A pal of mine recently adopted his first dog. He asked me a few questions about what to expect. one of those questions was what ought to he do to make his canine comfortable when the canine is home alone for the first time?
I thought this was a good question because this is typically a stressful time for the new canine and the new owner. I thought some of you might have some good advice.
It’s not just new canine owners that face this dilemma. I know each time I have a new foster dog, I worry about leaving that canine alone for the first time. and then of course, there are new puppies. When can a puppy be left home alone?
Jump ahead to:
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Here are my suggestions for leaving a canine home alone for the first time
1. lots of exercise beforehand.
2. Take a day or two off from work when you adopt a new dog.
3. begin leaving the canine alone for short periods.
4. use a kennel or block off a small area of the house.
5. use puzzle-type toys such as Kongs.
6. hire a canine walker or pal when you leave your canine home alone for the first time.
7. consider daycare once a week.
8. use a Nest Cam or other cam when you leave your canine home alone.
9. keep other animals separated at first.
Is it ok to leave a canine home alone for 8 hours?
What about a doggie door when a canine is left home alone?
How long can a canine be left alone?
Leaving your puppy home alone for the first time
Other tips:
How about the rest of you?
Our favorite products when dogs are home alone
Here are my suggestions for leaving a canine home alone for the first time
1. lots of exercise beforehand.
Whenever any individual adopts a new dog, I recommend a long walk at least once a day, every day. assuming the canine and owner are healthy and capable, this walk ought to be at least 45 minutes and preferably much more than an hour.
Walking is a bonding ritual. It is something many dogs enjoy, and it helps them get comfortable with the new owner and a new routine.
It also helps the canine get rid of any pent-up physical, mental and emotional energy. The calmer you can get your new dog, the better.
2. Take a day or two off from work when you adopt a new dog.
Most people know ahead of time if they will be adopting a dog. If whatsoever possible, I recommend you adopt the canine when you can take at least two days off from work.
That will give you some time to help the canine adjust to your routine before you have to leave for eight hours. If you can take a week off, even better.
During your days off from work, you ought to start leaving your canine home alone for short periods so he starts to get used to being alone in the new environment.
3. begin leaving the canine alone for short periods.
It’s not a good idea to just leave the canine for eight hours best off the bat. start with just five minutes while you step outside to get the mail. then try 10 minutes later that day. then 20. and so on. work up to 45 minutes. then an hour.
Even if your puppy is only 8 weeks old, it’s essential to start training her to being left alone. start by leaving her alone even for 5 minutes the first day while you head into another room.
You ought to also try leaving the house for short periods, even if it’s just 20-30 mins to go check the mail and run a short errand.
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4. use a kennel or block off a small area of the house.
I choose to leave many dogs in a kennel or crate. A kennel keeps the canine safe, and it also keeps my home safe. I do not feel sorry about leaving a canine in a kennel, not even if it’s for hours at a time.
I choose a fold-up wire crate because their easy to travel with or store when not in use.
If leaving your canine in a kennel is not an option for whatever reason, I would recommend you leave the canine in a small area of the house. maybe a bedroom with the door shut or a baby gate in the doorway. maybe a shower room or a kitchen area.
With time, you can always give the canine much more freedom as she shows she is trustworthy. many people rush this process. It’s better to give your canine freedom very slowly so you’re setting good practices and limiting mistakes.
This is how you kennel train a canine ?
5. use puzzle-type toys such as Kongs.
When you leaver your canine home for the first time, make sure she has plenty of tempting chew toys.
Most new canine owners have been told about how valuable Kong-type toys can be, but here are some suggestions to make the Kong much more interesting to the dog:Skær ned på hundens måltider (eller foder måltiderne i Kong), så hunden vil være meget mere interesseret i det.
Brug noget virkelig ildelugtende og fristende til at fylde Kong, såsom kogt hamburger, dåse hunde mad eller jordnøddesmør.
