Practice leaving the dog alone – this is how it works
Dogs are pack animals and social creatures. No wonder they find it difficult to stay or practice leaving the dog alone. However, it is very important that a dog learns to be left alone. Practice makes perfect here too, and with a few tricks, your four-legged friend will quickly learn to let you go. Since the principle "practice early" also applies when staying alone, you should already do the first exercises with your puppy.
Contents:✍
- Practice leaving the dog alone – from what age?
- Practice leaving the dog alone: training plan
- The first exercises
- Practice leaving the dog alone: Box
- Tips for the first training
- The big step in front of the door
- Practice leaving the dog alone – duration
- Practice leaving alone with adult dogs
- Leaving the dog alone - bad conscience?
- What helps when being alone: 5 tips
- Leave the dog alone - these are the taboos
Practice leaving the dog alone – from what age?
Typically, a puppy will be separated from its mother and siblings around 12 weeks of age. At this moment he loses his pack of siblings and his dog mother who cares for him. This is a big turning point in his life and he needs some time to get used to the new situation. It is now your job to take responsibility for the little one and give him safety, security and affection.
Arrived in the new home, your dog must first survive the first separation and at the same time get used to its new reference person or human family. For him, everything is exciting - or scary: An unfamiliar daily routine, unfamiliar noises, voices and smells represent real hard work for the little guy and first have to be processed.
The foundation stone for his relationship with you is already laid in the first few days together: your puppy must first and foremost build trust and bond with you. In the first few days, you shouldn't even think about leaving your little four-legged friend alone. First of all, your puppy needs to feel safe and secure in the new home. So give him enough time to get used to it.
Tip: In order for your puppy to develop into a well-socialized adult dog, it should never be separated from its mother dog too soon. Separating too early, for example at eight weeks, can cause fear of loss in the young dog. It is also important for the puppy's mental development that he is not left alone until he is 15 weeks old.
Practice leaving the dog alone: training plan
At around five months, your puppy will be ready to start training. Every dog behaves differently when the caregiver leaves the room or apartment. Maybe you're lucky and your little one curls up in his basket and falls asleep. But this is rather the exception. Most puppies become nervous and start barking or whimpering. Some tamper with home furnishings out of frustration and to manage stress. Therefore, you must practice leaving the dog alone.
The first exercises
Even going to the bathroom can be an excellent first exercise. The goal of this everyday training is to get your puppy to understand, "I'm going into this room alone and I'll be right back."
This “sudden disappearance” of the caregiver must become a matter of course for the puppy. It is therefore of great importance that you do not pay attention to the puppy beforehand. For example, let him play with his toys or chewing bones and use this moment to leave the room very unobtrusively. As undramatic as you left, you should come back just as inconspicuously. Don't get carried away with a farewell or reunion ceremony by giving the puppy extra cuddles.
Another little exercise is to change rooms without paying attention to the puppy. The little one will always run after you at first – and not just once. Keep going from one room to another until the puppy gets bored and doesn't enjoy paddling after you anymore. Eventually he will lie down and just watch you.
The puppy should slowly learn to take your comings and goings for granted. Repeat these first exercises several times a day. However, only extend the period of your absence when your four-legged friend is lying peacefully in his basket. Also close the door later when you leave the room. Once the puppy accepts that you're in a different room, it's time to leave the apartment.
Practice leaving the dog alone: Box
The dog box has also proven itself when practicing being alone. However, your puppy should already be well accustomed to the crate before you leave it alone. The dog box has many advantages:
- Thanks to its cave-like character, it offers many dogs safety and security.
- Since many puppies use the box to sleep, they find peace here particularly quickly.
- Once the dog has learned to stay in a closed box, it protects itself and your furnishings: This way your dog cannot chew on power cables or table legs.
However, training with the dog crate should always come before practicing being alone: If you lock the dog in the crate and leave it alone without it being used to it, it can be traumatic for the little four-legged friend.
Tips for the first training
The big step in front of the door
Your puppy is now relaxed in his place when you are in another room? Then it's time to leave him alone for the first time properly. Here, too, it is important that you behave inconspicuously and walk casually - without directing a parting gesture or parting words to the puppy.
Pull the apartment door shut behind you, then stop for a moment and listen to your puppy's noises:
- If he immediately starts barking, whining, or scratching at the door, go back inside—but don't pay attention to him! In this case you have to go back to the first exercises and train with him even more consistently.
- However, if your puppy behaves calmly, you have done everything right! You can slowly increase the duration of your absence from time to time: At first, for example, it's enough if you just take out the garbage or go to the mailbox, later you can go shopping or do other errands.
