Leaving a dog alone in your home is never easy, especially during the early days. What if your dog gets scared? What if he rips up the sofa cushions? It’s easy to imagine multiple things that could go wrong while you are out at work or even just at the nearby store.
Luckily, there are some simple ways to make sure your dog is content even when you aren’t around. They might still miss you and get extra excited when you return home, but that doesn’t mean they have to feel anxious while alone. Here’s how to make sure your dog is OK when you aren’t home.
Understand Your Dog’s Needs
First of all, you need to know your dog through and through. What’s its breed, how much exercise does it need, how much food does it need to consume each day? If you have a new dog, you need to learn all of these things so you can make sure your dog is already healthy and content before you leave the house.
If you have any concerns about your dog’s health or you want some professional vet advice, visit easyvet.com. As well as getting a health check-up, you will also be able to ask for advice on how to leave your dog home alone. If your pup is a particularly anxious one, they may even prescribe anti-anxiety medication.
Set Up a Camera
One of the hardest parts of leaving your dog home alone is not knowing what goes on when you aren’t present. Do they howl, or do they sit quietly in their bed? To give yourself some peace of mind while making sure they are OK, set up a pet camera to see what they get up to. Not only will it ensure that your dog is safe, but it may also give you some hilarious videos to share with family and friends!
Start By Leaving for Only a Short While
If you are only starting to leave your dog home alone, you shouldn’t jump into the deep end and leave for hours at a time. They may end up feeling stressed and abandoned when you do this. Instead, ease them in gently by leaving for only a short amount of time, at least at first. Leave for ten minutes one day, and then half an hour the next. Eventually, depending on the breed of dog, you may be able to leave them for several hours.
Don’t Leave Your Dog for More than Eight Hours
Most dog owners should be able to leave their dogs home alone, especially as they get older, but that doesn’t mean you can leave them all day. Eight hours is the recommendation for the highest amount of time you can leave them for, but that doesn’t apply to all breeds. Do your research (and consider your dog’s personality) when making a limit of how long to leave your dog alone. If you work upwards of eight hours with nobody else at home, you will have to hire a dog sitter or you could always send your dog to doggie daycare in the hands of the experts.
When done right, your furry friend should be absolutely fine when home alone. Over time, you will feel more confident that they are content and well behaved when you aren’t around.
