Dr Rob Zammit of Vineyard Veterinary Hospital launches The Doggy Pod

But will our pets be OK when we return to work?

Head veterinarian and owner of Vineyard Veterinary Hospital, Dr Rob Zammit, along with Stephen Peters, are the hosts of a new podcast called The Doggy Pod, available on all major podcast services.

Dr Zammit said a lot of his customers had been concerned about their dogs when they return to work, and he advised them that a dog with a job was a happy dog.

"Dogs are nuisance barkers only when they're trying to find something to do. They need industry; they need a job," Dr Zammit told the Gazette.

"One of the things I've been asking dog-owners to do is think seriously about learning to do a bit of obedience training. You can do that online. But don't send your dog out to be trained; the best trainer is the one you see when you look in the mirror.

"If you do five minutes [obedience training] when you leave the house and five minutes when you get home, that's industry for your dog."

He also recommended giving dogs toys to play with while you're gone, and a raw meaty bone to chew on.

"It seems like a small thing but it makes all the difference," he said.

According to Dr Zammit, what you do while you're at home can make the difference between a dog that is quiet while you're away and one that barks.

"A good dog that has plenty of time outside the home and has a walk is a quiet dog when you're not there," he said.

"He looks after the family den, and he loves that even more when there's someone there with him."