# How long do you leave your dog alone for and how many times a week?



## RachelR (Mar 18, 2012)

I'm lucky to live close to work at the moment so my dog is only ever left alone for 4 hours at a time and I can walk her on my lunch break. however i'm moving a half an hour drive away from work next week so won't have this luxury. I have the option of taking her to work with me, however I work at the shelter that I adopted her from and she gets very stressed out going back in there. 

If I decide not to take her into work with me she will be left for 9 hours a day for 3 days a week, and 5 hours a day 1 day a week. How does this sound to you?


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## dagwall (Mar 17, 2011)

Depends on the dog really. How old they are (can they hold it for 9 hours), how long they are used to being left alone, how they react to being alone, crated or free roaming, etc.

I could leave my 4 year old alone that long and he'd be fine I think but haven't had to test that idea. I live with my brother who works nights so he's home during the day while I'm at work. The longest stretch that might come from my leaving for work and my brothers return from work would be about 4 hours, usually much shorter. The few times my brother has gone out of town and it was just me and Jubel at home I've asked a neighbor to come by in the middle of the day to let him out to potty because my commute is 45-60 minutes each way on average making it about 10 hours home alone. That neighbor works from home themselves and the few times I've needed them to check in on Jubel they actually just picked him up and walked him with their dog in the morning and he hung out at their house all day. Dropped him back off before I got home, hehe spoiled Jubel loved it. 

I think he'd due fine alone though. I KNOW he can hold it as he chooses to often. When it's raining outside and I offer him the chance to go out in the backyard to potty he'll often look up to me with a look of "no thanks" and walk away. Never an accident so he gets to say no if he wants, he will go out if he really needs to go. I think the longest I've clocked him on holding it is about 18 hours (all my his choice, he would not go haha).


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## georgiapeach (Mar 17, 2012)

My poodle, who just turned 4, stays alone all day (8 hours). When I had a boxer puppy a while back, I hired a dog walker to take him outside at lunch time. It depends on the dog and its age.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

If she's okay to free roam or you have a room you could make dog safe, she'll be okay. I don't personally like that long in a crate, but if you have to, you have to. It's much better than her not having a home because you don't have a job!

Is there a way to desensitize her to the shelter? Maybe short visits on your days off with lots of praise and treats? That would really be the best thing for her, if you could get her to the point where she could come to work with you.


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

My answer is not fair ... retired, I am here 24/7 and go grocery shopping once a week and other shopping the same day. They are alone for approximately 5-6 hours once a week. They are spoiled. Other times I go anywhere such as relatives and rides to the town gas station and such they go with me.


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## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

He's alone for 7-8 hrs a day, broken into two smaller chunks. (M-F) Weekends he's rarely left alone, if so, only for an hour or two while we go run errands or something.


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## swellmomma (Apr 21, 2012)

My puppy has been alone once, yesterday for 3 hours as it was the first time I had to do a scouting activity with my 8 yr old but my teens were at the babysitting course and not home. She did fabulously I must say. She was allowed to sort of free roam, rooms I didn't want her in I shut the doors to. That left her the kitchen, livingroom and front entrance essentially. I hide a few treats around, pottied her right before we left, lots of belly rubs etc and she was ready to doze off when we left. The only thing she got a hold of was my wooden mixing spoon. One fo the kids dropped it on a kitchen chair and didn't put it in the sink to be washed (they had made cookies together earlier) and I didn't know it was there. Pup found it and destroyed it. Otherwise no damage, no accidents just a very hyper puppy that was happy to see us when we got home. 

Otherwise I homeschool the kids and work from home, when we go out we generally take her with us, or at least one of the teens is still home with her. Big spoiled fluff ball is what she is. Today we have a drive to the big city again, and she will be with us the whole time.


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## JulieK1967 (May 29, 2011)

We're also in a unique situation. I'm a grad student at the moment and only on campus one day a week for a few hours so the most Molly is ever alone is about 5 hours once a week. Next semester I'll be teaching 2 days a week but luckily, hubs will be on sabbatical so he'll be home with her most of the time. After I graduate next May & starting teaching more classes, she'll be home alone more but even then it won't be 8 hour stretches every day.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

My dog is alone everyday while I'm at work. On the weekend, when the weather is pleasant (below 90s), I kick him outside in the backyard for about 4 hours, so he he can sleep on the patio in the sun.


