How to Help Your Dog Nap During Video Calls
Updated: Nov 1
You join the call, say hello and, right on cue, your dog finds their squeakiest toy or starts barking at nothing. You reach for the mute button while someone laughs awkwardly. Working from home with a dog can be lovely, but calls are often when things fall apart. Your dog doesn't understand why you're home, talking, and ignoring them. Now imagine glancing over mid-meeting to see them fast asleep. That's very achievable. It just takes a few small changes to your day. Calmness is something we teach, not something that turns up on its own when the camera goes on. Here's why dogs act up during calls and how to help them nap instead.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Dogs act up during calls because you're home but unavailable, talking to a screen and ignoring them, which can be confusing, especially if they haven't had much to do. To help your dog nap during calls, give them a walk and some brain work before work starts, like a sniffy walk, a short training session or a scattered breakfast. Set up a quiet resting spot near you and give them a chew or stuffed food toy there just before a call. Avoid responding to barking or nudging, and quietly reward them when they settle. Group calls together where you can, and plan your busiest calls for after a walk. Be patient. It takes a few weeks of consistency, and some days will still be noisy.
Why dogs act up during calls
When you're up and moving, your dog can follow along. When you sit still, talk and stare at a screen for an hour, it's confusing. You're home, but not available.
If your dog has had little to do that morning, that confusion can turn into barking, pacing, bringing toys or climbing onto your lap. It isn't bad behaviour. It's a dog who doesn't know what else to do with themselves.
Napping depends on the morning
Adult dogs sleep a lot, but they don't switch off on command. They settle when their needs are met, they feel safe and their day has a pattern.
So your 10am meeting starts long before 10am. If your dog has had nothing to do, that meeting becomes the most exciting thing in their day. With a better morning, it becomes nap time.
Start the day well
A walk before work does more than tire your dog's legs. Let them sniff as much as they like, as sniffing is calming and mentally tiring.
Add five or ten minutes of simple training, like sit, down, a hand touch or a new trick. Scatter their breakfast on the lawn or use a snuffle mat, so eating takes longer and uses their nose. A dog who has done all that by 9am is usually ready to rest.
Set up a resting spot
Your dog doesn't need a separate room. They need somewhere comfy and consistent that means rest. A bed or blanket near your desk works well.
Keep that spot for calm things only, not play or meals. Just before a call, give your dog a chew or a stuffed food toy on their bed. Over time, they'll head there on their own when you sit down. Read working from home with a dog.
Don't reward the attention-seeking
If your dog barks and you answer, even with "no" or "shh", they've got what they wanted. Your attention.
That doesn't mean ignoring real needs, like a toilet break. It means getting ahead of the problem. Offer a chew before the call, close a door if needed and guide your dog to their bed. When they do settle, even for a moment, quietly praise them or drop a treat on their bed. Read reward more of what you want to see.
Plan your calls
A little planning goes a long way. Where you can, group calls together rather than spreading them through the day.
Put your most important calls after a walk, when your dog is more likely to sleep. Close the curtains if your dog barks at passers-by, and keep a spare chew by your desk for the call that runs over.
Puppies and busy dogs
Not every dog will sleep for hours. Puppies have short sleep cycles and busy breeds may only rest for twenty minutes before looking for something to do.
For them, aim for short rest periods, not long naps. Keep calls short where you can, use a pen or a gated area for puppies and build in frequent breaks for a sniff or a game. Read why puppies need more sleep than training.
When it's more than restlessness
If your dog still can't settle despite a good routine, there may be more going on. Some dogs find the sound of voices from a screen unsettling.
Others struggle with you being close but not available, which can be an early sign of separation worries. If your dog pants, paces, whines or can't settle at all, it's worth getting some help.
Be kind to yourself
Some calls will still get interrupted. Your dog isn't a robot, and neither are you.
Stick with the routine, and over a few weeks those calls get quieter. The goal is a dog who knows what to expect, rests because they feel safe and satisfied, and a working day that feels calmer for both of you.
RENEE'S TIP
Keep a "call kit" by your desk with a couple of long-lasting chews and a stuffed food toy in the freezer. Hand one over two minutes before every call, on your dog's bed. Your dog soon learns that the sound of you logging on means something good is coming, and they'll settle before you've even said hello.
QUICK CHECK
ā Walk, sniff and train before work starts
ā Set up a resting spot that means calm
ā Give a chew or food toy just before each call
ā Don't answer barking, reward the settling
ā Plan your biggest calls for after a walk
FROM RENEE'S BOOKSHELF
The Modern Guide to the Calm Puppy
How to raise a puppy who can switch off, settle at home and rest while life carries on around them.
ONE-TO-ONE HELP
Help with a dog who can't settle
If your dog barks through every call, can't rest when you're busy or struggles when you go out, I can help you build a plan in an online Dog Behaviour Consultation from wherever you are.
Online on Teams, wherever you are. 30 or 60 minutes.
FAQs
Why does my dog bark during video calls?
They may be bored, confused that you're home but busy, or reacting to voices from the screen.
How do I get my dog to sleep while I work?
Walk and train them first, then give them a chew in a comfy spot just before you start.
Should I tell my dog off for barking during calls?
No. Any attention can reward it. Get ahead of it with a chew and reward the quiet moments.
How long can a puppy settle for?
Often only short spells. Aim for short rest periods and plenty of breaks.
What if my dog still can't settle?
Look at their routine first. If they pace, pant or whine, they may need more help.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Renee Patience Ā· National Dog Trainer of the Year 2025
Founder and head trainer of Paws Academy, with more than 30 years training dogs and a Level 6 Diploma in Applied Canine Behaviour. Renee has competed in agility, obedience and heelwork to music across the UK, including at Crufts and Olympia, has appeared on CBBC, and is the author of the Modern Training Guides and the Modern Breed Handbook series. Pictured with her boxer, Kookie.
READ NEXT Working from home with a dog
