3 Things To Keep In Mind Before Leaving Your Dog Alone At Home

Most of us would never, ever want to leave our dogs alone. But unfortunately, being human means having a job, a schedule to keep, errands to run, and lots of things to do that a dog can’t participate in. But how long can you leave a dog alone? Here’s what to consider.

Toilet Breaks

If you leave your dog inside your house while you’re gone, chances are that means they won’t be able to go to the bathroom during that entire time.

Puppies can usually only hold their bladders for as many hours as their months of age (so a five-month-old can bear it for five hours) while adults can usually wait eight hours (but six is ideal).

Exercise

If you leave a dog alone before they’ve gotten the chance to exercise for the day, what you’re doing is leaving them with a lot of pent up energy. That energy, combined with the stress of being alone all day, can make them restless, even leading to destructive behavior.

Before you leave, try to squeeze in at least 20 minutes of exciting activity, like a game of fetch. Ideally, you should try to get an hour of exercise for your dog before you go.

Entertainment

A dog left alone can often get very bored. Make sure they have something to stimulate them. Leave the television on, set out varied toys, or give them a puzzle or two to solve.

Feature Image Source: Pixabay