For those with just one dog - how long can you leave them home alone?

[merlina]

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I think 4 hours is reasonable though depends on the dog's nature and age and its freedom and company from other animals such as cats... I do homechecks for various rescues and usually they want to home dogs where they won't be left for more than 4 hours on a regular basis. So yes it means they won't rehome to full-time workers who can't make provision for visits/dog-walking during the day. Some people get very angry when told this. But I think it's a good and humane guide. Dogs on the whole thrive on company and to be in alone for long periods isn't giving them the life they were meant to lead. It's like human beings: there's a reason why solitary confinement is a punishment the world over.

 

[Jack-Russell-Lover]

<3 thanks judy and yeah all that. i'd love to be able to just go off adventuring and roadtriping with bax as much as id like but i have bills to pay.

Sorry if i seemed abrupt MrCW but you dont know bax. calmly snoozing on a bed in another room is 100% an improvement and it took long years of blood, sweat, and tears to get him there. i always raised bax with the intent of him being an independent dog, happy to keep to himself and keep himself content. the fact that he actually does this now is a feature not a bug.

i think what your losing sight of is that bax is happy this way. he doesn't have any neurotic behaviors, his socialization has improved even more since i started working here, hes just content and happy to be left alone without me hovering over him. again, if this was any other dog with any other temperament that was indicating to me that he absolutely needed me every four hours, id somehow make it work. but bax isn't. and thats what matters to ME more than an arbitrary number of hours. Bax is happy.

I agree that leaving a dog for up to 10 hours can be a bit iffy. But I must admit it does seem to work for Bax, he sounds to me more like a cat than a dog!
Independent, sleeps most of the day and only wants a warm bed, food and a walk. As long as he's happy as he is, that's the main thing, all dogs are different, owners are not all perfect. I'm sure most of us worry about our dogs' happiness and worry about doing things right. We can only do our best and that's what @Shalista is doing for Bax.

 

[Shalista]

I agree that leaving a dog for up to 10 hours can be a bit iffy. But I must admit it does seem to work for Bax, he sounds to me more like a cat than a dog!
Independent, sleeps most of the day and only wants a warm bed, food and a walk. As long as he's happy as he is, that's the main thing, all dogs are different, owners are not all perfect. I'm sure most of us worry about our dogs' happiness and worry about doing things right. We can only do our best and that's what @Shalista is doing for Bax.

@Jack-Russell-Lover he does! he reminds me very much of a cat! and like you said, "As long as he's happy", if he started any neurotic or anxious behaviors id figure something else out, but he's content to just snooze away the day.

 

[Whippylove]

When we had Zak we only left him for 2hrs max but that was more because of me i didn't like leaving him alone for long.
My whippets are different i dont leave them alone ever my husband and i take turns so they aren't left alone. Marley suffers separation anxiety, Oliver still chews and well Rolo is a 7mth old menace! Goodness knows what I'd come home too.

 

[Jack-Russell-Lover]

Exactly, @Whippylove, that's an example of the other end of the spectrum where you have separation anxiety/puppyhood and it's best to not leave them alone.

 

[Rhythmpig]

My little baby is a total lounge lizard,she is more than happy to be left while I go to work. So was my boy he was just the same. My way of thinking is that one size doesn't fit all. I did check on Millie when I lost my boy in January. It was the first time she was totally on her own. I set some cameras up so I could see how she was. After checking for a month,she was just the same lounge lizard. Some dogs are perfectly happy to be left and some aren't.

 

[Jack-Russell-Lover]

Well said @Rhythmpig!

 

[Jon Roff]

2 or 3 hours

 

[Michele83]

Thanks for your replies everyone.