If you can already foresee at this point that your puppy will only need to be left alone longer at certain times of the day, then practice leaving your dog alone at these times of the day. In this way, he can align his internal clock accordingly - and will be able to wait much calmer for you to come back.
It is very important with this step that you do not make a big deal out of leaving, because your dog should learn that your leaving and coming back are normal. Big goodbye and reunion scenes only unsettle dogs!
By the way: Some dogs learn to be left alone more easily if they only have to wait in the car at first; this is a manageable space from which they can observe their surroundings particularly well.
Practice leaving the dog alone – duration
There is no general answer to how long I can leave a dog alone. Every dog is different in this regard. Especially in puppyhood, however, the following applies: as short as possible!
Vets and dog trainers recommend not leaving puppies alone for more than two hours at a time. Because young dogs generally have short sleeping and waking phases and have to relieve themselves quickly. If the puppy wakes up too often in your absence and needs to relieve itself, this can lead to permanent uncleanliness in the dog. He can also get into the habit of nibbling on sofas and table legs out of frustration or fear. Unwanted behavior patterns or anxiety disorders can be a result of being alone for too long as a puppy.
Keep in mind that even adult dogs should not be left alone at home for long periods of time every day. Up to five hours a day is considered the absolute maximum.
Practice leaving alone with adult dogs
Have you adopted an adult dog from an animal shelter or from another family and notice that it hasn't learned to be alone? With perseverance and patience you can teach him - in small steps and with time. Animals from shelters have often had traumatic experiences and particularly suffer from separation anxiety because they have been abandoned at least once. With such animals you need a large portion of empathy and patience!
Leaving the dog alone - bad conscience?
Many dog owners have a bad conscience when they leave their four-legged friend alone. If you have created the right conditions and taken precautions, there is no reason for this. Your dog cannot accompany you everywhere, even if he would like to. With good training, your pet will learn to stay alone in its familiar environment.
However, if you work and leave the house for more than five hours a day, you should think carefully about whether a dog is the right choice as a pet. During the pandemic, many people got a dog. After returning to their workplace, numerous four-legged friends ended up in the animal shelter.
However, working does not have to mean having to do without a dog. There are ways to reconcile dog and job:
- Many employers now allow well-behaved dogs to be brought into the office. Just ask.
- In every major city, there are professional dog sitters or walkers who will look after your dog by the hour and take it for walks.
- Dog day care centers, also known as dog daycare centers, are springing up like mushrooms. This is where your four-legged friend meets other dogs and spends a varied day while you work.
If you are working or are away from the house for several hours a day for other reasons, you should definitely think about how you can organize dog care during your absence.
Leaving the dog alone - bad conscience?
Of course, being brought up to stay alone doesn't always work without any problems. Some dogs never seem to learn and begin a heartbreaking howl concert as soon as their people leave the house. Other four-legged friends act as quiet interior designers in their mistress or master's absence and display an astonishing rage for destruction. With the following tips you can make being alone as comfortable as possible for your dog:
- Dog toys can pass the time for the four-legged friends and be an entertaining change. So that the canine frustration is not vented on furniture, curtains or other furnishings, leave your four-legged friend with play ropes, chew toys, or softballs that he can drag and chew on to his heart's content. But beware: never leave him alone with a toy that he could injure or choke on.
- An anxious dog doesn't feel quite so abandoned when the radio or TV is on while you're away. If you go out in the evening, leave the light on, because many dogs are scared of being alone in the dark.
- Before that, go for a long walk with the dog or romp with it in the dog park. That way you keep him busy and he'll take a nap as soon as you're gone.
- Limit the space your dog spends in your absence. Puppies in particular quickly feel lost in a large apartment or house. A spacious living room or kitchen is usually sufficient for the dog.
- Many dogs are comforted by a piece of clothing when their owner is away. A discarded sock or an old sweater is suitable for the basket.
Some dog breeds find it particularly difficult to be alone: for example the beagle, the Maltese, the husky or the golden retriever. It is therefore essential to remain calm and patient when practicing with these dogs and do not overwhelm your four-legged friend.
Leave the dog alone - these are the taboos
- Don't lock your four-legged friend in a scary, dark room like a basement or bathroom, but leave them in their familiar, bright environment.
- Don't punish your dog if he's been up to something in your absence. He will not associate this punishment with his mischief, but with your return, making him even more afraid of being left alone.
- Never leave your puppy alone for more than two hours, and your adult dog for no more than four to five hours.
If you get your dog used to being alone for a short time from puppyhood, it will make living together a lot easier.
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