20 Real Life ‘My Dog Ate My Homework’ Excuses that Actually Turned Out to be True, as Told by Teachers and Students

Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor

Sep 9, 2026 7:30 AM EDT

Anyone who has grown up with a dog has thought at least once or twice in their lives whether it would be worth it and useful to bust out the 'My dog ate my homework' bit. But there are a few of you how know what it is like to do that, seeing as you have had to do it legitimately. Just as the teachers and students who have contributed to this list have.

The age-old problem of how to get out of homework is one that still plagues the children of today. And with the introduction of computers and other technologies it has become a fair bit tougher to claim that your canine had a hand in eating your homework. That is unless he took a megabite out of your computer. But in the rare cases that homework is still physical and lands in a home where a pupper lives, then there is a chance, however slim that it may be, that the dog will eat the homework.

We too were not believers of the dog eating homework phenomenon until we came to read about the tales of teachers and students alike on AskReddit and NoStupidQuestions. Both sides of the divide recounting the very same thing, that there are several cases in which homework has actually been consumed by a canine. In some cases it was the teacher's doggo and the whole class' work went missing. So strap in and hold on for a hilarious ride through these surprisingly real accounts of canine carnage.

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01

via Tia_alara

Black dog lying on dog bed tearing up soft toys.
_{Actor performance of story events.}
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via New-Pick9985
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Apparently it can happen to teachers just as well as it can happen to students.

via New-Pick9985
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When you have had the homework, why stop there?

via New-Pick9985
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Sometimes it is not that funny, and you definitely shouldn’t try to make your dog eat your homework…

via New-Pick9985
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These kids think that they pulled off a smart mooove.

via New-Pick9985
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via Tia_alara
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A dog we can understand but unless you actually walked over to the pig pen…

via New-Pick9985
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Isn’t it funny when someone is a denier all their life until karma comes to bite them?

via New-Pick9985
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Apparently paper shredding can be a passion in life, who knew?

via dandelions
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When you as a parent have to tell another adult something that sounds totally made up but is actually true.

via dandelions
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via Tia_alara
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Can you really get mad at a puppy paper eater?

via dandelions
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Teachers beware of how you react to things that might actually be true…

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Apparently if you dog eats your homework as a child, you’ll spend your life having dogs eating your important documents.

via dandelions
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At least she brought forth all the evidence needed to prove the perpetrator was a pupper.

via dandelions
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via Tia_alara
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Sometimes it feels like family pets do not want their kids to do well in school.

via dandelions
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A two day extension? It should have been at least an automatic A.

via dandelions
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When your dog gives you an opportunity to use the knowledge you’ve learned.

via dandelions
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That was sure to leave a mark…

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27
Nothing more heartbreaking than losing your project the day before delivery.

via dandelions
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via Tia_alara
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Some puppers are very selective about the papers they prefer to process.

via dandelions
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When your homework poses a challenge to the reader…

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via Tia_alara
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Finally technology is catching up to canines.

via dandelions