Hi, I have a small 4 year old dog. I have always been at home and able to take her for walks and play time, but now I not only have a prob with my foot, which prevents walks, but also am working from home, which is taking up a lot of my time. My dog sits on her bean bag which is right beside me, staring at me for the better part of the day. If she isn't sitting on the bean bag staring at me, she is sitting in front of me staring at me. I get the guilts and stop and play with her. Right this minute she is sitting on the floor in front of me staring at me typing this. She just went over to the window to see if something was happening and now she is back in front of me again.

My question is, Is there anyone in the same situation and if so, what do you do? If not is there any suggestions, apart from sitting on the floor playing fetch with her all day.

She has moved from in front of me now and is sitting on another bag still staring at me.............

This is really causing me stress/guilt and is now effecting my ability to do my work.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.................. Thanks

Hey, I think the best thing to do is to start a new ruoutine where you stop to play with your dog at 2 intervals daily. maybe one at 10am and then again at 3pm for example. Between those times you have to ignore your dog if you want it to get used to you being there. You can feel guilty for not playing with your dog the entire time...

Craig is right. You can schedule a time for playing with your dog. If you give in every time he stares at you, you are letting your dog manipulate you. Or you can give a toy so that he will not get bored.

Whatever you do, do not reward the staring. If she stares at you and you after ward play with her, this rewards the staring which will further encourage her to stare! Try to ingore her so she will notice that staring is not productive. When she no longer stares, redirect her to a chew toy. Have you ever tried Kongs? They may keep her occupied for quite some time!

I had a similar problem with my Rotty, instead of staring though, he would sit right in front of me, blocking the view of the television. I knew he was trying to get attention. Very annoying! So I moved his bed to the other side of the living room and when he comes uninvited near the couch. I tell him ''go to your place''. My couch area is now also off limits to both my dogs unless I invite them.

She sounds bored, does she get enough exercise? Can somebody walk her? It seems to have stated after you stopped walking her, correct? She seems to be staring at you because she is expecting you do something. Like if she sees you about to get up, does she get all excited? It sounds more like an anticipation sort of staring, where she is eager for you to get up and perhaps play a game or take her out or give her something. Just my thoughts..

[Kingsbridge Cav]

The kong is a great idea! It's a little rubber toy with a hollowed out center that you can fill with treats. The dog has to work out the treats in order to eat them thus keeping themselves occupied! I use them especially if I know I need to leave my dogs alone for longer than usual. It is extremely helpful with the Rat Terrier who is always looking for something to occupy his mind.
You may also consider that this is a transition period for your friend much like a retiring spouse. All of a sudden there is someone in their quiet place! Maybe the stare means "go somewhere else!" LOL I would consider a crate for afternoon naps. This doesn't mean that you should lock away your dog, though you may need to for short times if he isn't used to a crate. Soon they come to know this as their "cave" and their own personal space. They go to their cave to spend quality alone time from the "retired spouse"!
I'm sure you'll get past this, but don't give in to it. Scheduled playtimes are something your dog may come to look forward to also!

right, u must start the new routine for you an your dog, so they can understand when time you can play with them or the time you must working.

sometimes i like talking with my dog, giving understanding to them in process in time they will understand what we mean

They're all right! I think you need to fix your schedule when playing with your dog so that you can concentrate more on your work. If possible, let her stay out of your room and give him a toy that he can play with while you are working.