Set up Your Safe, Dog-Friendly Environment
Your dog will potentially spend an extended period of time on their own, so ensure the environment is safe and resources are available such as food, toys and warmth until you get home to smother them with love!
There are a few items I would definitely consider purchasing as a shift worker who doesn’t have the luxury of neighborly help or family support.
These items are:
Automatic Pet Feeder:
Automatic feeders totally take the stress away from not being physically there to feed your pet, a huge concern for most.
We recommend the Wopet 7L Automatic Pet Feeder because you can dispense different meal potions depending on your dog size, pre-record your voice to tell you dog its “dinner time.”
You can schedule up to 4 meals per day, it runs on wall power and has a nifty, secure lid so your dog can’t get into all the food, despite trying!
This method of portion control also allows your dog to remain a healthy weight from not overfeeding them (particularly if you feel guilting about working overtime!).
See the Wopet feeder on Amazon here.
Some fancy automatic feeders also have wi-fi capabilities like the PetSafe Smart Feed Automatic Dog and Cat Feeder.
These machines are a little more expensive but allow you to control your pet’s meal time from anywhere using your smartphone.
Plus, this particular model can program up to 12 meals a day which could be ideal for those long shifts. See it on Amazon here.
Give Quality Attention to Your Dog Around Your Shifts
Get up 15 – 30 minutes earlier before your shift and either walk the dog or do age-appropriate exercises like fetch and playing outside.
Tire them out so they are more content and well behaved during the day and less likely to become destructive and bark excessively.
Dogs need to rest after a workout just like humans, so don’t be afraid to get them panting in the morning.
Once returned from work, give them love, food and more exercise, but I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that…