How to Keep Your Dog Entertained While You Work From Home

Keeping a dog content while you work from home is less about finding one toy that lasts all day and more about creating a predictable rhythm. Meet their toileting, movement and social needs, schedule a few short activities, and make uninterrupted rest a normal part of the working day.

This guide gives you a practical workday routine, quiet enrichment ideas and ways to choose equipment safely. Adapt it to your dog's age, health, normal exercise needs and ability to settle. A puppy, an older dog and an adult working breed will not need the same schedule.

A realistic work-from-home dog schedule

The times can change, but keeping the order reasonably predictable helps separate activity from rest.

• Before work: provide a toilet opportunity, suitable movement and time to sniff. Serve breakfast normally or use part of it in supervised enrichment.
• First work block: encourage rest in a comfortable place with fresh water available.
• Mid-morning break: offer a toilet trip and a few minutes of contact, training or gentle play.
• Lunch: take a suitable walk or activity break, then allow time to settle before returning to work.
• Afternoon: use one short scent or food activity if needed, followed by another rest period.
• After work: mark the end of the day with the exercise, training, play or social time appropriate for your dog.

Dogs Trust recommends maintaining a routine, making time for walks and play, using brain games, and teaching a dog to settle while you work. PDSA also advises planned breaks and warns against repeatedly adding extra treats simply because a dog asks for attention.

1. Start with toileting and outdoor time

Indoor enrichment should not be used to delay a toilet break or replace every walk. Before opening the laptop, give your dog a suitable opportunity to go outside. Where conditions and your dog's health allow, include time to move and investigate smells rather than making every outing a hurried route.

A predictable morning routine also helps your dog understand that activity is followed by a quieter period. The amount and type of exercise should be chosen for the individual dog; ask your vet for advice if pain, age, illness or recovery changes what is suitable.

2. Create a proper resting place

Dogs do not need continuous entertainment. Set up a bed, mat or open resting area away from rolling chairs, cables and the busiest walkway. Keep water accessible and let the dog move away from you if they choose.

A resting space should not become somewhere the dog is constantly disturbed for calls, photos or play. PDSA's work-from-home advice highlights the value of giving pets their own space and leaving them undisturbed when they settle.

3. Schedule attention instead of responding constantly

If every nudge produces food or play, interruptions can become part of the routine. Plan short breaks you can keep consistently, then return to work calmly. During a break, choose one clear activity: a toilet trip, a few familiar training repetitions, gentle play or a scent search.

Do not ignore a dog that may genuinely need the toilet, feels unwell or is distressed. The goal is a predictable pattern, not refusing all contact.

4. Use part of a meal for a scent search

Measure your dog's normal dry food, then place a portion on top of a snuffle mat. Once your dog understands the activity, hide pieces more deeply among the folds. Pick the mat up when the food is gone and check it for damage.

The Pawwish Dog Snuffle and Foraging Mat measures 50 × 50 cm and can be machine washed cold. It is designed for supervised food searching, not unsupervised chewing. Our snuffle mat guide explains the beginner setup and suitable foods.

5. Introduce a puzzle one section at a time

A compartment puzzle can create a focused activity between meetings, but filling every section on the first attempt may cause frustration. Begin with food visible beneath one partly open cover. Let your dog work out that movement releases the reward, then add another section on a later attempt.

The Dog Enrichment Puzzle Toy measures 32 × 22 cm and uses sliders, flaps and spinners. Stay nearby, prevent chewing, and remove the puzzle when the food is finished. See our snuffle mat vs puzzle feeder comparison if you are choosing between the two.

6. Make a routine meal less direct

A textured feeder can be simpler than a puzzle with moving parts. Spread a measured portion of suitable food across its channels so your dog works around the surface instead of eating from one open area.

The Dog Enrichment Feeding Toy measures 28 × 28 cm, has a non-slip base and should be hand washed. Food-based activity still counts towards the daily allowance; it should not become a second meal.

7. Practise settling while you are available

Choose a bed or mat near, but not directly under, your desk. Reward your dog for stepping onto it, then for pausing or lying down. Deliver rewards calmly between their paws. Release them before they become restless and build the behaviour gradually across many short sessions.

Settling is not the same as physically preventing movement. Your dog should have a comfortable choice of position and access to water. Some dogs prefer to rest farther away once the household becomes quiet.

8. Use five-minute training breaks

Pick one familiar skill that needs little space: hand target, chin rest, go to bed, wait at a doorway or standing calmly while a harness is handled. Keep the floor non-slip and avoid repetitive jumping or fast turns.

End after a few successful repetitions. The purpose is to provide clear interaction and practise useful behaviour, not to make the dog perform until they are exhausted.

9. Rotate activities rather than leaving everything out

Presenting the same equipment all day can make it less meaningful and increases the chance of chewing after the food is gone. Choose one activity, supervise it, clean it and store it. Use a different type on another day.

A rotation might include a snuffle search on Monday, simple training on Tuesday, a compartment puzzle on Wednesday and a household “find it” game on Thursday. Rest remains part of every day.

10. Use movement toys only in suitable spaces

A dispensing ball can work in a clear room with a grippy floor. Block gaps under furniture, measure the food and make sure the ball cannot roll near stairs. Show a beginner that gentle movement releases a piece.

The Dog Sniff Ball Puzzle Toy has a 10 cm diameter and is intended for dogs over four months. It is not appropriate for calls where you cannot watch what your dog is doing.

What not to do during the working day

• Do not feed every interruption. Measure food in advance and reserve it from the normal allowance.
• Do not expect one product to last all day. Food puzzles are short activities, not substitutes for care and company.
• Do not leave unsuitable toys unsupervised. Fabric, plastic and movable parts can be damaged or swallowed.
• Do not create constant excitement. Alternate interaction with quiet rest.
• Do not assume every interruption means boredom. Check toileting, comfort, temperature, health and changes in the environment.
• Do not punish distress. Persistent pacing, vocalising, destruction or inability to settle needs careful investigation.

Is your dog bored or struggling to cope?

A dog asking for occasional interaction is different from a dog showing sustained distress. Concerning signs can include repeated pacing, panting when the room is not hot, persistent vocalising, destructive attempts to reach you, toileting changes, refusing normally valued food, or being unable to rest.

Do not try to cover these signs with increasingly difficult toys. Rule out medical causes with your vet. For ongoing behaviour concerns, ask for help from an appropriately qualified behaviour professional. Dogs Trust provides separate guidance on separation-related behaviour.

What if you work away from home?

This guide is for days when you are present. Working at an office requires a separate care plan based on how long your dog can comfortably be alone. Options can include a suitable dog walker, daycare, trusted family support or returning home for a break. Dogs Trust advises that individual dogs cope differently and should not be left longer than they can manage.

An activity that is safe while you supervise it may not be safe when the house is empty. Test equipment while present and follow the manufacturer's instructions, but do not use a toy as a replacement for regular care, toilet access and human contact.

Build a workday routine

Start with one predictable break and one measured food activity, then observe how your dog settles. Browse dog enrichment toys, use the free dog enrichment planner, or save our indoor rainy-day activity guide for days when outdoor time is reduced.

For additional routine guidance, see Dogs Trust's working-from-home advice, PDSA's work-from-home guidance and the Blue Cross enrichment overview.