Leaving your pet at home alone?

[pegah]

Do you have pet guilt? I have a small Toy Poodle, who is super clingy and hates to be left alone, especially at night. I'm not sure how much of the problem is myself - feeling guilty about leaving him alone - and how much of it is his own actual fear.

[becmonchu]

Part of the reason that it is clingy is because of your behaviors to it. If you linger while leaving it alone it is likely going to feel that you dont want to leave. The best thing to do is to make your exit short and quick. I tend to give my guys a Kong filled with frozen peanut butter as a distraction so that I can make a quick exit and it will take them some time to get all the peanut butter. Another good thing to do is to create a nice pleasant feeling when you're leaving by giving them a treat. This way they will associate you leaving with getting a treat. Make a quick exit, dont linger. :)

[nyik]

I've got a papichi who is a rescue, and is clingy. I also have a jack russell, who is very laid back. They've bonded really well, and keep each other company while we're out.

Another contributor to the clinginess is the owner's attitude towards the situation. If you feel bad and keep talking to your dog as you're about to leave, then the dog will naturally gravitate towards being clingy.

Change your habits, by being assertive when leaving, give your dog lots of things to do while you're gone, and the dog should being more independent.

[okaywithme]

My dog isn't clingy, very affectionate but not clingy. She's spoiled; she gets the best of me all day as I no longer work. But, I could easily leave her up to 6 hours or so and she's quite fine. No whining, no barking, no destructive habits and no signs of separation anxiety. But, then she's an English Bulldog and they're generally v-e-r-y laid back! She's perfect for me.

If you feel your dog is clingy and you think there's a problem, try leaving it for short periods at a time and more frequently. Get it to understand that most of the time you're there for it but sometimes you're not. By doing this in short periods, I think there's a better chance that it'll feel you'll be returning soon so there won't be enough time for it to feel anxious. Long periods away from home with no human interaction in between can lead to anxiety, stress, depression and unwanted behaviour in a dog - perhaps the clinging??

Just my thoughts anyway!

[Evil Baby]

I feel guilty if I leave my dog alone for more than 8 hours. I've only left him home alone once over night, every other time I've taken him to my moms house since she loves the idea of a temporary dog.

I'm not sure how guilty I will feel during my honeymoon period. We will have a house sitter but it will be over a week without the cats and dog

[Siye]

Mine's still a puppy (I swear though I'll be calling him puppy even at 10 years old). I've left him alone at home up to 6-8 hours and he's alright for the most part. Goes bonkers when I come home though.

I prob miss him more if I leave him.

[okaywithme]

I feel guilty if I leave my dog alone for more than 8 hours. I've only left him home alone once over night, every other time I've taken him to my moms house since she loves the idea of a temporary dog.

I'm not sure how guilty I will feel during my honeymoon period. We will have a house sitter but it will be over a week without the cats and dog

I completely understand how you would feel guilty leaving your dog for a long period. I feel the same just after a few hours. Some of us just live with that feeling and much of it has to do with being 'crazy silly in love with your dog/cat' I think. I know I am. I suppose if you can't spend enough time with them that that's another reason for guilt. In that case, one would need to change that if possible.

As long as your housesitter is responsible and trustworthy, you have nothing to fear. Your return home from your honeymoon will be all that more exciting when you greet your little pooch and cats. And, your pets will be even more happy to greet and kiss you!:)

[setell]

I think like the others have said it's how the owner treats the situation. I guess I'm probably one of the more "heartless" owners here as my boy has been left home alone since the day I got him. I tell him when I am off to work that mommy's going to work to make money to buy him food. I guss I like a independant dog as he sleeps in his own room (his crate) at night and he's fine. He's gotten to the point where if he's tired he automatically goes to his bed and sleep as it's his sacred area. I've gone on vacations and left him with relatives. I swear he had the time of his life with our relatives (they spoil him rotten) and forgot who I am. He's currently with relatives now as I'm on another trip. :D You need to realize that as long as you got a good dog sitter there is no need to worry but check up every so often. For nights and when you're at work, it's just how you deal with the situation that's all.

[Migger]

I think like the others have said it's how the owner treats the situation. I guess I'm probably one of the more "heartless" owners here as my boy has been left home alone since the day I got him. I tell him when I am off to work that mommy's going to work to make money to buy him food. I guss I like a independant dog as he sleeps in his own room (his crate) at night and he's fine. He's gotten to the point where if he's tired he automatically goes to his bed and sleep as it's his sacred area. I've gone on vacations and left him with relatives. I swear he had the time of his life with our relatives (they spoil him rotten) and forgot who I am. He's currently with relatives now as I'm on another trip. :D You need to realize that as long as you got a good dog sitter there is no need to worry but check up every so often. For nights and when you're at work, it's just how you deal with the situation that's all.

