Take Your Dog to Work Day...Week...Month?

Take Your Dog to Work Day, or Week or Month?












Maki's week has been filled with new lessons for doggy and owner. We started the week continuing the "bring your dog to work" theme which is getting a little tiresome. He requires one and a half, cloth, reusable grocery bags full of stuff...toys, 3 towels, food, water dish, treats, poop bags, and blanket. The remaining half is left for my items. Then there's his bed and bedding which gets tucked under my arm, his huge crate which folds down into a somewhat heavy, bulky entity and finally Maki on his leash. If it's a great day I can usually manage it in two trips with him spending a short time chilling in the car. But after a week of twice a day schlepping his stuff I'm wishing he could learn to suck it up and stay home without barking his head off. Come on Maki be a team player!

However, I am very happy to have a pup that rides excellently in the car. He's very content to plop down and snooze during the commute.

Barking

I'd love to report that Maki has improved on his separation anxiety and barking however he actually seems to have taken a step back, at least at home. He also has the lovely habit of deciding that barking during work meetings is very pleasant for everyone! He resides in his crate in my shared office during the day however I don't actually spend a significant amount of time in the office due to the fact that most of my work is done in the lab. If there are other people in the office he's fine, no barking. But sometimes he's all by his lonesome and that's when he finds it appealing to complain. The amount of time that is required before he complains is a bit variable given his mood. Occasionally he'll only last 10 minutes but other times he's gone 40 minutes to an hour.

At home it's another story, he was pretty predictable last weekend barking after 25 - 30 minutes but I think we slacked off during the week and didn't do enough sessions and now he starts whining and barking after only 15 minutes, ugh.

Attempts at Preoccupying the Mind of Maki While We're Away

We've been on a quest to find a toy and or other item to distract Maki's mind away from dwelling on our departure. It's been completely unsuccessful. We've tried ball toys, chew toys, rope toys, plush toys to no avail. Our next attempt was at chewable foods like bones, dental chews, meat sticks, flavored plastic bones, treat stuffed Kong bones, peanut butter smeared Kong stick and nothing does the trick. He of course loves many of these items while we're sitting there in his company or even in the next room over however as soon as we go out the door he loses all interest in his wonderful cheweys and toys and fixates on the door! Here's some pics of his toys and chewables. We've determines that he's a "strong chewer" after he destroyed a kong bone and a nylabone rated for "moderate chewers." I actually like to describe him as a "veroicious chewer!" We're still passing $$'s in hopes of the super Maki resistant toy!

-Elizabeth