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## Meadow's Mom (May 13, 2010)

I realize that everyone's situation and preferences are different. My dog is completely housetrained, but for her own safety and my preference, she is crated when home alone. I only work 3 days a week, but they are 13 hour days. Therefore, I have a dog walker take her out twice a day on work days. She has really adjusted well to this routine over the past 2 years. When she was very young, our dog walker came even more frequently, if only for a potty break or meal. I work 30 minutes from home and have no defined breaks, so I really couldn't do this without outside help.


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## Miss Bugs (Jul 4, 2011)

I ahve a bit of a different situation lol, I work in a doggy daycare and I live with my mom who only works once a week for 3 hours(disability), I have 6 dogs, 4 come to work with my every day(on rotation) and 2 stay home with my mom...I am at work for 9-10 hours, but the 2 at home are home with my mom all day so they arent alone...soo almost never is my answer lol


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## Luna'sOwner (Apr 11, 2012)

I don't leave Luna alone for long... I guess a puppy needs frequent accompaniment until a certain age - not just for company, but mainly to make sure you start working on showing her what she is and is not allowed to do, and so that you can put her outside when she needs to go! It's difficult to invest such time if you are working... but you did decide to get a pup, so I guess it is your responsibility to divide the times creatively and try your best to prevent and encourage certain behaviors


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## hamandeggs (Aug 11, 2011)

Normally, Biscuit is alone from around 9am-5pm, but we have a dog walker who comes and takes her out for 30 minutes in the middle of the day. She's crated when home alone. On weekends she's not really left alone much; if we go out to dinner or something that will take awhile, we bring her to doggy daycare. 

It's a little different when my husband goes out of town on business because I work long hours. If that happens, we alternate full days of doggy daycare with days when the dog walker comes twice. No way we could have a dog without outside help.


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## chubby (Aug 18, 2011)

I work 40 hours a week and come home at lunch time briefly to let her out and give her some lovin'. Otherwise, she's home alone 5 days a week until I'm back home at 5pm, but she's a really good sport about it, and never makes a fuss about my leaving. I think that's her personality though because she was always quite independent. She sleeps most of the day too and I can tell because when I come home she's 'slower' in moving and has a really bad bed head lol


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## Dackelover (Jul 23, 2012)

Hello, I'm leaving every day about 8 hours from my home so I leave my dog inside. He's a small dachshund but when I leave him, he become a warewolf! I just moved in a bigger apartment and I'm afraid to leave him inside. The last time I left him (in the old partment) he scratched the doors and he pee my bed and my sofa. I bought new doors! 
Now, to avoid a reoeat of all this disaster, I'm thinking to buy a crate. Am I thinking right? Please help me. 

*Sorry for my bad English


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## titiaamor (Nov 17, 2011)

It sounds like he may not be able to hold his pee for 8 hours. 

He might have scratched to try to get out, then peed everywhere because he could not get out.

Are you in the USA? It is easy to find pee pads there. 

For small dogs some people use a litter box.



Dackelover said:


> Hello, I'm leaving every day about 8 hours from my home so I leave my dog inside. He's a small dachshund but when I leave him, he become a warewolf! I just moved in a bigger apartment and I'm afraid to leave him inside. The last time I left him (in the old partment) he scratched the doors and he pee my bed and my sofa. I bought new doors!
> Now, to avoid a reoeat of all this disaster, I'm thinking to buy a crate. Am I thinking right? Please help me.
> 
> *Sorry for my bad English


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## Dackelover (Jul 23, 2012)

Before I leave I get him for a walk to pee. He's very anxiety dog. He sit and pee everywhere with my smell. Even in my clothes in the floor. He scratched all the doors like by anger-outburst because I left him.


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## CrimsonAccent (Feb 17, 2012)

I'm not as experienced as the others, but one thing to keep in mind is that dogs *do not* do things out of anger or to spite you. You said he is an anxious dog. Maybe he is missing you so that is why he is around the things that smell like you-it is comforting. How old is your daschsund? Smaller dogs usually can't hold it as long due to their smaller bladders. A crate will sometimes a dog to encourage it longer, but if your dog cannot physically hold it that long it will not help you.

Can you give us more details about your routine and your dog? (His age, how long you have owned him, etc.) With more information older members can give you answers better fitted to your situation. Good luck


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## Dackelover (Jul 23, 2012)

Thank you so much for your reply!

Now he is 23-24 months old and I have him since he was 4 months.

He learn in a month to pee out and in 2 months to come, sit, jump, don't and fall. He is so smart that it makes me wander the reason which drives him in that situation. I know that there is a reason. I know him. He is sad when I leave.

