How to Keep Your Dog Entertained When Home Alone

To keep your dog entertained when home alone, set up safe enrichment before you leave, including toilet roll treat puzzles, towel rolls, snuffle mats, lick mats, Kongs, and puzzle feeders. You will need treats, dog-safe yoghurt, peanut butter if suitable, an old towel or blanket, a freezer, and a few store-bought enrichment toys. This guide breaks down Charleston Crumb from Jim’s Dog Wash’s home-alone enrichment demo, with practical steps for giving your dog something safe and satisfying to do.

Watch Charleston Crumb show home-alone dog enrichment ideas above, or keep reading for the step-by-step breakdown.

What Do You Need To Keep Your Dog Entertained At Home?

You do not need expensive gear to start. Chelsea shows a mix of homemade and store-bought options, so you can choose what suits your dog and your home.

You may need:

• Toilet rolls
• Paper towel rolls
• A few dog treats
• Dog-safe peanut butter
• An old towel or blanket
• Snuffle mat
• Lick mat with suction cups
• Dog yoghurt
• Freezer
• Kong
• Dry dog food
• Wet dog food
• Puzzle feeder with round covers
• Slow feeder with grooves
• Puzzle feeder with sliding dividers
• Music, lighting, or TV

If your dog also needs regular coat care, bathing, or grooming, Jim’s Dog Wash offers mobile dog care services through Jim’s Dog Wash services , including dog washing, grooming, and flea and tick treatments.

How Do You Keep Your Dog Busy When Home Alone?

Step 1: Exercise Your Dog Before You Leave

Before you put out enrichment for the day, exercise your dog first.

Chelsea strongly recommends giving your dog a chance to burn energy and toilet outside before you leave. This helps your dog settle more easily and makes the enrichment more effective.

A short walk, backyard play, or a calm sniffing session can help. The goal is not to exhaust your dog completely. The goal is to help them start the day with less built-up energy.

Step 2: Choose The Right Enrichment For Your Dog

Start by thinking about what motivates your dog.

Chelsea explains that many of the enrichment ideas work best for food-motivated dogs because they use treats, yoghurt, wet food, or dry food. If your dog is not strongly food motivated, you can still use sniffing games, music, lighting, TV, and other forms of stimulation.

The best option is the one your dog will actually use safely.

Step 3: Make A Toilet Roll Treat Puzzle

A toilet roll is one of the simplest homemade enrichment tools.

Place a few treats in the middle of the roll. Fold each side over as best you can so the treats stay inside. Chelsea makes it clear that it does not have to look perfect.

Once it is secure, your dog can rip it open and work to get the treats out. This gives them something to sniff, chew, paw at, and solve.

Only use this method if your dog will not eat the cardboard. Some dogs shred cardboard and leave it alone. Others may swallow it, which is not safe.

Step 4: Use A Paper Towel Roll For More Treats

If your dog enjoys the toilet roll game, try a paper towel roll next.

A paper towel roll works the same way, but it gives you more room to add treats. Fold the ends over and let your dog work out how to open it.

Chelsea also mentions that you can spread peanut butter over the cardboard. Only do this if you are confident your dog will not ingest the cardboard.

Use dog-safe peanut butter and avoid products that contain unsafe sweeteners.

Step 5: Make A Towel Or Blanket Sniffing Game

If your dog loves sniffing, use an old towel or blanket you do not mind getting wrecked.

Lay it flat on the ground. Line up a bunch of treats along one end. Roll the towel into a log so the treats are tucked inside.

Your dog can then sniff through the towel, nose it open, and work out where the treats are hiding.

This is a good option because it uses your dog’s natural sniffing behaviour. It also slows the activity down compared with simply dropping treats into a bowl.

Step 6: Use A Snuffle Mat If You Want A Store-Bought Option

If you do not want to give up an old towel or blanket, use a snuffle mat.

A snuffle mat has different compartments and fabric sections where you can hide treats. Your dog has to sniff through the mat to find the food.

This is useful for dogs that enjoy scent work. It can also keep them busy longer than a normal treat because they have to search for each piece.

For dogs that also need regular coat care, Jim’s Dog Wash dog grooming can help with washing, grooming, nail trimming, and other grooming needs at home.

Step 7: Prepare A Lick Mat

A lick mat is designed to encourage licking.

