Planning on going away for the weekend? It’s one thing to leave your dog alone for some hours; it’s another to leave your dog alone for a day and more. In this blog post, we’ll answer the question, “How long can you leave a dog alone?” in detail.
Are you wondering how long it is okay to leave your pooch alone at home?
Dogs are social animals that do best when they are around other dogs or people. Some breeds are more social than others, such as Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Poodles, etc.
They don’t do well when left alone for extended periods of time.
In this blog post, we will answer the question, “How long can you leave a dog alone?” in as much detail as we can.
So, let’s jump right in!
How Long Can You Leave a Dog Alone? Here’s the Answer!
How Long Can I Leave My Puppy Alone?
How Long Can I Leave My Dog Alone?
Isolation Distress In Dogs: What Is It?
How’s Isolation Distress Different From Separation Anxiety?
Is It Okay to Leave My Dog in The Crate While I’m At Work?
Summing Up: How Long Can You Leave a Dog Alone?
Contents
How Long Can You Leave a Dog Alone? Here’s the Answer!
This is one question that most first-time dog owners have on their mind. Along with similar questions such as:
- Will my dog be okay if I go out to run some errands?
- Can I leave my dog alone for 8 hours when I’m away at work?
- Will I need to get another dog to keep my dog company?
The list of questions goes on.
How Long Can I Leave My Puppy Alone?
In this section of the blog, we will answer the question, “How long can I leave my puppy alone?” in detail.
Take a peek.
- You shouldn’t leave between the age of 8 to 10 weeks alone for more than an hour--they have tiny bladders and can’t hold it for long!
- If you have a puppy between aged between 2-3 months, you can leave him alone for longer; however, you should check in on him every two hours or so
- Puppies aged four months can hold their bladder for about 4 hours, so, that’s how long you can leave them alone
That’s all you need to know about leaving puppies alone at home. Now, let’s find out more about adult dogs, shall we?
How Long Can I Leave My Dog Alone?
It’s okay to leave dogs over the age of 18 months alone for about 6 hours a day. Of course, this depends on various factors such as the dog’s actual age, breed, medical needs, etc.
In most cases, leaving a dog alone for more than 8 hours can cause various behavioral issues such as problem barking, stress, and anxiety.
Isolation Distress In Dogs: What Is It?
Most people assume their dogs have separation anxiety if they don’t like being alone. Often times, it is separation anxiety’s cousin called isolation distress.
Dogs that face isolation distress don’t like being alone.
They’re happy if they have anyone around to keep them company--be it another human or animal. These dogs don’t like being alone and do best when someone’s around.
Isolation distress is fairly common in dogs.
How’s Isolation Distress Different From Separation Anxiety?
Dogs that have separation anxiety don’t do well when the person they’ve bonded with is away from them for a long time--even if other people or dogs are around.
They’ll continue to be stressed until their person is around.
Is It Okay to Leave My Dog in The Crate While I’m At Work?
Accidents happen.
When left alone at home, dogs like to have ‘fun’ by destroying things--like chewing your slippers, marking your couch, eating the pillows, etc.
Some dogs have a naughty streak and can’t really be trusted if left alone.
So, most dog owners resort to confining their furry buddy to the crate while they’re off to work for the day. However, keep in mind that this confinement has adverse consequences on your dog’s mental health, and adds to his stress!
Would you be able to spend your day in a small, confined space?
I think not.
While crate training does have a lot of advantages and I am a big advocate for it. But, it is not good for your pet’s mental and physical health if he’s left alone all day in a confined space!
...So, What Are My Options?
In this section of the blog, I will go through a few things that you can do.
Let’s begin.
- Check if you can work from home for a few hours per day
- Check if you can bring your dog along with you to your office
- Try to come home for lunch to check in on your furry buddy
- Look into enrolling your dog at a doggy daycare
- Hire a professional dog walker to walk your dog when you’re not home
- Ask someone to dog-sit for a few hours
- Arrange someone to check in on your furry buddy during the day
There are a lot of things you can do to ensure that your dog remains happy when you’re not home.
It’ll be great for Fido’s emotional and mental health.
Summing Up: How Long Can You Leave a Dog Alone?
On average, you can leave an adult dog home alone for upto six hours per day.
For puppies, it depends on their age and their capacity to hold urine. So:
- 8-10 week old puppies can be left alone for an hour
- 2-3 month old puppies for 2 hours
- 4-8 month old puppies for 4 hours
Did we answer your question? Let us know in the comments if we missed anything, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
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