How long can I leave my dog alone?
The recommended length of time that your dog can stay home alone depends on their age, their tolerance to being alone, and their need for toileting.
It will also depend on how well you have set them up for success. Do they have adequate dog toys available to them, such as teething and chew toys, and food dispensing toys?
Have they been trained to be OK with alone time?
One of the biggest factors is the ability of your dog to hold their bladder. The recommended hours are equal to your puppy’s age in months, plus one, as shown in the chart below.
| Age of Dog (Months) | How Long Can be Left Alone (Hours) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 4 |
| 6 | 7 |
| 12+ | 8+ |
Or in this infographic:
Can I leave my dog for 8-hours?
Yes, as long as you have a good setup for your dog, there is no problem with leaving them home for 8-hours. It’s important, however, to ensure they have a playpen set up with water, toys, and a place to go to the toilet.
If they are a puppy, ideally you will want to return in your lunch break for a potty break, exercise, and a cuddle!
You could also arrange for a dog walker, family member, or alternate pet service to visit, allowing your puppy the chance to use the bathroom during the day.
You’ll also notice that the above chart ends at 8+ hours, even when a puppy is 12-months-old.
Following the adage that you can leave your puppy alone for the number of months old they are plus one, why doesn’t the chart end at 13 hours?
Well, it’s unrealistic to expect a dog of any age to hold their bladder past 8-hours. The chart ends in 8+ to account for the exceptions where an owner may be away for 9-hours or so, because of work, and those dogs that do handle it fine.
However, in general, you won’t want to plan to leave your dog alone for longer than 8-hours. Not only is it a bladder issue, but dogs have physical and emotional needs that must be addressed to ensure a happy dog.
Providing fun toys is an absolute must when leaving your dog home alone. Ideally, you should change the toys often to provide a new experience.
We made the best puzzle toy for dogs ever made… well, of course I’d say that! But see for yourself, I’m sure you’ll agree.
You can imagine that there are days when you certainly couldn’t make it through your 9-5 job without an opportunity to use the bathroom.
Even if your job is exceptionally busy, it’s often the case that you need to make a stop at the bathroom after clocking out at the end of the day.
It’s unfair to our dogs to ask them to hold their bladder for longer than 8-hours, and it can lead to a urinary tract infection or house training problems.
It’s also unfair to expect our dogs to be couch ornaments and be content with being left alone longer than 8-hours of a day.
While dogs usually sleep away a good portion of the middle of the day, being gone for longer than 8-hours means there isn’t ample opportunity for you to provide your dog with the exercise and enrichment they need when they are awake.
It’s not cruel to leave your dog home alone for an 8-hour workday, and you’ll be among many thousands of other dog owners who do the same.
You might want to read our post, Can you leave a puppy with a Kong or a Nylabone?
What is important, though, is that you make an effort to give your dog the attention and exercise they need when you are home.
If you feel your puppy or adult dog isn’t getting enough interaction or they are lonely or anxious, then a doggie daycare might be a good idea.
Are you interested in reading our post How long after getting a puppy can you go on holiday?
Some dogs are better at being left alone than others. This can depend upon their breed, for instance, a Beagle is far more independent than say a Bichon Frise. However, it can also depend on their individual temperament and whether they suffer from any separation anxiety.
This you can determine yourself through knowing your dog and how they respond to you leaving them.
You can greatly improve the success of your dog being left alone through training practices that help them to be more independent.
Ensuring that you’re spending quality time with them when you are home is also important, including giving them adequate exercise.
More on this is covered in the section below titled, How to leave your dog home alone, but here is a short video from our resident trainer, Alex Writz, on separation anxiety and how you can improve your dog’s tolerance to being alone:
One of the best ways to teach your dog to be comfortable away from your side is through the use of “Place” training.
We highly recommend this practice and rate it as one of the best training tools in a dog owner’s arsenal.
Why? Well for a few reasons, but in the case of teaching your dog to be alone, it primes them for more independence, and if your dog suffers from separation anxiety to any degree, it’s a great tool to help remedy this.
We’ve covered “Place” training extensively here with the best methods of training.
Getting your puppy or adult dog to spend longer periods of time away from your side or in another room teaches them independence.
