How long is too long to leave a dog alone?

Cyril

In all reality most dogs have to be left for some part of the day all the time. It is impossible to have a normal life and the dog is permanently with you wherever you go.

My dog came from a rescue centre and prior to that was locked in a kennel so she is very used to spending time alone. Having said that though I have a wonderful dog walker who also does day creche and weekend / holiday cover and use her all the time. She is dear but worth every penny.

lostinrates

Cyril wrote: »

In all reality most dogs have to be left for some part of the day all the time. It is impossible to have a normal life and the dog is permanently with you wherever you go.
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furthermore, I'd suggest for some dogs its more stressful when happens rarely with no leaving and returning routine.

I don't work, so rarely need to leave the dogs. In summer they are left more than in winter as they can't safely come where I go and stay in the car. I use a very similar daytime leaving routine as the nighttime one.

So, they get put in the garden and instructed to do a widdle. Then they get given a ''daytime biscuit''. Like the ''bedtime biscuit'' the routine is then theyu don't see me for a while.

I feel comfortble leaving them for a morning or an afternnon, 4-5 hours. Same for a restaurant in the evening or going to a friends house.


Very occasionally I will do a journey that takes me away for a little longer (e.g. an airport run, trip further afield). This makes me very worried about them and I feel uncomfortable. Usually I get a house sitter BUT on rare occasion I have had to leave them. I make sure a longer/faster walk leaves them ''doggo''.

Its also worth noting, dog breed/type selection is important here. I would not leave a brighter/more active dog than mine in the same way. My sight hounds will tolerate it once in a while.


In the past we've had outside kennels and kennel dogs. This is much easier. They have access to area to toilet, the have visual stimulation, somewhere warm and dry to sleep, somewhere in the fresh air to nap, play or just be dogs. Also, ours are rarely alone, there being two of them- or more when they were in out door kennels. BUT its important to me to also have them used to being apart. e.g. atm I take one to the vet twice a week (we're away anything between an hour and 3 hrs), the other has to stay alone. Routine is the same but we bring something home to her as a treat.

staffiecat

My girls are generally left from 8am to 6pm for 3 days a week, they get a nice long walk before, a nice long walk after and lots of toys and games for while I am away. However I have always felt guilty about leaving them, so much so that I decided to invest in some cctv equipment and spy on them

What I expected to see was them both howling by the front door from the minute I left to when I came home - however what I actually have found is that they sleep and they sleep and they sleep then have a little play then sleep some more then play some more !! I can connect to my cctv through my phone and on the internet so at any point no matter where I am I can check in on them and its given me so much peace of mind !

I must admit though that I would quite happily watch them all day than work

I tend to work from home the other 2 days of the week and do you know what they do then ...... sleep all day !

Rebob

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

I did try coming home at lunchtimes (this is feasible for me) but found that in the afternoon he got really distressed and wreaked the house so I had to stop - it's as though his brain functions a bit like ... "you can go out and stay out as long as you like but when you come home YOU STAY"!

Even now (about 6 years later) this still applies - if I need to go out after coming in, he has to come with me!

Same here. My dog has only liked being left once a day. Any more and she gets distressed.

donnap83

My old bird is left from 8-4.30 monday to friday. My partner pops home most days though for about 10 minutes. She is the most chilled out dog though and being old, she sleeps all day. I never come home to wet patches either.

She goes barmy when we get home, like she hasn't seen us in a month, then 10 minutes later is asleep.

It really is a dogs life.

FabSascha

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Do you have any (can't think how to put this but no offense meant to anyone) youngish retired people near you?

They might be willing (and happy) to take her for a walk/spend time with her a couple of times a week - without having all the "ties" that actually owning a dog brings.

A few people have suggested that; I'm still trying to work out who I could ask as she's not easy to handle on the lead (we're still doing the heel training but she is freakishly strong for such a little thing!) I might put an ad in the local newsagents. Thanks for your reply

jaqui59

If you decide to go for the dog walking option, please ask the walker if you could join them on a walk with your dog, so that you can make sure they carefully select their dogs.

JMW77

We have a rule in our house maximum 6 hours although i have two for company.

FabSascha

nonnatus wrote: »

I think your little lady is lucky to have an owner as considerate as you! So odd that people expect dog owners to be with their pets 24/7.
Twice a week for 5/6 hours sound reasonable to me and provided your pup isn't destructive or pooing / weeing I would suggest she's not too bothered! Could you ask your neighbours whether they hear her barking at all?

Thanks for your reply and sorry for the delay in responding; didn't have a chance to speak to my neighbours until today. The one I particularly wanted to speak to said she doesn't hear a thing; the dog's den backs on to the wall that is also her living room wall and we can hear when she has the telly on, so if puggles was making a noise then she'd definitely hear it; so that bodes well I think!

Thanks again for everyone's replies

hollypinder

staffiecat wrote: »

My girls are generally left from 8am to 6pm for 3 days a week, they get a nice long walk before, a nice long walk after and lots of toys and games for while I am away. However I have always felt guilty about leaving them, so much so that I decided to invest in some cctv equipment and spy on them

What I expected to see was them both howling by the front door from the minute I left to when I came home - however what I actually have found is that they sleep and they sleep and they sleep then have a little play then sleep some more then play some more !! I can connect to my cctv through my phone and on the internet so at any point no matter where I am I can check in on them and its given me so much peace of mind !

I must admit though that I would quite happily watch them all day than work

I tend to work from home the other 2 days of the week and do you know what they do then ...... sleep all day !

What program do you use for the cctv? Thanks.