It never fails. You hop on a conference call with your coworkers, and suddenly, your furry roommate has a lot to talk about. Whether you are taking a sick day or navigating a new routine, knowing how to have a pet-friendly conference call will save you a lot of headaches in the future.
Being at home with pets means a lot of quality time with furry family members, but there’s no reason they can’t be trained to allow for peaceful conference calls in between snuggles.
Adjust Expectations
Whenever employees work from home, it’s understood that different distractions will arise, especially as we navigate our new routines.
Before you hop on your next call, understand there may be a few interruptions, like a barking dog, a purring cat waltzing across the keyboard, or a crying child desperate for his 20th snack.
You can’t prevent your pup from going nuts over the 500th squirrel in the yard, but there are a few things you can do ahead of time to ensure your conference call will go smoothly.
Here are a few things to do before the call begins:
- Occupy your pets or put them in another room during the call.
- Clear off any distracting background clutter. Find an organized space in your home to conduct the call.
- Mute yourself upon entering the virtual conference room. This prevents you from interrupting another speaker while joining or making a grand entrance with a background conversation.
- Turn off video upon joining the conference. Get comfortable in front of your camera, and then join the group on screen.
A quick 5 minutes of preparation will save a lot of frustration from yourself and your team.
Tire them out
If you took the steps to prepare for your virtual meeting and still have concerns about your pet losing his cool during the conference call, tire them out beforehand.
Take the dog for a walk, play catch, or run around the backyard to release some of that pent-up energy. Try a laser pointer with your cat to exhaust their sporadic pouncing and running through the house.
Playing and exercising is an essential part of a healthy life for pets and means fewer health and behavior issues.
Fingers crossed a nap is in order just in time for the conference call!
Find a Distraction
Sometimes, conference calls happen on the fly without a lot of time for planning. In the event you need to hop on a call quickly and without distraction, throw the dog a bone…literally.
Distract your pets with a toy they love (squeak-free!). There are many toys on the market that have “hideaway” spots for a tasty treat. Your dog will be too determined to reach the treat to interrupt your conference call.
For cats, a catnip toy or a simple ball of aluminum foil will do the trick. They will be occupied for hours batting around their toy and will steer clear of your keyboard.
We hope these tips will result in a happy pet and a smooth call! If you have any questions or concerns about the health of your pet, please give our office a call as soon as possible at 937-506-4284 or contact us here on our site.
