Your Dog Can Leave Home Without You

Perhaps you have children who are returning to school be it online or in-person. Perhaps your work schedule is becoming more demanding. Even if you’re still home the majority of your days, your schedule may be shifting, leaving less time to exercise and entertain your dogs. Seems like no matter where we are, we’re being pulled in so many directions. Ask for help! 

Consider hiring a dog walker. Sure, you could take your dog for a quick stroll through the neighborhood, but it may do you both some good to spend some time apart. Have the dog walker take your dog out while you have an important video call for work, while you help the kids with their school work, or need to catch up on some sleep. 

Consider taking your dog to doggie day care a few days a week. You’ll be amazed at how tired your dog is the day after doggie daycare. Perhaps a Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Tuesday/Thursday schedule works for you. Some daycares also have half-day options.I recently met a woman who opened a doggie daycare in Wheaton, MD.  Check out Pure Love Paw Care. 

Have food puzzles at the ready. Create a food puzzle stuffing party. Make an assembly line with various ingredients like kibble, canned pumpkin, canned dog food, peanut butter, yogurt, cream cheese, etc. Get the kids involved as everyone stuffs their ingredient into the food puzzle and passes it down the line. Once the food puzzles have been stuffed, place them in the freezer. This makes for a quick “grab and give” boredom buster throughout the week. Your dog can eat his breakfast and dinner out of these food puzzles. When he snacks from a food puzzle after a walk or day at doggie daycare, he’ll settle down and hopefully drift off into a nap. 

For daily home routine ideas to encourage your dogs and cats to relax, check out this recent blog post.

Just because you’re home a lot doesn’t mean your dog can’t leave home without you. Dog walkers and doggie daycares are open for business and ready to tire out your dogs!