Chelsea describes it as a high-value enrichment tool. You can use it dry or frozen. In the demo, she spreads dog yoghurt over the top, puts it in the freezer, and has it ready before leaving.

Freezing the lick mat helps it last longer. Licking can also give your dog a calm, focused activity while you are out.

When choosing dog yoghurt, Chelsea recommends avoiding lactose and sugar because they can upset your dog’s tummy.

Step 8: Secure The Lick Mat With Suction Cups

Some lick mats come with suction cups.

Chelsea points out that suction cups are helpful because they can stick to a surface. This reduces the chance of your dog knocking household items over while they lick.

Before leaving your dog alone with a lick mat, test it while you are home. Make sure it holds well, your dog uses it safely, and they do not chew pieces off it.

Step 9: Fill And Freeze A Kong

A Kong is another strong option for frozen enrichment.

Chelsea explains that Kongs can be filled with soft or hard food. If she is using dry food, she puts the dry food into the Kong, fills it towards the end, seals it with dog yoghurt, and freezes it.

Frozen enrichment can last for hours depending on your dog, the food used, and how determined they are.

This gives your dog a job to do. They have to lick, chew, and work the food out instead of eating it all at once.

Step 10: Seal A Dry Kong With Wet Food

If you are not freezing the Kong, Chelsea suggests using wet food at the end to seal it.

This helps keep the dry food inside and makes the Kong more interesting. It also stops the food from falling out too quickly.

As with any enrichment toy, test it while you are home first. Make sure your dog does not chew through the toy or become frustrated.

Step 11: Try A Puzzle Feeder With Hidden Treats

Puzzle feeders make dogs use their nose and paws to access food.

Chelsea shows one where treats go inside small sections, then round pieces snap over the top. The dog uses their nose to open the covers and reveal the treats.

This turns treat time into a task. Instead of handing your dog a snack, you make them solve a small problem first.

Step 12: Use A Slow Feeder For Fast Eaters

Chelsea also shows a feeder with grooves.

The grooves hold different types of food and encourage the dog to slow down while eating. This can help if your dog is a scoff and eats too quickly.

Slow feeders are not just for mealtimes. They can also be part of your enrichment setup when you want your dog to spend more time working through food.

If your dog needs a fresh wash after messy enrichment, Jim’s Dog Wash dog washing offers mobile washing services brought to your home.

Step 13: Use A Sliding Puzzle Feeder

Chelsea’s dog’s personal favourite is a puzzle feeder with different compartments, sliding dividers, and white loops.

You place treats inside the compartments. Your dog then paws or pulls at each section to reveal more treats.

This type of puzzle is useful for dogs that enjoy problem-solving. Start with easier puzzles first if your dog is new to enrichment. If the puzzle is too hard straight away, some dogs may give up or chew the toy instead.

Step 14: Add Music, Lighting, Or TV

Food is not the only form of enrichment.

Chelsea recommends using things you may find entertaining yourself, such as music, nice lighting, or TV. These can provide sound and visual stimulation while your dog is home.

This can be especially useful for dogs that feel unsettled in a quiet house. Keep the volume comfortable and choose something calm rather than loud or sudden.

What Dog Enrichment Mistakes Should You Avoid?

• Do not leave cardboard enrichment with a dog that may swallow cardboard. Toilet rolls and paper towel rolls are useful, but only for dogs that shred safely and do not ingest pieces.
• Do not use dog yoghurt with lactose or sugar. Chelsea specifically warns that these ingredients can upset your dog’s tummy.
• Do not skip exercise and toilet time before leaving. Enrichment works better when your dog has already had a chance to move, sniff, and go outside.
• Do not assume every dog wants food-based enrichment. Some dogs need sniffing games, sound, light, comfort, or a different type of activity.
• Do not leave a new toy untested. Try each enrichment activity while you are home first so you can check that your dog uses it safely.

When Should You Get Help With Your Dog’s Home-Alone Routine?

Call a professional if your dog shows serious distress when left alone, destroys unsafe items, swallows cardboard, panics, or cannot settle even with enrichment. A vet or qualified dog behaviour professional can help if your dog has ongoing separation anxiety or safety risks.

For grooming, washing, coat care, flea and tick treatments, or mobile dog care at home, you can book Jim’s Dog Wash or call 131 546 . Jim’s Dog Wash can help keep your dog clean, comfortable, and easier to manage between home routines.

FAQs About Keeping Dogs Entertained At Home