The Ultimate Work From Home Guide from WISE Dogs (& Their Owners)

Hey silly humans—listen up! It’s the WISE dog squad here, ready to save your bacon. We know that many of you are now working from home in these tough times. Well guess what? Us dogs have been about that WFH life longer than you have. We know exactly how to work hard and play hard without ever leaving the house. (Emphasis on play.) How do you think our owners got to be so smart about this? SMH.

That’s why we’re proud to bring you the Ultimate WISE Guide to Working From Home. Now hold on. Some of you are gonna ask, “If this is a doggy guide, why are all the owners quoted?” Human, please. Our owners have been working from home for years, but us doggos taught them everything they know. (Plus only humans can speak English, so there’s that.)

Now enjoy these tips and our glorious mugs!

Clyde. Chocolate Lab, 3.5 years old. Purveyor of Wisdom, Beggar of Belly Rubs.

Set Up Your Space & Schedule

Have a dedicated workspace to separate your work and personal life. This doesn’t mean you have to have a home office. While it helps to have a designated space, you can create a makeshift workspace that you set up each day at your kitchen table for example. Try to avoid trying to be productive in places that you associate with relaxing and family time.
—Ann, UI/UX Designer

Have some sort of structured morning routine. Each morning I do a quick 2-minute exercise to wake up, I shower, then do a 5-minute breathing routine.
— Coleton, Director of Paid Strategy

Create a dedicated space for work. Otherwise, work and home life are going to blend into one. This helps one stay focused without being distracted.
— Matthew, Senior Paid Marketing Manager

A big one for me was removing distractions from my office. I purposely didn’t include a TV in here because I knew it would only lead to wasted time. I also deleted all mobile games and social media apps on my phone, because it’s very easy to get distracted by those.
— Hamilton, Senior Web Developer

Proper planning and scheduling of your time is essential. My day always ends with 15 minutes of planning for the next day. Making sure I block out time to work on every task that needs completed, and including a block in the morning and afternoon to address urgent matters that will inevitably arise during the day. My morning always starts by reviewing my schedule for the day, and adjusting according to any changes that occurred during the off-hours.
—Lewis, Chief Technology Officer

Going to work involves a routine that often includes showering, getting ready, having coffee and breakfast. Don’t let that stop you from developing a similar daily routine that you stick to.
— Patrick, Principal/Owner

For salespeople, it’s very easy to get distracted while working at home. A load of laundry is more than enough of a reason to not make cold calls. Staying disciplined is essential to maintain behaviors and momentum once life normalizes. Keeping a tight schedule of daily sales tasks is one way that keeps me focused.
— Jeff, Sales Director

This is Shilo. Shih Tzu, 9.5 months. Camera-ready Charmer, Certified Chill.

Breaks and Fitness Are Essential

Take a quick break to do some jumping jacks, push-ups, or some squats. Getting your blood flowing will give you more energy to do your work.
— Matthew

I often take a longer lunch to do a short 30 minute workout, and make up the time on the back end of the day. This helps me break up sitting down for a long time with something energizing.
— Carlo, Director of Organic Strategy

I go for a walk with the dog at noon and at 5pm, then sit back down for another hour to plan the next day and look at email again before dinner. Getting out of the house is important and the air is fresher now than ever before, so enjoy it. Fill up the fridge and fruit bowl with fresh foods that give you energy and make you feel great. You can eat significantly better at home if you make good snacking choices.
— Patrick

Say hello to Ellie. Chihuahua, 8 years old. Ball (Fetch) is Life, Professional Sunbather.

Tips for Working While At Home With Your Spouse (and Kids!)

When it comes to working at home with a spouse, I’ve found that it’s important to set boundaries. We spend lunch and some breaks together. However, we respect each other’s time when we’re working.
— Hamilton

Respect your spouse. Respect your spouse’s requests and work environment. It may be fun to mess with them but just like the office, it can get you in hot water with the boss. Especially if the boss is also your wife…
— Jeff

My kids (especially now that they NEVER leave) know that when dad is in the office, he is at the office. Unless it is an emergency, it needs to wait until I come home.
— Lewis

Our Director of Culture, Flan the Yorkie. Ageless. Lover of people and toys twice her size.

Stay Connected with Yourself and Others

Before WISE, I was working at an office. It’s important for me to have some sort of trigger to help prompt my brain that it’s entering work mode. Usually this means checking the latest marketing news and making a cup of coffee. I’ve carried that habit since I shifted to working from home. There’s something that works for everyone and I encourage you to cultivate habits that help ease your mind into things.
— Patricia, Digital Marketing Specialist

I have to remind myself to not hard sell prospects especially with what’s going on. Being human and showing empathy is a great way to not be ‘that sales guy’. Use this time to build connections and know it’s okay to back off of a sale if you find out that a business might be hurting. At the end of the day, you’ll make a better impression which will help when you come back around to that prospect.
— Jeff

Working from home is fun, flexible, and convenient. It also implies a sense of trust. I try to let gratitude for the opportunity segue into killing it for my team and our clients.
— Carlo