Every weekend and every summer (June, July and August) we go to live to my parent's. I can see that he loves to be with a lot people but I have to leave him alone these hours.

I tried to make him tired mornings so when I need to leave he went for a nap but without success.

I leave at 14.30 and I come back to 20.30 (6 hours)

I'm going to make everything to see him relaxed and happy. 

I'm sorry if you think I write too much.


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## CrimsonAccent (Feb 17, 2012)

Details are great!

Has he been able to hold it 6 hours previously?

How recent have the accidents been happening? If this is new, this might be a medical problem. It might be a good idea to get your dog checked out by a vet to rule out that possibility. 

Do you leave any water/food? Maybe you can take it away while you are gone. (There are mixed opinions on this, so just go with what you are comfortable with.)

Here is a link that might be more helpful:

http://www.dogforums.com/first-time-dog-owner/88458-enough-potty-threads.html

I've never had to housebreak a puppy or deal with peeing issues personally, so I'm not sure what other advice to offer.

You could try a search on "separation anxiety" but I'm not sure if that would cause what you are describing.

Edit:

Maybe you could fit in more training time/mental stimulation? You could teach him the name of his toys, down, roll over, etc. Exercise is always great, but getting their brains going is great way to tire out a dog too.


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## titiaamor (Nov 17, 2011)

It sounds like he is marking.

Dogs like to chew. Can you give him good things to chew?




Dackelover said:


> Before I leave I get him for a walk to pee. He's very anxiety dog. He sit and pee everywhere with my smell. Even in my clothes in the floor. He scratched all the doors like by anger-outburst because I left him.


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## Dackelover (Jul 23, 2012)

So, you tell me that I should exhausting him before I leave him. Yes, maybe it'll works. If he is to tired, then when I have to leave, he just sleep. Now, I have to find out methods and excercises. And I'll have a talk with the vet about his anxiety.

Thank's you very very much guys! I couldn't find a way alone.


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## mcdavis (May 1, 2012)

Until he was 8 Hamish was with my parents and therefore normally only left for a few hours a week then he came to live with us and was left for approx. 8-9 hours 5 days a week with a dog walker coming in a couple of lunchtimes - we left him in the kitchen which was a reasonable size with a tiled floor and put some newspaper in a corner in case required. Over 4 years the newspaper was used about 3 times and when we got home in the evening he would stay in his basket until he was ready to get up and go out onto the patio then have a walk.
If the weather was bad we'd ask the dogwalker to just go for a short walk then play with him in the kitchen.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

Snowball is home for 7-8 hours depending on our work scheduels about 8-8:30 to 4-4:30), 5 days a week. In September we will both be going back to school, which means our schedules will be even more flexible). He's older, and SUPER lazy in the house. Plus we have a cat who keeps him company, although the cat pretends otherwise.


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## chubby (Aug 18, 2011)

Hi,

He is definitely old enough to hold in his pee for 6 hours, but Daschunds, like Bichons, can be difficult to housebreak. 

I would focus on management at the moment. Can you crate train him? Teach him to love his crate like a den so he has somewhere secure he can cuddle in when you're away. This can help him with his anxiety as giving him more space can increase feelings of anxiety. Provide a stuffed kong that he can munch on so he can forget he misses you so badly!

Make sure the crate is only big enough for him to stand turn around and lie down comfortably in. Any larger and he will likely pee in it. 

There are lots of threads here that explain crate training, (this is NOT housebreaking, they are two separate things), so you can read up on how to do it! Very much worth it  

Also, to prevent separation anxiety (which it may not be, but I see it as a 'degrees' issue rather than absolute):
Ignore him 10 minutes before you leave, and ignore him 3 minutes when you come back. Make your comings and goings no biggie, and he won't see it as such. Refrain from saying goodbye and cuddles when you go. Refrain from acting excited when you see him when you come home. This is really hard I know, but you need to do it for his benefit.

Leave a really tasty treat for him, and leave for 30 seconds. Do this randomly, coming and going for no reason, opening and closing doors. Taking your keys and putting on your shoes. Do this every hour on the hour when you're home. He will eventually get desensitized to you leaving because you do it all the time, and also, you seem to come back right after. Slowly increase the amount of time you're away. Always leave a treat for him when you go out the door, so he'll associate you leaving with a tasty treat.


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## Jacksons Mom (Mar 12, 2010)

Typically, the most Jackson is left alone is 4-5 hours per day. I work part-time and do school part-time, so am home a lot. He CAN stay home alone for up to 8 hours but I've only had to do that probably once.


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