Your Dog Doesn’t Need a Job (They Need a Nap)

Imagine you’re lying awake at 3 AM, your mind racing through every worst-case scenario your brain can manufacture. Your heart’s pounding, your shoulders are up around your ears, and you’re pretty sure you’ve forgotten how to breathe normally. The next day, you mention this to a friend, and they look at you thoughtfully and say, “You know what would fix this? A job. You just need a job.”

Helpful, right?

Obviously not. Because when you’re anxious, the problem isn’t that your calendar is too empty. Adding more items to your to-do list isn’t going to magically calm your nervous system - it’s just going to give you more things to worry about while you’re staring at the ceiling at 3 AM. What you actually need is to learn how to regulate your nervous system and work through the triggers that are making you anxious in the first place. You don’t need more work - you need tools, skills, and probably some desensitization training.

So why, when it comes to dogs, do we act like “give them a job” is the universal solution to every behavior problem? Let’s talk about what that phrase actually means when it’s used well - what we’re really talking about when we say “give a dog a job” - and more importantly, when that advice actually applies and when it absolutely doesn’t.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

To understand where this advice comes from - and why it gets so misapplied - we need to back up and look at the bigger picture of what dogs actually need.

The Five Freedoms (And Which One We’re Actually Talking About)

The Five Freedoms of animal welfare were developed in 1965 by the UK Farm Animal Welfare Council and have since become the gold standard for understanding animal welfare across all species. They’re the foundational framework for what animals actually need to thrive:

1. Freedom from hunger and thirst - Access to fresh water and a diet that maintains full health and vigor

2. Freedom from discomfort - An appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area

3. Freedom from pain, injury, or disease - Prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment

4. Freedom from fear and distress - Conditions and treatment that avoid mental suffering

5. Freedom to express normal behavior - The ability to engage in natural, species-appropriate behaviors

When someone says “give your dog a job,” they’re usually referring to that last one - ensuring that your animal can engage in species-appropriate behaviors. And that’s actually important! Dogs were bred to do things. They have instincts and drives that need an outlet. The problem is when we act like this one freedom is the magic bullet for every behavior issue, regardless of what’s actually going on with the dog.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

When “Give Them a Job” Misses the Mark

Let’s take a classic example: a neurotic Border Collie who chases lights and shadows obsessively. If I give this dog a job, am I going to make them less neurotic? No. I’m going to have a dog who chases lights and shadows obsessively and does the job I gave them obsessively and neurotically too. Congratulations, I’ve just added another outlet for their anxiety, not resolved it.

Because here’s the thing - it’s not just about giving a job. It’s about ensuring that the dog’s overall needs are met in a holistic way. What my neurotic Border Collie actually needs is help calming their nervous system. They need to learn how to relax. They may need to feel differently about their triggers, which can be done through a combination of counter-conditioning and desensitization. Yes, they definitely need chances to exhibit species-appropriate behavior - but a broad “give them a job” is not the fix. It’s like handing someone with insomnia another espresso and calling it a sleep aid.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

It’s About the Emotional Cup, Not the Job Title

So when someone tells you “give your dog a job,” what you should actually be thinking is: how can I fill my dog’s emotional cup? Will giving them a job help with that cup? Maybe. But very likely, they’re going to need a whole lot of other things to get and keep that cup full.

The reality is the cup isn’t static. We’re constantly taking from it on a regular basis just by living in the world. Stressful encounters, environmental triggers, even just the normal demands of daily life all drain that cup. So we need to constantly be working on keeping it full, not just filling it once and calling it done. A “job” might add to the cup, but if there’s a giant hole in the bottom because your dog is fundamentally dysregulated, you’re just pouring water into a leaky bucket.

What “Give Them a Job” Really Means

So when people say “give your dog a job,” what you should really be focusing on is: how can I fill my dog’s emotional cup so that it stays full? How can I maintain fullness in that cup? Will giving them a job help with that? Maybe. But very likely, they’re going to need a whole lot of other things to get and keep that cup full.

Species-appropriate behaviors are the natural instincts and actions that an animal is hardwired to do. For a rabbit, that’s digging burrows and chewing. For a parrot, it’s foraging, shredding things, and making a whole lot of noise. For a cat, it’s stalking, pouncing, and knocking things off counters at 2 AM (okay, maybe that last one is just opportunistic). These aren’t things animals learn - they’re things animals are born wanting to do.

For dogs, species-appropriate behaviors include things like sniffing, digging, running, playing, chewing, barking, and using their mouths to carry and manipulate objects. Depending on what your dog was bred to do, they might have specific drives on top of these basics - herding dogs want to gather and control movement, terriers want to dig and chase small critters, retrievers want to carry things in their mouths, and scent hounds want to follow their nose for hours on end.

Simple Ways to Support Species-Appropriate Behaviors

So what does this actually look like in practice? How do you give your dog opportunities to do dog things without turning your life into a full-time herding demonstration?

Start with enrichment. Food puzzles and snuffle mats let your dog use their nose and problem-solving skills - which, by the way, is way more tiring than a walk around the block. Rent a Sniffspot so your dog has access to a private yard where they can actually run, sniff, and explore without the stress of other dogs or people. Create a designated digging pit in your yard (a kiddie pool filled with sand works great) so your pup can excavate to their heart’s content without destroying your garden. Give your dog things to carry - let them bring you their toys or play fetch. Let them shred cardboard boxes or tear apart stuffed toys in a controlled way. Take them on decompression walks where they can follow their nose wherever it leads, even if that means spending twenty minutes investigating a single bush.

The point is to think creatively about what your specific dog was built to do, and then find safe, manageable ways to let them do it. Not as a fix-all for behavioral issues, but as one piece of keeping that emotional cup full.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The Bottom Line

So the next time someone tells you your dog needs a job, take a step back and ask yourself what they actually need. Maybe they need a nap - because yes, rest is a species-appropriate behavior too, and a chronically overstimulated dog is not a happy dog. Maybe they need to go dig a hole, chase a squirrel, or just play more. Maybe they need enrichment that lets them use their brain and their nose. Or maybe - and this is the important part - they need help with their anxiety, their reactivity, or their inability to settle. They need their emotional cup filled in ways that go far beyond just having something to do.

“Give your dog a job” isn’t wrong advice. It’s just incomplete. And when we use it as a Band-Aid for deeper issues, we’re not helping our dogs - we’re just giving them one more thing to be neurotic about while they’re still struggling with everything else. So yes, let your dog be a dog. But also recognize when being a dog isn’t enough to solve the problem.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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If this article resonated with you, you’re probably dealing with a dog whose needs go beyond the typical training advice. I get it - I’ve spent 25+ years working with dogs whose problems can’t be solved with a puzzle toy and a good walk.

Want more straight talk about what actually works for anxious, reactive, and struggling dogs? Join my email list and get practical insights delivered to your inbox once per month - no fluff, no generic advice, just real solutions for complex dogs.

And if you’re ready to get personalized support for your dog’s specific challenges, book a consultation. We’ll dig into what’s really going on with your dog and create a plan that addresses their actual needs - not just slap a Band-Aid on the symptoms.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​