MolassesLass Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 What is the maximum time you think it's ok to leave - an 8 week old puppy - an adult alone (no one home at all)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilypoo Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 What is the maximum time you think it's ok to leave - an 8 week old puppy - an adult alone (no one home at all)? With my kids as pups it was maximum of 1-2hours and as adults 8 hours... Sometimes you cant help having to leave them but I feel soo guilty when I do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MolassesLass Posted June 17, 2010 Author Share Posted June 17, 2010 Yeah I know what you mean about the guilts. For me it's about 8 hours for a baby puppy (if I have to - I prefer no more than 4) and adults is around 12. A Little less if it's overnight rather than during the day and it would be far less for a small breed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 Everyone will have different opinions and each dog is different too. I took a couple of weeks off when my last pup came home and went back to full time work when he was 11 weeks of age and had no dramas. My Adults sleep as long as you let them so they're not a problem either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 (edited) I think it really depends on the dog and also how long the dog will normally be alone for and where you are leaving it. As puppies don't have great bladder control, this would probably dictate the length of time if it was being kept inside. I'm not allowed to leave my pup alone for more than 3 hrs (she is a guide dog puppy) Edited June 17, 2010 by aussielover Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MolassesLass Posted June 17, 2010 Author Share Posted June 17, 2010 Everyone will have different opinions Hence the thread. and each dog is different too. But surely you have a maximum? 24 hours, 48, a week? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W Sibs Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 8 hours is the longest either one of my dogs will go without human company... if I have to go out and have plans, I arrange someone to look after them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parkeyre Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 Four hours.. That way you can also work on toilet training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 As long as it takes me to get to work, do the day's work, then travel home - on average that is about 11 hours a day, 5 days a week. My rescue foster puppies quickly settle into the routine, and I haven't had any major toilet training dramas with them either. When I get home, there is lots of attention and cuddling for about 5 hours or so, then we are off to bed... When I worked shiftwork, they were alone 13.5 hours a day for 2 days, then the same for 2 nights, then they had my undivided love and attention for 4 days before the shift cycle started again... My permanent furkids - and my foster puppies - are perfectly well adjusted and don't seem to be too bothered by the opportunity to lie around sleeping or playing with their toys while I'm out at work. T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle. Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 My newest pup was collected on a Sunday and left for 8 hours the following day, although my husband dropped home at lunch time and took him out for a pee and a play. He's been left alone each day aside from weekends, and he's fine. He has a large tiled area to play in, a crate with warm bedding, lots of toys and a 180 degree view of the front yard and the other dogs at the side of the house. He can see the cats through a glass paned door that separates his area from the rumpus room, where they are currently jailed for the day. They hate it as they usually have the run of the house. My husband has doubled back a few times to check on him and it seems as soon as we leave, he puts himself to bed in his crate. When I get home in the late afternoon he's generally asleep. We got him when he was 8 weeks and 4 days old. We got Benson when he was 10 weeks old and he was pretty much the same, except he was left in the yard and not the house. When I got Dusty I took 2 weeks holidays and she slept for most of it so I might as well have been at work. When I went back, she was put in a puppy run in the backyard for the day but she had Benson for company. As adults, well, we try and take them everywhere with us, so 12-14 hours would be about the maximum I'd leave them but if I'm not at work I like them to be with me, doing stuff with us. We have a pretty nice set up for dogs where we live now, the property was bought specifically with the dogs in mind, and they definitely aren't deprived if left alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vickie Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 8 hours is about our max. There has been a very odd unplanned longer time but generally i would organise someone to come over if i knew it would be longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Fox Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 As a puppy I never left him home alone for more than 2-3 hours, inside in the puppy pen. As an adult the longest I have left him is around 4 hours (in the house alone) though I think he would be fine for longer if I had to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 In my view, a young pup or adolescent should only be alone for very limited periods. This period would increase as the dog gets older, and th eincrease would depend on breed and the emotional needs of the individual dog. Some breeds are more independant than others and handle solitude far better. I'd rather never see a dog of any age completely alone on a regular basis however, and due to this, I have always had more than one dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mas1981 Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 I never left my pup alone for more than 2hrs as a max until he was 4 or 5 months old and then I left him at home for 7hrs inside alone the one evening when I went to the royal show, no toilet accidents etc. Now I leave him most days for 3 or 4hrs and at a max when I need to 8hrs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KitKat Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 I always try to take the first couple of weeks off with new pup - and during that time i wouldn't leave them alone for more then a couple of hours - after that it's back to work for me. As to adults it's usually around 8hrs, less if i can, or more if i have something on. But the boys aren't inside as adults while i'm out anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 We only left our dog for 4 hrs max, otherwise we'd get a dog walker to come halfway if we were going to be longer (spoilt dog!). But I think she would have been fine for 8hrs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snout Girl Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 We have always left our 2 for 8 hours, its a reality of life that we have to work. And (i know I am going to get flamed here) they are after all, dogs. they dont need babysitting 24/7. our dogs are loved, cared for, and socialised. its about quality of time, not quantity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 We have always left our 2 for 8 hours, its a reality of life that we have to work. And (i know I am going to get flamed here) they are after all, dogs. they dont need babysitting 24/7. our dogs are loved, cared for, and socialised. its about quality of time, not quantity well, they do have each other which I'm sure makes a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowanbree Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 I work fulltime so time alone is an unavoidable reality. As babies I either come home at lunch time or get someone to visit so would be 4-5hrs max and as adults maximum would be 10hrs. I don’t leave mine alone overnight, ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snout Girl Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 We have always left our 2 for 8 hours, its a reality of life that we have to work. And (i know I am going to get flamed here) they are after all, dogs. they dont need babysitting 24/7. our dogs are loved, cared for, and socialised. its about quality of time, not quantity well, they do have each other which I'm sure makes a difference. yes, they do now, but they spent the first few months of their lives seperated whilst we wernt here. and they are very well adjusted dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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