A pal of mine recently adopted his first dog. He asked me a few questions about what to expect. one of those questions was what ought to he do to make his canine comfortable when the canine is home alone for the first time?
I thought this was a good question because this is typically a stressful time for the new canine and the new owner. I thought some of you might have some good advice.
It’s not just new canine owners that face this dilemma. I know each time I have a new foster dog, I worry about leaving that canine alone for the first time. and then of course, there are new puppies. When can a puppy be left home alone?
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Here are my suggestions for leaving a canine home alone for the first time
1. lots of exercise beforehand.
2. Take a day or two off from work when you adopt a new dog.
3. begin leaving the canine alone for short periods.
4. use a kennel or block off a small area of the house.
5. use puzzle-type toys such as Kongs.
6. hire a canine walker or pal when you leave your canine home alone for the first time.
7. consider daycare once a week.
8. use a Nest Cam or other cam when you leave your canine home alone.
9. keep other animals separated at first.
Is it ok to leave a canine home alone for 8 hours?
What about a doggie door when a canine is left home alone?
How long can a canine be left alone?
Leaving your puppy home alone for the first time
Other tips:
How about the rest of you?
Our favorite products when dogs are home alone
Here are my suggestions for leaving a canine home alone for the first time
1. lots of exercise beforehand.
Whenever any individual adopts a new dog, I recommend a long walk at least once a day, every day. assuming the canine and owner are healthy and capable, this walk ought to be at least 45 minutes and preferably much more than an hour.
Walking is a bonding ritual. It is something many dogs enjoy, and it helps them get comfortable with the new owner and a new routine.
It also helps the canine get rid of any pent-up physical, mental and emotional energy. The calmer you can get your new dog, the better.
2. Take a day or two off from work when you adopt a new dog.
Most people know ahead of time if they will be adopting a dog. If whatsoever possible, I recommend you adopt the canine when you can take at least two days off from work.
That will give you some time to help the canine adjust to your routine before you have to leave for eight hours. If you can take a week off, even better.
During your days off from work, you ought to start leaving your canine home alone for short periods so he starts to get used to being alone in the new environment.
3. begin leaving the canine alone for short periods.
It’s not a good idea to just leave the canine for eight hours best off the bat. start with just five minutes while you step outside to get the mail. then try 10 minutes later that day. then 20. and so on. work up to 45 minutes. then an hour.
Even if your puppy is only 8 weeks old, it’s essential to start training her to being left alone. start by leaving her alone even for 5 minutes the first day while you head into another room.
You ought to also try leaving the house for short periods, even if it’s just 20-30 mins to go check the mail and run a short errand.
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4. use a kennel or block off a small area of the house.
I choose to leave many dogs in a kennel or crate. A kennel keeps the canine safe, and it also keeps my home safe. I do not feel sorry about leaving a canine in a kennel, not even if it’s for hours at a time.
I choose a fold-up wire crate because their easy to travel with or store when not in use.
If leaving your canine in a kennel is not an option for whatever reason, I would recommend you leave the canine in a small area of the house. maybe a bedroom with the door shut or a baby gate in the doorway. maybe a shower room or a kitchen area.
With time, you can always give the canine much more freedom as she shows she is trustworthy. many people rush this process. It’s better to give your canine freedom very slowly so you’re setting good practices and limiting mistakes.
This is how you kennel train a canine ?
5. use puzzle-type toys such as Kongs.
When you leaver your canine home for the first time, make sure she has plenty of tempting chew toys.
Most new canine owners have been told about how valuable Kong-type toys can be, but here are some suggestions to make the Kong much more interesting to the dog:Cut back on the dog’s meals (or feed the meals in the Kong) so the canine will be much more interested in it.
Use something really smelly and tempting to stuff the Kong such as cooked hamburger, canned canine food or peanut butter.
Freeze the Kong over night so the canine has to work harder to get the food out. If your canine destroys the conventional red Kongs, get a black Kong in the XL size.
Leave two or three Kongs to keep the canine entertained longer. Make one with food that’s really easy to get out and make the other two much more challenging but with much more tempting goodies (hot dogs, pieces of chicken, etc., with frozen peanut butter)
6. hire a canine walker or pal when you leave your canine home alone for the first time.
A reputable support system can be very valuable if you don’t have time to come back home at lunchtime to check in on your pup and give him a potty/walk break.
You could ask a pal to come by or hire a professional canine walker. schedule a meet and greet with either to introduce them to your canine so he’s met them before they come into your home while you’re gone.
Places to find a professional canine walker are platforms like Rover or Care.com, or a easy Internet search.
7. Consider daycare once a week.
Another alternative is a doggie daycare place. Make sure to check out and trip the place before you drop your canine off for the first time. This isn’t an economical option so you may not be able to afford it every day, but it can be valuable for your extra long days at work.
See That Mutt’s post Pros and Cons of canine Daycare for much more information on this topic.
8. use a Nest Cam or other cam when you leave your canine home alone.
When you leave your canine home alone for the first time, an indoor cam gives so much peace of mind! You’re able to check in on your pups when they’re home alone.
One option is a Nest Cam, but there are a variety of indoor cameras you can install or have installed.
