8 Ways to Keep your Dog Occupied While You’re at Work

Does your dog stay home alone a lot? If so, this can be a very difficult time for him. Luckily, there are ways to keep your dog occupied while you’re at work. This will help him kill time and battle anxiety. You can even arrange for some mental stimulation to help your dog get his smarts.

8 Ways to Keep Your Dog Occupied

Self-fetching toys

If your dog likes to play fetch, getting him a toy like iFetch is one of the greatest ways to keep your dog occupied while you’re at work. Some dogs could play fetch for hours and now they can do it even when you’re not there. It’s a great pastime and exercise.

Image by ralphpom

With a little initial effort, your dog will quickly figure out what he needs to do. And then, it’s playtime. If you choose this option to keep your dog occupied while you’re out, you have to make sure that your furry friend has unlimited water resources.

Puzzle toys

Puzzle toys are a great way to keep your dog busy when you’re gone. What’s more, these toys are great for fast eaters as they can prevent the dogs from gulping their entire meal in seconds.

However, one of the main benefits of these toys is that they stimulate your dog mentally. The dog will have to figure out exactly what he needs to do to get a treat. It might take some time, but the food will keep them motivated. Peanut butter is also an excellent option for these toys.

Kong toys

If your dog doesn’t have a Kong toy yet, then you’re way behind on trends. This is one of the most common ways to keep your dog occupied while you’re at work.

These toys have a hollow middle. When you fill the middle with treats and/or peanut butter and freeze the Kong, the hard part is done.

Image by ava_the__golden

Then, when you’re getting ready to leave for work, you can give your dog the toy and it will keep him busy for a long time. Especially if your dog is neat and likes to lick off every last bit of food.

Shuffle bone

Shuffle bone is a puzzle toy for dogs a little more advanced than a Kong. It might take some time for your dog to figure out, but once they’ve got it, it will be their favorite. Basically, you will hide the treats or food under the sliders and your dog will have to dig to find the prize.

Ball toy

Ball toys look a lot simpler than a Kong and Shuffle bone. However, this toy is also a sort of an IQ-tester and it might keep your dog occupied longer than you think. Once you have one of these toys, you can go to work guilt-free for leaving your furry friend behind.

Petcube

Another trending option for keeping your dog occupied while you’re away is the Petcube. It’s basically a multi-functional camera. You can use it to supervise your pet, to talk to him and to offer some play time. It has an installed laser so you can entertain your dog a bit if he’s into that.

There are also other wireless pet cams on the market, and Furbo can even toss treats.

Dog chews

Some dog chews are a great choice as they can keep your dog occupied and satisfied for a long time. In addition, these will help clean the dog’s teeth and can even fight off bad breath.

Image by kona.the.k9

However, you need to make sure that whatever you’re leaving for your dog to chew is not dangerous. Nylabone is one good option as it will not splinter. For some of the other dog chews, the dogs need to be supervised to prevent accidents.

Leave the TV on

Some dogs simply like to watch the TV. If your dog is one of them, this is one of the easiest ways to keep your dog occupied while you’re at work. Turn on his favorite channel and let him enjoy the show.

Hide treats around the house

This is one of the easiest ways to keep your dog occupied while you’re working if your dog is motivated by treats. Hiding the treats around the house will make the dog go on a scavenger hunt.

Get another pet

Image by rebeccadrake1

Getting another pet might not be feasible for everybody. However, giving your dog a play buddy could be exactly what he needs. And it will sure make your life better, too.

Hire a dog walker

Finally, you can consider hiring a dog walker if you’re gone for long periods of time. Not all dogs can keep it in for 8 hours, especially as they get older. You should also get some pee pads in case your dog has an emergency.

Final note

Make sure your dog has enough fresh water, a comfy bed, and no access to potentially hazardous items. It’s also a good idea to tire out your dog before you leave. You can do this either by playing with him or by taking him out for a vigorous walk.