Have you ever attempted to work from home? Let me rephrase, have you ever had to work from home with a mischievous 9-year-old Chocolate Labrador trying to get your attention?
I did a couple of weeks ago when it snowed. At first it was great.
I threw my hair up in a hair clip, put on my comfy flannel PJ pants, wore my ratty Packers sweatshirt and didn’t even worry about makeup.
My desk was the dining room table with the trusty laptop, planner and various other papers spread out in great order. Donned in comfy clothes and with plenty of room to work, the day looked great. A warm cup of coffee finished the work space and the amazing smell filled the house.
So there I was, ready to work. I started answering emails and noticed I had company. There was Boo, sitting on the floor staring at me. I ignored him at first but then the whining started. I tried to explain to him that even though I was home I was trying to work. As you would expect, he didn’t quite understand. So I ignored him again.
My plan didn’t really work. To the whining he added the nudge to the arm. The nudge turned into a full face on my arm and then the barking started.
I knew he was not going to stop and I really needed to get work done. A compromise was needed. I grabbed a couple of tray tables and set up a workspace by the couch. Not nearly as relaxing and spacious but I made it work. Armed once again with my trusty laptop I began to work.
This plan seemed to have success. Boo was able to sit next to me on the couch while I worked and all was well, until the huffing started. You know, the deep breathing out making a “huff” noise to make sure you know they are there and in need of attention. After that he got up and barked at some cars driving by, and then the whining started back again.
The day pretty much continued in this way. I would work, he would whine.
Throughout the day another phenomenon occurred. Why is it that Boo can be in the house for eight to nine hours during the day when I’m not home and not have to go out, but if I’m home, trying to get something done, he has to go out every hour? It’s a complete mystery to me in the world of dogdom.
I began to see he had a master plan. At one point I got up to get more coffee and when I came back I saw that he took my seat by the laptop so I couldn’t get to it. Or so he thought.
Trying to keep to a normal nine to five day I planned on working until about 5 p.m.
Boo finally settled down but near the end of my “at home workday” until he decided he needed to be as close to me as he could possibly get. For an hour I sat and typed a story while Boo’s head was resting on my shoulder, sometimes in my face.
I did get quite a bit of work done, it was just a bit more challenging than I expected with Boo constantly vying for my attention.
A few days later I saw Boo wallowing on his back on the floor, legs flailing around, tongue half out of his mouth with a goofy expression on his face. The gray around his mouth has grown and while he still thinks he’s a giant puppy his age is beginning to show. He’s working on his tenth year.
In that moment the frustration of trying to work with him the other day disappeared. I sat down next to him and scratched his belly. Sweet old dog.
http://www.thenewsenterprise.com/content/working-home-distraction-named-boo
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