10 ideas for what to do with your puppy while you're at work

Updated June 9, 2026

If you're like most people, you worry at the thought of leaving your puppy at home all day long while you go to work. All dogs, but puppies especially, need companionship and exercise. It just doesn't feel fair to leave them cooped up all day long.

If you’re trying to figure out what to do with your puppy while you’re at work, start with the real problem: a young puppy usually can’t manage a full workday alone without help.

To ease your worries about leaving your puppy during the work day, keep in mind that puppies require at least 16-18 hours of sleep each day!

Puppies need plenty of sleep, but they also need frequent potty breaks, safe confinement, appropriate things to chew, and time to learn that being alone is normal. So the goal is to build a realistic puppy workday plan.

A good plan answers a few basic questions: where your puppy will rest, when they will go potty, who can help during the day, what they can safely chew, and how you will prevent accidents, panic, and overtired puppy chaos.

The general rule of thumb for confining your puppy to a crate is that she can hold her bladder for the number of hours equal to her age in months, plus one. This means a three-month-old puppy typically can be confined for four hours.

So, if you're gone from home for eight hours, your puppy will need to potty (preferably outside) at least four times while you're away. Some families use a pet sitter, dog walker, trusted friend, family member, playpen setup, or puppy pads as part of the short-term plan. The best answer depends on your puppy’s age, your schedule, your home setup, and how your puppy is coping.

Need help with puppy potty timing?

Puppy accidents are easier to prevent when the daily routine matches your puppy’s age, schedule, and current level of freedom. Use the free puppy house-training checklist to review potty breaks, supervision, confinement, cleanup, and household consistency.

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Think of the ideas below as parts of one workday plan, not separate tricks. A sitter or dog walker helps with potty breaks. A playpen helps with safe confinement. A frozen Kong or chew gives your puppy something appropriate to do after waking up. The right mix depends on your puppy’s age, your schedule, your home setup, and how well your puppy is coping.

10 ideas to keep your puppy happy while you're at work

Here are 10 ideas for what to do with your puppy while you're at work:

1. Hire a pet sitter. Professional pet sitters are a wonderful choice if you need to leave your puppy while you go to work. Apps such as Rover and Wag can help you to locate reliable care for your puppy.
2. Tap your family, friends and neighbors for help. Asking a friend or neighbor who has a different schedule to let your dog out can be a lifesaver on those days you can't make it back to your puppy in time.
3. Take your puppy to doggie daycare. Check that the daycare accepts puppies, and if so, that all dogs (including puppies) are required to be up-to-date on their vaccinations. Make sure the daycare uses a screening process to weed out any aggressive or dangerous dogs. Ask what their protocols are for house training, crating, separating puppies from other dogs during playtime, and what they do if your puppy is getting frightened or overstimulated.
4. Time your walks. Time your walks in the morning and evening to coincide with your puppy's eating and potty schedule. Most puppies need to go out when they wake up, and then again after they eat and have a short playtime. Whenever possible, plan for longer walks and exercise immediately before you leave for work and after you eat dinner, to make up for your time away from your pup.
5. Fill West Paw Toppl toys with canned food and freeze. West Paw or Kong toys can keep puppies entertained and occupied while you're away. Fill them with food that will take a little longer to chew, such as canned dog food (the Purina Pro Plan puppy line is great) or peanut butter, and freeze them overnight.
6. Set up a webcam. If you're really worried about leaving your puppy home alone, set up a webcam so you can check in on her throughout the day. A two-way pet camera with speakers and a treat dispenser can help you stay connected with your pup in between visits from a real human.
7. Use toys for enrichment. Puppies can get bored easily, so try to provide some stimulation for him while you're away. Besides Kongs, there are a number of safe toys you can provide for you puppy while you are at work. Food puzzle toys and nylon or vinyl toys made for teething puppies can be good bets.
8. Leave them in a secure play area. If you want to give your puppy more space to play without giving him access to the rest of your home, an exercise pen might be a good option. Fill it with frozen West Paw Toppls or Kongs and chew toys to keep him occupied. A couple of puppy pads are a good idea to start, but be aware you may come home to discover your puppy has created confetti out of them!
9. Play the TV, music, or your smart speaker. Leave on a TV show or nature video that she's not allowed to watch when you're home, play music at a soft volume, or fire up your smart speaker and leave on an audiobook or podcast.
10. Adjust your work schedule. Can you work a flexible schedule, or work from home, until your puppy is old enough to be left alone comfortably for 6-8 hours? Or, can you trade schedules with someone else at work on a temporary basis? The period of time it takes each puppy to adjust to a day home alone varies, but with the right training, exercise, and enrichment regimen, it is temporary.

And bonus idea: if you think you can swing it, try taking your puppy to work with you! Many workplaces, especially quiet office environments, are adopting flexible policies towards taking pets to work. Check your company's pet policy or ask your supervisor whether it would be possible to bring your puppy along for a few weeks while you both adjust to your new life together.

Common questions about leaving a puppy while you work

“Can I leave my puppy alone while I’m at work?”

Yes, puppies can stay home alone for a short time so long as they are in a puppy-proofed area. This doesn't necessarily mean a crate; an exercise pen, baby gated area or small carpet-free room can also be used. Even if you are using an indoor potty system for your puppy while you're away, it's a good idea to have a human check in on them every 4-6 hours or so. Most very young puppies are not ready to stay alone for a full 8-hour workday without some kind of support.

“How long can a puppy hold their bladder?”

A guideline many of us puppy raisers use is to only leave your puppy alone for as long as he or she can hold her bladder, which is their age in months plus one hour. So for example, a 9-week-old puppy is two months old, which means two hours. Two plus one more equals three hours home alone. If you're using an indoor potty training system or puppy pads, of course you may leave your puppy longer with the expectation that the puppy may go to the bathroom in the confinement area while you are gone.

If your puppy’s accidents are happening during work hours or crate/pen time, the free puppy house-training checklist can help you review potty timing, indoor freedom, cleanup, and whether your setup matches your puppy’s age and schedule.

“Is daycare a good option for puppies?”

The right daycare can be a great option for puppies to have access to human company, socialization, enrichment and potty opportunities throughout the day. Check with your veterinarian and the daycare owner about important disease-prevention measures like required vaccinations, sanitation and biosecurity measures (separation from other dogs, separate feeding equipment and play areas, etc.).