How Long Can You Leave A Dog Alone: What You Need To Know

No one ever wants to leave their cute, canine companion at home if it can be helped. However, your place of work may not appreciate your furry friend running around the office, distracting everyone from their jobs! But when you start putting your shoes and coat on and your dog gives you the biggest puppy dog eyes ever, it's hard not to feel guilty.

For those owners that bought their dogs during lockdown, it can be even harder, as you can longer spend all of your time at home, so you might be wondering about how long you can leave a dog alone for.

Dogs can be trained to be left alone, whether you are training them as a puppy or an adult, it is possible! With time and patience, your pooch will no longer have trouble being alone!

Whether you got your dog during the pandemic, when we spent all of our time at home, or you’ve simply spent a lot of time with your pooch over the years - they may develop separation anxiety if left alone.

To train your dog to be on their own, you can start off by getting them to stay in their bed whilst you are still in the room. Creating a safe space for them can help, such as having a crate or pen, and ensuring that they feel relaxed and happy there. Additionally, distracting them with treats and toys is a great way for them to associate being alone and in a specific space in a positive way.

This can then progress into being left alone in the room whilst there are still other people in the house. Remember to reward your pooch with their favourite treats after they’ve spent time on their own, as this will make training easier!

Gradually allowing your dog to get used to being by themselves will help build their confidence and they won't associate being alone as something terrible. Leaving your cute companion by themselves straight away when they are used to being around people all the time will cause them far too much stress.

All dogs are different, and some may need more time and training than others! You can increase the amount of time left by themselves depending on how they react to it. If they are relatively calm, then it's worth increasing the amount of time they’re left every day, but if they are showing signs of stress it would be much better to take it slower and only leave them for longer once a week.

By gradually increasing your time away from your pooch, it gives them confidence that you’ll return - no matter how long they’re left for.

As much as you want to praise your dog and fuss over them after they’ve been alone, making less of a fuss when you return can help them to get used to alone time more quickly, as they’re less likely to feel stressed or miss you. A simple treat will work wonders!

There are plenty of ways to make being alone a positive experience for your pooch. Distracting your canine companion just before you leave will keep their mind off being left and will make them feel less anxious. Leaving your dog in a safe space with everything they need will make them feel more comfortable, so stock up on plenty of toys and treats!

Toys can keep your dog occupied and make their time alone more fun. The Kong Classic Toy is a great chew toy that you can stuff treats inside, which will no doubt keep your furry friend entertained for a while, and may even make them forget that they’ve been left!

Another great way to make the experience positive is to make sure that you’re stocked up on your dog's favourite treats - they’ll be your best friend during this training period! Rewarding your dog helps them to associate certain words and actions with positive memories, which will encourage them into the habit of preparing for certain situations, such as being left all alone.

Additionally, if you have spent a lot of time at home with your furry friend, then they may not be used to being in a very silent environment. To combat this, try keeping the TV or radio on for background noise, as it can be comforting and may help them settle down and relax more.

When training your dog to be left alone, they may show signs of separation anxiety. When your dog is anxious, they’ll show different signs, so if you are noticing your dog's behaviour has changed in any way, then it could be that they are stressed out.

Symptoms of anxiety in dogs include:

Change in body posture including tail tucked, ears up and teeth exposed

Separation anxiety can stem from being abandoned and being surrendered to an animal shelter, but it can also be triggered by having numerous owners. Changes in the amount of time being spent around people is another factor, such as their owner going from working at home full-time, to being back in the office, which can have a massive impact on their behaviour.

If you are finding that your nervous dog isn’t coping well with being left alone, try tiring them out before you leave. Whether you take them on a reeaallyyy long walk or play with them to use up most of their energy, when it's time for you to leave, it’ll be nap time for your pooch!

If your dog is still showing signs of stress when being left alone, some other things that can help to alleviate this a little include things such as diffusers, like the Beaphar Canicomfort Calming Diffuser. Diffusers work by being plugged into the wall and once the solution is warmed, it releases dog pheromones into the room which could help to calm your pooch down.

If you’re unable to make progress with being apart from your dog without it distressing them, professional trainers can help by providing the right tools and techniques so that your dog can adjust to spending time alone.

Dogs who are used to being home by themselves shouldn’t be left alone any longer than four hours. Dogs rely on interaction, so being left alone all day won't be good for them, as they won't be able to stay occupied for that long.

If you leave your pooch alone, someone should be going back to check on them throughout the day and taking them out for a walk to stretch their legs. If you don’t have a garden or dog flap, then they’ll also need to go out for regular toilet trips.

If you work full-time in the office, popping in twice a day and taking your dog out for a walk and toilet break will be fine to keep them going through to the end of the day.

If it’s not possible for you to check in on your pup, you could get your neighbours or family members to pop in and give your dog some attention. Additionally, dog walkers are another option to make sure that your dog receives the interaction and exercise they need in the day!

Dogs like to socialise as well, so dropping them off at a doggy day care to play with their other furry friends means that they will be always supervised and looked after until you can pick them up.

Make sure that you’re prepared for training your canine companion to be alone by stocking up on our range of toys, treats and diffusers to keep your pup cool, calm and collected!