or, Kooky and Mo, will see them, and bark to let me know someones around. At this point, I put them in the house, and close the door.

As I work from the workshop at the end of the garden, I do not want anyone saying that my dogs have tried to nip/bite/scratch/jump up at them, and for them to be classed as dangerous dogs. (Which considering the new dangerous dog act - anyone who deems that a dog jumping up at them, even as a welcome, 'Hi, I'm here'. Can deem this action to be dangerous. Report me, and them, and they could be placed on the Dangerous Dog Register).

I don't care if a client has dogs themselves, or is a dog lover. My pets, to me are my kids, and I will do anything to protect them. If this means putting them in the house, when a client is here, then thats what I'll do. Then when the client leaves, they come out again.

But. When I do put them in the house, I give them something to do. Either a Kong, as I mentioned in my first post, or a soft bone. Anything for them to keep their attention for a while, whilst I'm busy.

When we go out for the day, and can not take them, we have either/or the radio on low, or a cd of calming music, which is on repeat.

I have issues with Molly and barking, which we are going through right now. There are some extenuating circumstances, which I cannot go into.
But as mentioned, we train our dogs, in both competitive agility. I work with Molly, doing trick training with a clicker. I walk them 4-5 times a day. Short walks, but doesn't matter what the weather is. You will find us out and about. And we go to the park each day for a game of either fetch, or I take a couple of jumps, and we practise some agility, and weaves etc. The only nights we are in, is a Monday/Tues

The rest of the week, we are out training. Wed, agility training. Thurs, Agility Training. Fri, trick training. Sat/Sun, is either competing around the country at agility, or on a Sunday afternoon, I train newcomers and novices in agility. Before getting trained. During the Summer months, it is extremely hard pressed to find us in of a weekend.

Take the last 2 months. We have driven over 1000 miles, to compete/train. Been to 5 competitions around the country. I've judged agility at 2 of them. Last weekend, Saturday, I ran a have a go agility ring, at my favoured charity, down at KC House in Warwickshre. We left here at 0630, and eventually got back home at 1900. It was a damned long, tiring day, but so so worthwhile. Sunday we took the day off.

This coming weekend, we are out again all weekend, competing. The following weekend, I'm judging at a UKA show on the Saturday, and 'running' on the Sunday. The following 2 Saturdays, we are out at club competitions. Followed by another club comp on the 3rd Sun of Aug.

August bank holiday, I'm organising an agility demonstration at our local show. This is the 1st time agility has been done at the show. So hoping it will be a great day out.

It all takes time, and patience, but the bond you will have with your dog, will be unbeatable. They truly are man's best friend. You just have to actually commit to looking after your pet.

 

[TurricanII]

How big is the garden/yard and how good is business?

https://www.studio-shed.com/

 

[Kitten Kong]

The only time I will not take them out, is during thunderstorms, and fireworks.

Molly really shuts down at thunderstorms, and hides behind a couch. But when we know one is due to arrive, I put a thundershirt on her. This has a calming effect.

Fireworks is a major major no, no. Shut down is not in it. She hides, shakes, and will not come out. Even with her thundershirt on her.

Whilst Kooky on the other hand, will sit outside, watching the fireworks, with her head tilting from side to side, as if to say, awww pretty colours.

She really cracks me up. This is Molly, doing what she loves best.


This is Kooky, following in Molly's footsteps.

 

[MichaelEC]

Lisl has been trained in urban agility. Scaling and climbing concrete walls such as the one she's standing on in the photo. Walking along the tops of those walls, going through car and house windows, scaling and/or jumping fences, etc. She loves it.

She has also been desensitized to firearms taking her to the range.

Good luck at your meets.

 

[Kitten Kong]

How big is the garden/yard and how good is business?

https://www.studio-shed.com/

I have a 120ft x 60ft garden. Business is good for me. I can't really complain.