RCN TV The Dog Ate My Homework The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company. An excuse explains why you are not responsible for the failure. It is plausible deniability. Every teacher has heard the cliché excuse from a student, “The dog ate my homework. ” I wonder if that excuse ever actually worked and whether a gullible educator ever accepted it. I have my doubts. In my many years teaching English, I heard many excuses why students did not read an assignment or finished a paper.