Frys Kong om natten, så hunden skal arbejde hårdere for at få maden ud. Hvis din hund ødelægger de konventionelle røde kongs, skal du få en sort Kong i XL -størrelsen.
Efterlad to eller tre Kongs for at holde hunden underholdt længere. Lav en med mad, der er virkelig let at komme ud og gøre de to andre meget mere udfordrende, men med meget mere fristende godbidder (hotdogs, stykker kylling osv., Med frosset jordnøddesmør)
6. Ansæt en hundevandrer eller kammerat, når du forlader din hunde hjem alene for første gang.
Et velrenommeret støttesystem kan være meget værdifuldt, hvis du ikke har tid til at komme hjem ved frokosttid for at tjekke ind på din hvalp og give ham en potte/gåturpause.
Du kan bede en ven om at komme forbi eller ansætte en professionel hundevandrer. Planlæg et møde og hilsen med enten for at introducere dem til din hund, så han har mødt dem, før de kommer ind i dit hjem, mens du er væk.
Steder at finde en professionel hundevandrer er platforme som Rover eller Care.com eller en nem internetsøgning.
7. Overvej dagpleje en gang om ugen.
Et andet alternativ er et Doggie Daycare -sted. Sørg for at tjekke ud og trip på stedet, før du slipper din hund for første gang. Dette er ikke en økonomisk mulighed, så du har muligvis ikke råd til det hver dag, men det kan være værdifuldt for dine ekstra lange dage på arbejdet.
Se, at Mutt’s postpros og ulemper ved hundedage for meget mere information om dette emne.
8. Brug et rede -cam eller et andet kamera, når du forlader din hunde hjem alene.
Når du forlader din hunde hjem alene for første gang, giver en indendørs cam så meget ro i sindet! Du er i stand til at tjekke ind på dine hvalpe, når de er alene hjemme.
En mulighed er et Nest -cam, men der er en række indendørs kameraer, du kan installere eller har installeret.
Kameraer erstatter ikke interaktion mellem menneskelig PET, så dette fungerer muligvis bedre som et ekstra lag virtuel støtte oven på en PAL eller professionel hundevandrer.
9. Hold andre dyr adskilt i starten.
Hvis din nye hunde ikke er dit eneste kæledyr i dit hjem, kan det være en god ide at holde dem adskilt, mens du er væk først. Det er især sandt, hvis du ikke har haft tid nok til at opleve dem interagere med en anden.
Du kan holde dem kasseret i deres respektive kenneler, eller du kunne fysisk adskille dem i forskellige rum med lukkede døre.
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Er det ok at forlade en hunde hjem alene i 8 timer?
Det er ikke en fantastisk idé at forlade en hunde alene i 8 timer. Det er en rigtig lang tidsstrækning uden mulighed for en potte pause. Det er også for længe at forblive kasseret uden at komme til at strække disse doggie -ben.
Selvfølgelig, nogle hunde tolererer det OK, men det er ikke en optimal situation dag efter dag. Jeg vil ikke anbefale dette til en hvalp eller ung hund.
Hunde, der bliver alene så længe, finder en måde at underholde sig selv på, og det er typisk ikke en aktivitet, som mennesker vil sætte pris på … du ved, ligesom:
Overdreven bjælke
Tygge på møbler eller sko
Upassende vandladning eller pooping
At finde ud af måder at flygte fra kassen
Tygge på kassen
Hvis du har en seniorhund, kan du opleve, at det at forlade ham alene i 8 timer ser ud til at være OK.
Nogle vil bogstaveligt talt sove hele tiden. Men nogle seniorhunde vil have problemer med at holde det og har muligvis faktisk brug for meget flere pottepauser end en yngre hund.
Hvad med en doggie -dør, når en hunde er hjemme alene?
Hunde, der har adgang til deres indhegnede baghave gennem en doggie-dør, er teknisk OK for så vidt angår pottepauser.
