Dogs are social animals, and they crave human companionship. It is in their nature to play, hunt, and sleep in a group. For this reason, it is not a good idea to leave your dog alone, especially if we are talking about puppies. Puppies require more attention and supervision than adult dogs, so you need to spend as much as possible time with them. This is one of the main considerations when you decide to get a puppy. In this article, you will find information on leaving your puppy alone and useful tips on doing it properly.
How Long Can A Puppy Be Left Alone?
The general rule is that you cannot leave a puppy alone for longer than four hours at a time. Initially, young puppies (eight weeks and older) can be left alone for two hours only, and then you build up the duration. Four hours limit is important for both the mental and physical wellbeing of your pooch.
For most puppies, spending time by themselves is a challenging experience because they do not spend a second alone in their early days – there is their mom dog and other puppies. However, as they grow, they need to become more independent. Their first days without their mom and siblings can be very hard, so you need to be with your puppy as much as possible.
You should also remember that puppies need to pee more often than adult dogs because they do not have mature bladders. The older your canine gets, the more alone time he can handle.
Risks Of Leaving Your Puppy Alone For Too Long
A list of dangers of leaving your puppy alone for too long without special preparation or training includes the following:
- Separation anxiety and depression. A depressed puppy may stop eating, playing, and interacting with you even when you are home. This can lead to serious mental and physical health consequences in the future.
- Lack of social contact. In general, dogs are social animals. However, if you start leaving your puppy alone without doing it properly, your dog may grow up anti-social, scared of people and other dogs, and even aggressive.
- Destructive behavior. Destructive behavior starts when a dog is left alone for too long and does not have enough social interaction. Moreover, it is in the puppy’s nature to chew every little thing he can.
- Disobedience. If you start leaving your puppy alone too early, your dog may stop seeing you as someone he needs to please. As a result, your dog will not listen to your commands, and you will have to deal with disobedience and other behavioral issues.
Several Tips On Leaving Your Puppy Alone During The Day
You probably want to spend as much time as possible with your new family member, but you will have to leave your puppy alone. Let’s check out several tips that will make it much easier for your and your puppy.
Crate Training
Crate training is definitely one of the best things you can do with your puppy, especially if you need to leave him alone during the day. There is one important thing to know and remember in crate training: you need to make a crate a safe and enjoyable place for a puppy that he loves to be in. That way even if you are not home, your puppy will feel secure and safe in a crate.
Crate training is also beneficial for other reasons. It reduces the destructive behavior of your puppy and prevents potty messes, both when you are home and away.
There are some things you can do to make your puppy get used to the crate and love it. You need to turn it into a comfortable and warm place by adding a blanket. You can also add some other items, such as your puppy’s favorite toys. They will help to keep him entertained, and he will not be missing you too much.
Find A Good Spot In The House
If you do not like the idea of carte training, you need to find a safe and comfortable spot in the house where a puppy can stay while you are away. The best places to choose as a safe spot are a mudroom, laundry room, or a gated area in the kitchen. These places usually have tile, so it will be easier for you to clean the floor in the event of a mess.
You should remember that puppies chew by nature, and they usually start chewing even more when they are left alone. So if you decided to give your dog free reign of the house, make sure to unplug or block off dangerous wires that your pock may chew.
Buy The Right Bed For Your Dog
Buying a bed for your puppy is one of the first things you need to do. You should look for a bed that is appropriate to your puppy’s size and make your puppy feel as secure, comfortable, and safe as possible.
It may ba e a good idea to pick a bed that is made of waterproof material and machine washable because you will probably experience accidents from time to time, especially when you are not home.
Monitor Your Puppy
There are plenty of devices and apps that allow you to monitor your puppy regularly. Your dog monitoring devices include a dog-specific monitoring camera, home security camera, or baby camera. There are also some devices that allow you to speak to and even play with your puppy in order to reduce his separation anxiety.
Keep Some Lights On
Many pets dislike darkness, just like kids. Therefore, leaving your puppy in complete darkness alone is a traumatic experience for your dog. It is easy to forget about it when you are leaving home in the morning. However, when you are back at night, you may find your puppy scared and shaking. This is because when it is very dark, dogs cannot see and this makes them nervous.
Therefore, if you know that you are not going to be back home until it is dark, you can leave a nightstand lamp or desk lamp on. This will help your puppy will safer, comfortable and be very helpful if he has separation anxiety.
Start Early
Many new dog owners are afraid to leave their puppies alone. The truth is that you need to start doing it as early as possible. You should start introducing your canine to alone time as soon as possible. First, you can start with just a few minutes and gradually extend the time if you see your dog remaining calm while you are out of his sight. You can start training by leaving your puppy in a crate or a safe area in your house. In order to help your dog relax, you can add more blankets, get more toys, and turn on relaxing music.
Eventually, your puppy will learn that staying home alone is nothing to be afraid of. Soon, he will be able to stay by himself without your supervision for an extended period of time without any separation anxiety or emotional stress.
Conclusion
Raising a puppy is an enjoyable and challenging experience at the same time, especially if you have to work full-time and leave your puppy alone every day for an extended period of time. Fortunately, there are certain things you can do in order to train your puppy to stay home and help him feel comfortable when you are away. We hope that the tips in this article will help keep your new family member happy and comfortable when you are not at home.
