Back to School Means Some of Your Dog’s Pack Just Disappeared

Hey Pack, Kodiak here. 🐾

Apparently it’s back-to-school season.

For humans, this means backpacks, lunches, homework and parents taking pictures of kids standing by the front door.

For dogs, it means something completely different.

WHERE DID EVERYBODY GO?

Think about it from our perspective.

For the last couple of months, the kids have been home. They’re walking around the house. They’re dropping food. They’re playing with us. They’re going outside. They’re sitting on the couch.

Basically, they’re being excellent members of the home Pack.

Then one morning they put on backpacks, walk out the door and disappear for most of the day.

Nobody consulted the dog.

My situation is a little different because Dad works from home.

Whenever I get bored, I have a system.

I find Dad.

I sit down.

And I stare at him.

That’s it.

I don’t bark.

I don’t make demands.

I just stare until Dad finally says:

"Fine, Kodiak. Let's go to the beach."

Works pretty well.

But some of the dogs in the CDP have a tougher time this time of year. Their humans really ARE gone more often once school starts.

So if part of your dog’s home Pack suddenly disappeared during the day, here are five things you can do to help keep them happy.

1. Give Your Dog Something to Figure Out

Dogs need things to do.

And apparently "stare at Dad until he takes you to the beach" isn’t an option for everyone.

Puzzle toys can give dogs something interesting to work on by making them figure out how to get to treats or food.

One that’s really popular right now is the PETSTA Dog Puzzle Toy. You hide treats or kibble inside and your dog has to figure out how to move the different pieces to get them.

This seems like a pretty good system.

You get a puzzle.

I get snacks.

Everybody wins.

Just make sure any toy you leave with your dog is appropriate for your dog’s size, chewing habits and play style. If your dog destroys toys or eats pieces of them, don’t leave a puzzle toy out unsupervised.

I feel like I shouldn't have to say "don't eat the puzzle."

But my friend Terry once ate a whole toy and the vet made him throw it up. We joke about it at the dog park. Dash takes a toy and pretends to throw it up and we all fall on the ground laughing.

2. Let Your Dog Stop and Sniff

When you take your dog out during the day, don’t make every walk about how far or how fast you can go.

Let us sniff things.

I’ve talked about this before because humans sometimes don’t realize how much of a dog’s world happens through our nose.

Dogs can have up to 300 million scent receptors, compared with about 6 million in humans. When we're standing there smelling the same bush for what seems like forever, we're taking in information you don't even know is there.

That’s why Dad sometimes takes me on what I call a sniff walk.

Instead of trying to cover as much distance as possible, he lets me stop, explore and smell things along the way.

Using our noses is a form of mental enrichment, so giving your dog time to sniff can be another way to give their brain something to do before they spend part of the day in a quieter house.

So when your dog stops to smell something for the 47th time…

Relax.

We’re busy.

I wrote a whole blog about why dogs need mental enrichment and why sniffing matters.

Read: Why I Need More Than Just a Walk — Kodiak on Dog Enrichment

3. Get Some Exercise Before Everyone Leaves

This is kind of the same as #2, but this one requires the humans to wake up a little earlier.

Sorry.

Take your dog for a walk, play some fetch or spend some time together before everybody heads out.

It doesn’t have to be an enormous adventure.

You’re just giving your dog some activity and attention before the house suddenly gets quiet.

Personally, I recommend the beach.

Dad claims not everyone lives near a beach.

That sounds like poor planning, but apparently it’s true.

So a walk works too.

4. Give Your Dog a Job

Dogs like having something to do.

Hide a few treats around the house and let your dog sniff them out.

Use part of breakfast in a puzzle feeder.

Practice a few commands before everyone leaves.

Set up a safe sniffing or foraging activity.

You don’t have to build some elaborate dog amusement park in your living room.

Although I would like to officially endorse that idea.

The point is to give your dog’s brain something to work on.

Because when dogs get bored, we sometimes invent our own activities.

You may not like our activities.

Your couch definitely won’t.

5. Don’t Forget About Us When Everybody Gets Home

This might be the most important one.

When the kids get home from school, your dog has probably been waiting for that moment all day.

So put the phone down for a few minutes.

Say hello.

Go outside.

Throw the ball.

Take a walk.

Play.

Let your dog be part of the family again.

Because to your dog, those kids aren’t just the people who happen to live in the same house.

They’re part of the Pack.

And when part of your Pack disappears every morning, you notice.

Give Us a Little Time to Adjust

Back-to-school season changes everybody’s routine.

Including ours.

Some dogs won’t care much.

Some dogs might spend the afternoon sleeping on the couch like absolutely nothing happened.

Others may have a harder time adjusting to suddenly having a quieter house and fewer people around.

So give us some attention.

Give us some exercise.

Give us something interesting to do.

And maybe give us a puzzle with treats inside.

Actually, definitely do that last one.

And if you work from home, congratulations.

Your dog already has an entertainment system.

It’s you.

Just be prepared for the staring.

Stay happy, Pack. 🐾

Kodiak’s Back-to-School Pick

Looking for something to help keep your dog occupied while the kids are at school?

PETSTA Dog Puzzle Toy

Hide treats or kibble inside and let your dog work on figuring out how to get them.

Some product links are affiliate links. If you purchase through one of our links, the Pack may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Want More of the Cardiff Dog Pack?

Check out The CDP — Episode 1: Desert Rescue and meet Kodiak, Dash, Terry, Steve and the rest of the Pack.

Shop the CDP Store and use code JOINPACK20 for 20% off.

You can also find The CDP — Episode 1: Desert Rescue on Amazon.

And follow Kodiak and Dad on TikTok at @kurtandkodiak for the San Diego surf check and daily Bible verse.