De er dog også tilbøjelige til at kede sig og vil sandsynligvis begynde at grave i gården, under hegnet gennem blomsterbed, hoppe hegnet … du får ideen.
Når du kender din hunds personlighed, energi og komfortniveau med at være alene hele dagen, vil det hjælpe dig med at beslutte, om en doggy dør er bedst for dig. Vær ekstra forsigtig med dette med nyligt adopterede hunde, da du ikke ved, om hunden kan grave ud af gården eller klatre på et hegn.
If you decide to use a canine door, make sure to:
Træn din hund, inden du rejser, og når du kommer hjem
Leave mentally stimulating toys like canine food puzzles or safe doggie chews (no chew is 100% safe)
Another danger of unsupervised access to the backyard is that someone could steal the dog, so that’s something to be aware of.
There’s also the risk of unwanted interaction with wildlife such as poisonous snakes or spiders, or even harmful vegetation.
How long can a canine be left alone?
Assuming that the canine is healthy and housebroken, I’d say it’s ok to leave a canine alone for about 6 hours. 5 would be better.
If he’s been correctly exercised/walked before staying home alone, he can easily fill those 6 hours with activities such as:
Naps
Kigger ud af vinduet
Listening to some unwinding doggie music
Entertaining himself with a canine toy/chew like a Kong
After those 6 hours, he’ll at least need a potty break and some TLC. better yet, a walk and/or some playtime with a favorite human!
One of our reader’s dogs, Lambeau!
Leaving your puppy home alone for the first time
Once your puppy is 5 months old, you can leave him home alone for about 5 hours as well. before that, take your puppy’s age in months and add 1. That’ll give you a general idea of how long he can around hold it.
For eksempel:
If the puppy is 2 months old, he’ll be able to hold it for about 3 hours.
If he’s 3 months old, he’ll be able to go 4 hours.
Of course, every puppy is different and I understand you may have no choice but to be gone for 5 hours when your puppy is still young.
It’s essential to understand that puppies need to opt for a potty break when they wake up from a nap, within about 20 to 30 minutes after meals and drinking, and best after playtime if they play hard for a while.
Puppies Missy & Buzz in their crate
That being said, it’s a good idea to either crate your puppy while you’re gone, or to keep him in a playpen. You could also gate off an area in your home like a shower room or laundry room and keep your puppy in there while you’re gone.
For example, a kitchen, laundry room or shower room is typically tiled or hardwood floors. That’ll make cleanup very easy if there are any accidents!
Other tips:
Stay calm yourself when you leave your canine home alone for the first time. If you are anxious, your canine will also feel anxious.
Don’t feel sorry for the dog. This canine is lucky to have a safe, warm place to stay.
Leave music or TV on for some background noise.
Stick to a routine. Leave the canine in the same place every time.
Don’t say “goodbye, Buddy!” Instead, disregard your canine and just leave.
Don’t expect perfection when you leave your canine home alone for the first time. There’s always an adjustment period that could take a few weeks.
Likewise, don’t assume your canine has separation anxiety if he cries or whines. He may just be testing you or he may just be a little anxious in the new place. disregard the whining and he’ll many likely adjust.
How about the rest of you?
What are some suggestions that worked for your dog?
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Our favorite products when dogs are home alone
Kong toyStuff a Kong toy with peanut butter or yogurt and freeze overnight. ought to last your pup at least 30 minutes.
Midwest wire CrateMany dogs feel much more comfortable left alone at first if they are kennel trained and have their safe “place” to hang out.
Pet GatesAllows your canine much more freedom than a crate but keeps him from entering certain areas or keeps him in one room such as a bedroom or your kitchen.
Lindsay Stordahl is the founder of That Mutt. She writes about canine training, canine exercise and feeding a healthy raw diet.
Barbara Rivers contributed to this article. She writes frequently for That Mutt and is a blogger, raw feeder and canine walker. She maintains the blog K9s Over Coffee.