Being a pet parent is not always a joy ride especially when work commitments require you to leave your puppy alone and you say bye to them feeling guilty for the rest of the day. While a dog care centre can come to your rescue in such times, you must get your dog to learn how to stay without you and enjoy some solitude while you run errands and attend to work commitments.
The training to stay alone begins at puppy-stage when you first introduce your little bundle of joy to their new home. Aside from potty training and puppy-proofing your house, you must train them to stay alone by ignoring their puppy eyes. Read on for some tips to assist you in training your puppy to stay calm when you leave them.
Consider their Age
Age is an important factor for one reason and that is to know how often your dog will need to pee. Your puppy will not be able to “hold it in” for very long, and so they will need to relieve themselves a lot more frequently as compared to adult dogs. Common time limits based on your dog’s age are: –
- Less than an hour if your puppy is 8-10 weeks young
- Two hours for puppies between 10-12 weeks
- When a puppy is between 3-6 months old, you can apply a one-hour month per rule which means a puppy that is three months old can hold its pee for three hours and a puppy four months old can hold it in for four hours and so on.
- After 6 months, your puppy will be able to hold its pee for up to six hours like most adult dogs.
It is always advisable that you don’t leave your dog alone for longer than six hours. If you are unable to get home during this span owing to work commitments, consider checking with your dog walker if they can visit. Pre-plan long work days if you can by sending your dog to a dog care centre so they are not left alone for too long. A good dog care centre will keep your dog happy and even help him/her make new friends so that they are not low while they wait for you to return. Leaving your puppy alone for an extended period may result in separation anxiety.
Gradually Increase Alone Time
When you welcome a new puppy to their new home, schedule alone-time training for the weekend. Start with training your puppy to be alone for short intervals. Initially, puppies need up to 18 hours of sleep which makes it slightly easier to leave them alone during this phase. Take special care to not bring your dog along everywhere you go. However, you
Get the Right Equipment
Think about how your puppy can engage themselves while you are not home. Show your puppy how they can have fun with themselves with some stimulating toys. There are several toys available online that will engage your dog by dispensing treats when played with. You can even make your toy at home if you don’t wish to buy something online. Make sure you get him some chew toys, hide some treats in the garden or other accessible areas in your house so your dog can sniff and search for them in your absence. Food puzzles are a great way to keep them distracted. Invest in a comfortable bed for your dog to lie in and feel secure and at home.
Exhaust them Before You Leave Them to Their Devices
Before you leave them to enjoy the day alone, make sure you have spent time with them. Give them a good exercise by taking them for a morning stroll in the park and go potty. Engage your dog in some physical activity at the park and when it’s time to return, conclude the play-time with some calming activity such as a chew toy or a treat-dispensing toy. Once you exercise your puppy, they will be ready to rest and more willing to sit in the crate. It is important however that you don’t leave them in the crate for too long.
If you don’t wish to leave your dog home alone, consider sending them to a reliable dog care centre. Snouters is a loving and trusted dog care centre that is catered for modern convenience. Our dog care centre ensures that your puppy has a blast while you are away so they can return to you in happy spirits.cannot leave them alone for hours on end right in the beginning. You can start with five minutes the first day. Make a trip to the grocery store while you are away and when you return, make sure you shower them with a lot of love and affection so they know that you will be back soon and you will love them when you return. The next day, leave them for 15 minutes, and gradually keep increasing the time over the next couple of weeks. While this may seem a little heartless, you mustn’t give in to your puppy’s whining when you leave. If they convince you to stay, you will not be successful in training them to be by themselves while you’re away.
