As COVID eases a bit, and the workers of America begin to report back more frequently to the office, how do all of us pet owners know how to care best for our new covid furbabies?

There are a couple of answers depending on your work scenario, and the pets ability to move around.

If your pet is crated, then 3-4 hours tops before they should be visited to stretch their legs with a walk and a potty break, according to the PDSA. If you own a puppy or a highly active breed (aka Boxers, Australian Shepherds, Jack Russells) they will need to be checked on in a more frequent time schedule, with not more than an hour passing for puppies, and two to three hours for active pups who may take to chewing or tearing up furniture in your absence

With that being said, what are some options if you can't get away from the office that frequently? Dog walkers are an excellent choice! Many pet lovers have started to take on the tasks of dog walking, pet sitting, and running errands for your furry friends.  There are many sites you can enlist help from, including Rover.com, fiverr.com, care.com, and wagwalking.com

Perhaps you have a trustworthy neighbor who is retired or homebound during the day? This would be an excellent opportunity to give them some purpose and a small task that may add fulfillment to their day, to check in on your little furbabies.

And if your dwelling permits, there are some great options in installing dog doors to give your pet access to the yard to relieve themselves when home alone. There are pet doors you can install into a sliding door, or into a sheetrocked wall.

A bit more planning in order to they have access to potty breaks and a bit of human interaction during the day, will help pets to avoid developing bad habits within the home, developing anxiety issues, and will allow them to adapt to time away from you as you work to bring home the bacon!