Cameras don’t replace human-pet interaction, so this might work better as an additional layer of virtual support on top of a pal or professional canine walker.
9. keep other animals separated at first.
If your new canine isn’t your only pet in your home, it may be a good idea to keep them separated while you’re gone at first. That’s especially true if you haven’t had enough time to experience them interact with one-another.
You could keep them crated in their respective kennels, or you could physically separate them in different rooms with closed doors.
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Is it ok to leave a canine home alone for 8 hours?
It’s not a terrific idea to leave a canine alone for 8 hours. That’s a really long stretch of time without the opportunity for a potty break. It’s also too long to stay crated without getting to stretch those doggie legs.
Sure, some dogs tolerate it ok but it’s not an optimal situation, day after day. I would not recommend this for a puppy or young dog.
Dogs who stay alone for that long will find a way to entertain themselves, and it’s typically not an activity that humans are going to appreciate … you know, like:
Excessive barking
Chewing on furniture or shoes
Inappropriate urinating or pooping
Figuring out ways to escape from the crate
Chewing on the crate
If you have a senior dog, you might find that leaving him alone for 8 hours seems to be OK.
Some will literally sleep the whole time. but some senior dogs will have trouble holding it and may actually need much more potty breaks than a younger dog.
What about a doggie door when a canine is left home alone?
Dogs who have access to their fenced-in backyard through a doggie door are technically ok as far as potty breaks are concerned.
However, they’re also prone to being bored and are likely to start digging in the yard, underneath the fence, through flower beds, jump the fence … you get the idea.
Once you know your dog’s personality, energy and comfort level with being alone all day, that will help you decide if a doggy door is best for you. Be extra careful about this with newly adopted dogs as you don’t know if the canine might dig out of the yard or climb a fence.
If you decide to use a canine door, make sure to:
Exercise your canine before you leave and when you come back home
Leave mentally stimulating toys like canine food puzzles or safe doggie chews (no chew is 100% safe)
Another danger of unsupervised access to the backyard is that someone could steal the dog, so that’s something to be aware of.
There’s also the risk of unwanted interaction with wildlife such as poisonous snakes or spiders, or even harmful vegetation.
How long can a canine be left alone?
Assuming that the canine is healthy and housebroken, I’d say it’s ok to leave a canine alone for about 6 hours. 5 would be better.
If he’s been correctly exercised/walked before staying home alone, he can easily fill those 6 hours with activities such as:
Naps
Looking out the window
Listening to some unwinding doggie music
Entertaining himself with a canine toy/chew like a Kong
After those 6 hours, he’ll at least need a potty break and some TLC. better yet, a walk and/or some playtime with a favorite human!
One of our reader’s dogs, Lambeau!
Leaving your puppy home alone for the first time
Once your puppy is 5 months old, you can leave him home alone for about 5 hours as well. before that, take your puppy’s age in months and add 1. That’ll give you a general idea of how long he can around hold it.
Till exempel:
If the puppy is 2 months old, he’ll be able to hold it for about 3 hours.
If he’s 3 months old, he’ll be able to go 4 hours.
Of course, every puppy is different and I understand you may have no choice but to be gone for 5 hours when your puppy is still young.
It’s essential to understand that puppies need to opt for a potty break when they wake up from a nap, within about 20 to 30 minutes after meals and drinking, and best after playtime if they play hard for a while.
Puppies Missy & Buzz in their crate
That being said, it’s a good idea to either crate your puppy while you’re gone, or to keep him in a playpen. You could also gate off an area in your home like a shower room or laundry room and keep your puppy in there while you’re gone.
For example, a kitchen, laundry room or shower room is typically tiled or hardwood floors. That’ll make cleanup very easy if there are any accidents!
Other tips:
Stay calm yourself when you leave your canine home alone for the first time. If you are anxious, your canine will also feel anxious.
Don’t feel sorry for the dog. This canine is lucky to have a safe, warm place to stay.
Leave music or TV on for some background noise.
Stick to a routine. Leave the canine in the same place every time.
Don’t say “goodbye, Buddy!” Instead, disregard your canine and just leave.
Don’t expect perfection when you leave your canine home alone for the first time. There’s always an adjustment period that could take a few weeks.
Likewise, don’t assume your canine has separation anxiety if he cries or whines. He may just be testing you or he may just be a little anxious in the new place. disregard the whining and he’ll many likely adjust.
How about the rest of you?
What are some suggestions that worked for your dog?
*Enjoying this article? get reasonable canine training suggestions emailed once a week. Klicka här
Our favorite products when dogs are home alone
Kong toyStuff a Kong toy with peanut butter or yogurt and freeze overnight. ought to last your pup at least 30 minutes.
Midwest wire CrateMany dogs feel much more comfortable left alone at first if they are kennel trained and have their safe “place” to hang out.
Pet GatesAllows your canine much more freedom than a crate but keeps him from entering certain areas or keeps him in one room such as a bedroom or your kitchen.
Lindsay Stordahl is the founder of That Mutt. She writes about canine training, canine exercise and feeding a healthy raw diet.
Barbara Rivers contributed to this article. She writes frequently for That Mutt and is a blogger, raw feeder and canine walker. She maintains the blog K9s Over Coffee.