We also highly recommend you make your dog’s home as comfortable as possible for when you’re away. We absolutely love this dog blanket for our dog and can’t recommend them highly enough!
You can get one here for your dog for the perfect stay-at-home blanket!
How Long Can I Leave My 2 Year Old Dog Alone?
If your dog is 2 years old, congratulations they are no longer a puppy. You get to skip all of the puppy stages of developmental growth, such as:
- Neonatal, Transition, Awareness, and Canine Socialisation Periods
When your dog is at the age of 2 years old, they love to socialize and play with other dogs. Its important for their developmental growth to be able to make some friends, just like a child would. If your dog is 2 years old, you can leave them home alone for longer periods of time, but if possible get them out of the house to play with other dogs. Dog parks, dog beaches, dog daycare are all great places for your dog to start socializing and building new friendships.
You will be surprised by the love and affection your dog will show you when you meet their basic needs for food and socializing and fun. If you need help scheduling dog boarding give our team a call.
Leaving Dog Home Alone: 8, 12, 24 Hours
When people talk to me about getting a dog, the first thing I like to ask is how much time they have available to spend with the dog. It’s important to remember that dogs are social animals. There’s a reason we call them our best friends: They are wired to spend time with us, watch us and help us. It’s hard for dogs to become great at their job of companion if they don’t ever spend any time in our company.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t get a dog if you work — far from it. We all need a friendly face to come home to at the end of the day. A dog is a friend who is always there to greet you, play with you and exercise you. (You didn’t think this was a one-way relationship, did you?)
But not many of us can spend all day with our dogs, although it would be a great world if we could. We have work, school, family obligations, friends and other commitments in our lives. I’m here to share some tips on how you can make your dog’s life better — enrich it, as my behavior expert friends say — even when you’re not home.
First, teach your dog that being home alone is okay. Every dog should be able to stay on his own all day without falling apart emotionally or becoming destructive. From the time you first get him, whether he’s a puppy or an adult, practice leaving him alone. Start with just a minute or two and gradually extend the length of time as you become comfortable with his behavior while you’re out of sight. He can be in his crate, in a special dog room or dog run or, once you’re sure he’s trustworthy, on his own in the house. Watch for potty accidents, too, as these will tell you how long your dog can be left without needing to go outside.
Don’t re-enter the room if he’s crying, whining, howling or barking. Wait until he’s quiet, then go in and praise him in a brief, matter-of-fact tone of voice. You want him to think that being on his own is normal and safe. Give him a treat when you leave but not when you return.
Make sure he has constructive ways to occupy his time when you’re not around. Stuff a Kong toy with enough goodies to keep him busy for hours. Fill a puzzle toy with his daily ration of kibble so he has to work for his meals. Hide treats or favorite toys around the house for him to find while you’re gone. But a word of caution: Never leave your dog unsupervised with a toy that could be chewed apart and swallowed. Before leaving your dog alone, make sure any toys in the environment are indestructible.
Leave the radio tuned to a calming classical station or a talk radio show. Choose the station carefully. You don’t want to come home to a dog who is amped up from listening to people shout at each other all day.
Think about getting your dog a friend. This can be a cat (they absolutely can be good buddies if you introduce them properly) or another dog.
If a second pet is more than you can commit to, arrange for another dog to come visit. Talk to a friend or neighbor about exchanging a playdate time — her dog comes to your house when she has to be gone or vice versa. Of course, this works only if the dogs are already friendly toward each other.
You might also need to hire some help. Depending on your dog’s activity level and athleticism and bladder control, bring in a dog walker to take him for a walk or run, or a pet sitter to play with him in your home. If he enjoys playing with other dogs, look for a doggie day care or dog camp in your area where he can spend the day while you’re gone.
When you are home, give your dog some quality time. For a quick outing, take him with you when you run errands. Choose ones where you don’t have to leave him in the car, such as picking up the kids from school, going to the drive-thru at the bank or buying food at the pet supply store.
Go for a walk, every day, and give him plenty of sniffing time. Play hide-and-seek games such as nose work. Practice his obedience commands. Beyond his walk, which should be an appropriate distance and speed for his breed and age, just a few minutes of these activities will enrich your relationship with your dog, even if he spends a chunk of the day without you.
Sign up and make sure you are always on top of the most important info for you and your pets.