How Do I Keep My Dog Entertained While I'm Doing Homework?

In a perfect world, you’d spend all day, every day with your dog. Unfortunately, life sometimes gets in the way of the plans you and your canine BFF have to spend every waking hour together. If your schedule is weighed down by a stack of homework, what can your pup do to pass the time while you work?

The good news is that there’s plenty you can do to keep your dog entertained while you’re doing homework. Here are a few simple ideas to ensure that your dog stays happy and busy, and that you get plenty of peace and quiet to help you concentrate.

If you want to ensure that your pet is on their best behavior, preparation begins before you even start work. The old cliche that “a tired dog is a good dog” is as true today as it ever has been, so make an effort to tire your dog out before sitting down to do your homework.

Take them for a long walk, a jog, or maybe even give them a fun training session. If you can get them to burn off some of their excess physical or mental energy, they’ll be much more likely to sit quietly while you tackle your homework.

Interactive puzzle toys are a wonderful way to entertain dogs and keep boredom at bay. They encourage your dog to use their brainpower to access treats, and they provide excellent mental stimulation for your furry friend.

There’s a huge range of dog puzzle toys available, so shop around to find a couple that you think will provide a good challenge for your pup.

Food is a welcome distraction for many dogs. But if you simply dish up your dog’s dinner in a bowl every time, you’re depriving them (and yourself) of the opportunity to try out a fun and time-consuming challenge — a treasure hunt.

Here’s how it works. Take your dog’s usual dinner portion and hide the individual bits of kibble around your home. You can then let your pup loose to sniff out each bit of food until they’ve found every last morsel. Start out easy with basic hiding spots, then graduate to more challenging hunts over time. 

And while your pup is engrossed in the search for the next delicious treat, you’ll hopefully get plenty of uninterrupted focus time to help boost your productivity.

Want your pup to lie down, get cozy, and maybe enjoy some snooze time for a while? You’ll need to take steps to ensure that they’ll be as comfortable as possible.

Make sure your dog has their own space where they can snuggle up and enjoy some shut-eye. For some dogs, this might be right next to your feet where they feel the most secure. But if being so close to you is likely to encourage your pup to try and distract you, the safer option will be to set up their bed somewhere a little further away. 

If you create the perfect environment for rest and relaxation, hopefully your pup will take a nap while you get to work.

Expecting your pet to sit still for hour after hour isn’t really a realistic proposition, so why not break up your homework session regularly to spend time with your pup? You could enjoy a 5-minute play session every half an hour or so, or maybe stop work every now and then to squeeze in a short but sweet training session.

Your dog will relish every opportunity to have fun with you, while each break will also freshen you up and boost your productivity when you sit back down to keep working.

Does your dog love watching the world go by? If so, you might want to consider giving them easy access to a window or door where they can enjoy a good view of whatever’s going on outside. This could serve as a welcome distraction to keep them occupied until you’re ready to play.

Of course, this isn’t a realistic solution for all pups, as some will grow agitated and resort to barking to let you know about everything they can see outside. If that’s the case for your dog, you’re probably better off drawing the blinds.

Got a busy class schedule or a mountain of homework to get through? Make sure your pup stays active and entertained by booking a dog walker near you with Wag! 

You can choose from a 20-, 30-, or 60-minute stroll for your fur-baby, and all of the dog walkers on our platform are passionate animal people who have been carefully vetted. And when they’re treated to a nice long walk, your pup won’t mind kicking back and relaxing for a little while you polish off your homework.

Alternatively, while you're in class, you can make sure your fur-baby gets the snacks and scratches they need by booking a local dog sitter with Wag! This will leave you free to focus on your studies, while ensuring that your dog gets plenty of cuddles and TLC at the same time.

So if you’ve got a ton of homework to get through, don’t despair — there are plenty of simple things you can do to help your dog stay occupied while you’re busy. And if all else fails, maybe you could try out the old “the dog ate my homework” excuse instead!