Dogs and puppies should have their minimum needs met every day. But some days are just busier than others! Sometimes, you need to press the easy button when you don’t have time for engaging your dog with tons of activities. Here’s how to keep your dog happy on busy days.

Most days, having a dog is wonderful. You have fun together, hitting the trails or cuddling on the couch and playing with toys. On other days, the responsibility can feel a little overwhelming, especially when you have a lot of human-centric stuff going on. When you’re too busy to take your puppy out for an adventure or work on a new skill, it’s easy to feel guilty because your dog isn’t getting more than the bare minimum of food, water, and potty breaks.

The good news is that if you’re reading this, you’re already ahead of the game. The fact that you’re worried about how to keep your dog happy means that you love your pup, and you want to make sure you’re meeting their physical and mental needs. Here’s how to fulfill those needs as best you can on busy days (like Thanksgiving!).

Unfulfilled Puppy = “Naughty” Puppy

The first few weeks after bringing a new puppy home can be pretty stressful. Once you’ve settled into a routine with your puppy, things usually start to get easier. You gradually figure out how to meet their daily needs, whether that means three quick training sessions a day and a hike once a week or just a walk around the block and a puzzle ball.

Those kinds of activities help make life fulfilling for your puppy. They need outlets for their natural behaviors, such as foraging, shredding, chasing, and jumping. Without those approved outlets, puppies often start finding their own outlets–which can result in “naughty” behavior, like digging through the trash or chewing on the corner of the couch. A bored puppy WILL find mischief and entertain themselves!

You’re not always going to have time to stick to your routines perfectly. Human lives are more complicated than dogs’ lives, and when you have a busy day coming up, you can’t just explain to your pup that today is going to be a little bit different and a little more boring than usual.

Asking them nicely to leave the couch alone won’t solve the problem. What can help? Easy activities that don’t involve much time and effort.

Low-Effort Activities For Engaging Your Dog

For busy days, it’s important to have some low-effort activities you can use to keep your dog happy while you do other things. Some options to consider:

Provide a Stuffed, Frozen Treat

For many dogs, an exciting treat is the highlight of their day. A stuffed, frozen treat is safe, long-lasting, and will challenge your pup in a fulfilling way. You can customize your frozen treats by filling them with any pet-safe ingredients your pup loves, making them a great option for dogs with sensitive stomachs. Rubber toys are durable enough that minimal supervision is required!

Do a Kibble Scatter

A super simple way to help meet your puppy’s mental stimulation needs on busy days is to do a kibble scatter outside where they have to sniff around for each piece of food. Just toss a handful in the grass and let your puppy have fun searching for their breakfast (use a long line if you don’t have a fence)! If you don’t have access to a safe outdoor area or if the weather is bad, you can use a snuffle mat inside.

Offer Some Legal Destruction

Letting your pup rip up a cardboard box is a great outlet and a low-effort activity you can use on busy days. Although this does require some supervision to ensure that they don’t eat the cardboard, it’s a great way to provide an outlet for puppies that like to rip things up and should help keep your dog happy when you don’t have much time to spare.

Lean on Puzzle Toys

There are tons of great and inexpensive enrichment toys on the market now. Investing in a few to rotate can be a huge help on days when you don’t have time for much. Get a few different styles to see what your puppy likes best–you’ll find everything from simple treat-dispensing balls to challenging multi-element puzzles.

Break Out a Special or Novel Chew

Edible and non-edible chews can be really helpful for keeping your puppy busy when you need to do other things. For busy days, pull out a novel chew or a favorite special chew that your puppy doesn’t get very often. A special chew (like a raw chicken wing, perhaps?) will help keep your dog happy during a long and boring day. Just make sure to choose an appropriate chew for your pup’s size and age!

Fit in a Quick Walk or Play Session

If your puppy is going to be spending a lot of time confined to a crate, pen, or tether on a busy day, make sure to fit in some time to stretch their legs before and after they’re settled in. You don’t need to take them on a long hike or spend tons of time playing, but a quick session that gives them a chance to get the zoomies out will help them feel less restless about being confined during the day.

To Keep Your Dog Happy (And You Too!), Give Up the Guilt

If you want to keep your dog happy, it’s important to realize that some days are going to be more exciting than others–and that’s totally okay! You don’t need to feel bad about the occasional boring day as long as you’re engaging your dog on a regular basis and creating opportunities for fulfillment as needed.

Puppies need to learn how to settle and be content on boring days so that both of you can enjoy fulfilling lives. On busy days, don’t pressure yourself. Choose One Thing (Enrichment, Exposure, or Training) and call it good.

It’s normal to feel guilty on days when you can’t give your puppy much attention. But here’s the good news: they’re going to be fine. You have your own life, and you can’t cater to their needs 100% of the time. Let go of the guilt, pull out a few of these low-effort activities, and remember that your puppy still loves you!

Want more tips on puppy raising and management? Check out our SuperPuppy course!

How to Keep Your Dog Happy On Busy Days