How long can dogs be alone? 

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If you are the proud owner of a dog, you have probably struggled with the amount of time you are able to leave your dog alone. This might occur, in example, when you have a work event or you have to do some groceries. You may be wondering whether or not you should have a sitter come over. In this article we explain how long your dog can be left alone and we will give some tips and tricks to help your dog be more comfortable with being alone for longer periods of time. So, if you want to know how long your dog can be alone, please read along! 

 

The amount of time your dog can be home alone 

The amount of time that your dog can be left home alone differs with the age of your dog. Most adult dogs can be alone for about four to six hours. Of course, your dog should be somewhat used to being alone for such a long period at a time. They also should have access to water and some food. With senior dogs that might possibly suffer from incontinence, you might not want to stay away for the full 6 hours. 

Young puppies up to ten weeks should not be left alone for more than one hour. This mostly has to do with the fact that they have small bladders and are not housetrained yet. Therefore, they need to go out regularly. Also leaving your pup alone in the early stages of his or her life can cause a dog to develop (separation) anxiety. 

A puppy of about two to three months can be alone for about two hours. Their bladders are still developing and therefore still need to be taken out regularly. They also gain some more energy in the first months, which also makes that they should get some exercise during the day to keep them at ease. 

Once your dog is four to six months, they are generally able to hold their pee and are therefore able to stay home for about four hours. This is also the point in which their bladder is fully developed. It should however be noted that some dogs do need lots of exercise during this stage of their life. Especially larger dogs need to be able to release their energy. It is therefore important that you are able to go out and train with them. 

How long a dog can be alone for also depends on the breed of the dog. Some dog breeds are simply more attached to their owners or tend to have anxiety issues. This will cause them to feel uncomfortable if they are alone for many hours. It can even lead to issues of separation anxiety or for them to become increasingly stressed. As dogs like to live in groups, they find it troubling when a member of their family leaves them alone for a day. Of course. Therefore, you should always consider what type of dog breed is suitable for your personal situation. 

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Tips and tricks for your dog to be more comfortable alone 

There are various tips and tricks that will help your dog being more comfortable if they have to be alone. You can read them below! 

  1. Train your dog to be home alone. This means that you do not suddenly stay away for four to six hours a day. You should gradually build this up for your dog to become more comfortable with being on himself or herself. It often also helps to train your dog in an area where he or she feels most comfortable. This might be their crate or the living room. Once they are adjusted to being alone in those spaces, you can slowly let them move around in the house and become more familiar with those places as well. 
  2. Give your dog enough exercise before leaving your house. In doing so, you prevent your dog from feeling bored or annoyed by the fact that they are home alone. If they do feel that way, they might start with annoying behavior like barking and scratching. Through tiring your dog, your dog will most likely fall asleep very quickly, which allows you to leave peacefully. 
  3. Provide them with toys. By giving your dog a toy or game to play with while you are gone, they will have something to do. That way they are not bored and can entertain themselves. Even when are you not around. Specifically toys in which you can hide some food or snacks for your dog are often a big success. Your dog can keep itself entertained for longer periods of time and will get rewarded to do so if they finally catch the food or snack that is hidden in the toy. 
  4. If your dog has difficulty with being alone, it might be advisable to buy a camera with microphone. That way you can keep into contact with your dog and provide some encouraging words when they need it. 

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Leaving your dog alone 101 

In this article we have highlighted that depending on the age of your dog, they can be left alone for differing hours per day. Young puppies up to the age of 10 weeks cannot be home alone for longer than one hour. If your pup is about two to three months, you will be able to leave them alone for about two hours.

Once they are four months, a pup can be alone for up to four hours. Adult and senior dogs can be alone for six hours. Although, it might not be best for your senior dog to be home alone for such a long time due to health issues. If your dog does not feel comfortable with being alone, there are different things you can try to make them feel more at ease: 

  1. Slowly let your dog adjust to being alone. 
  2. Let your dog blow off some steam before you leave the house. 
  3. Provide your dog with toys to play with. 
  4. If your dog has lots of difficulty with adjusting to being home alone, a camera and microphone might be beneficial to encourage and comfort them. 

Now that you have read this article, we are very curious to hear what breed of dog you have and how long you are able to leave them alone. And, are there any tips in specific that have helped you and your dog to become more comfortable with being alone? Please let us know in the comments below, that way we can help one another! 

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Onlinedogworld Team

Onlinedogworld Team

Our readers and writers have one thing in common: a passion for dogs. At Onlinedogworld we try to help dog owners (and dogs) by giving them information about dog breeds, dog training and dog behavior. Our team does their best to make Onlinedogworld the best possible place to go to for dog owners, by keep improving the website.
Onlinedogworld Team

Onlinedogworld Team

Our readers and writers have one thing in common: a passion for dogs. At Onlinedogworld we try to help dog owners (and dogs) by giving them information about dog breeds, dog training and dog behavior. Our team does their best to make Onlinedogworld the best possible place to go to for dog owners, by keep improving the website.

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