Dog lovers the world over are familiar with the sad eyes routine every workday morning at the sound of car keys. They know you’re leaving them. Will you ever return? What’s the plan here? Is this a cause for alarm? No matter how much verbal reassurance you give to your furriest family member (complete with behind-the-ear scratches), the look of betrayal on their face never gets any easier. So, let’s look at ways to keep you dog happy while you are at work.

How To Keep Your Dog Happy While You Are At Work 

Keep Unsolicited Callers Away

Turn On The TV

Having just stated clearly that minimizing disturbances can help to prevent an unsupervised frenzy, creating a distraction by leaving the TV on is completely different. Although your ‘good girl’ or ‘good boy’ is unlikely to be interested in the story lines behind Friends Season 6, the constant chatter on a medium volume should be enough to prevent your dog from feeling lonely. Documentary channels in particular are a safe choice for all-day shows that contain lots of calming talking.

Hire a Dog Walker

While simple tricks like leaving an old sweater with your scent on it lying around and introducing doggy puzzle toys that take some experimentation to reach the food inside are great in theory, they won’t actually entertain your dog for a full eight hours. Hiring a dog walker is a great solution to your dog’s natural restless energies - and a full walk could help them to peacefully nap, too, which will pass even more time. Check your local services online - there are even some great apps that you can download, hooking you up to professional dog walkers in your area.

Extra Tip: Dogs love the company of other dogs. If you have the resources and the room to spare, why not look into adding a rescue dog to your family - your local shelter has old dogs, young dogs, dogs of all sizes, and they’d all love the chance to go home with you today.