My wife and I are in the same boat, but we don't see it as being "heartless" at all... you do what you gotta do, and not everyone can be with their pets 24/7.

Our dog loves her crate, and voluntarily goes in at night when its time to sleep. When we leave for work, we leave her in the kitchen and ensure that she has plenty of toys to play with to occupy her time. We also fill her kong with carrots and peanut butter (she loves that combo). When we leave or come home, we don't go nuts and cause a scene greeting or saying goodbye... and we'll actually only greet her once she's calmed down. It definitely works.

Some dog owners need to realize that their dogs will be fine as long as they're not left alone for an unreasonable amount of time.

[poedua]

My wife and I are in the same boat, but we don't see it as being "heartless" at all... you do what you gotta do, and not everyone can be with their pets 24/7.

Our dog loves her crate, and voluntarily goes in at night when its time to sleep. When we leave for work, we leave her in the kitchen and ensure that she has plenty of toys to play with to occupy her time. We also fill her kong with carrots and peanut butter (she loves that combo). When we leave or come home, we don't go nuts and cause a scene greeting or saying goodbye... and we'll actually only greet her once she's calmed down. It definitely works.

Some dog owners need to realize that their dogs will be fine as long as they're not left alone for an unreasonable amount of time.

What is " an unreasonable amount of time " in your view ?

[suzy.wong]

how long can a cat survive on its own when I'm on vacation. I got nobody to watch it if I go away and I don't want to pay for a cat sitter, because its expensive and I don't trust anyone rummaging around my place unguarded.

My cat is 10 years old, fiercly independent ... the longest I left her alone was 4 days, but I had someone stop over one day. She was ok, when I came back and never left my sight for two days and things were back to normal.

[peace88]

Our dog sleeps all day while we're at work/school - usually in our beds. He goes out in the morning to pee. Then another bathroom break at lunch. He gets a long walk (1 ~ 1.5 hrs) after work or goes to the dog park. After that he lies on the couch and watches TV for the evening.

I think he likes it when we're gone because he has our beds all to himself. I always comes home to find him lounging in someone's comforter.

[ricoboxing]

I leave my 5 month old lab in the backyard all day from 6am-4pm while I'm at work. He has a dog house, and my deck has a canopy so he still has shelter. At night he sleeps in his crate in the kitchen.

He gets a walk in the morning and the night, and usually on weekends we just bring him with us.

[okaywithme]

how long can a cat survive on its own when I'm on vacation. I got nobody to watch it if I go away and I don't want to pay for a cat sitter, because its expensive and I don't trust anyone rummaging around my place unguarded.

My cat is 10 years old, fiercly independent ... the longest I left her alone was 4 days, but I had someone stop over one day. She was ok, when I came back and never left my sight for two days and things were back to normal.

Does your cat spend alot of time outdoors? Please don't go on vacation and leave your cat uncared for. How is it that you can afford a vacation and not a petsitter, even a child in the area say of 10/12?

If you must go on vacation, speak to a friend, relative, child or neighbour in the area about caring for your cat. Leave your garage door open enough to allow the cat in to rest, place a bed and it's litter box there for it and tell the person caring for it to place fresh food and water into the garage daily. They could easily close the garage door during the day and open it a bit for your cat through the night. Surely, you don't mind someone going into your garage?!

[okaywithme]

Our dog sleeps all day while we're at work/school - usually in our beds. He goes out in the morning to pee. Then another bathroom break at lunch. He gets a long walk (1 ~ 1.5 hrs) after work or goes to the dog park. After that he lies on the couch and watches TV for the evening.

I think he likes it when we're gone because he has our beds all to himself. I always comes home to find him lounging in someone's comforter.

So sweet!

[lor74]

My wife and I both have "9-5" jobs, so the dog is alone from 7am-5pm. I keep an eye on her with a webcam, and she basically sleeps all day except for a few periods when she is barking at the window. She is spoiled though and has her own leather chair! Of course after being alone all day, she craves attention when we are home, and she sleeps in the bed with us.

[james3210]

I try not to leave my dog for more then 8hrs. I know he can go longer, but hate to push his poor bladder. If we are gonna be gone longer, we employ a wonderful dog walking service in our area who will come in and feed him, take him for a walk and even administer any meds (if he did need them). They are reasonably priced and I would prefer to spend the extra money and know that he is taken care of then to leave him to his own devices. If I am going away, I have an equally great sitter who loves him and takes great care of him while we are away. She even lets him sleep in her bed, a luxury he does not have at home.

My cats are both very independent. I have left at most for 4-5 days with someone coming over midway to change their litter boxes. I do this only on very rare occasion, as I have to change them from wet to dry food when im gone, not only does it interrupt their feeding routine, but my little girl puffs up like a plump roast from all the dry food she inhales while we are gone !!

[suzy.wong]

I try not to leave my dog for more then 8hrs. I know he can go longer, but hate to push his poor bladder. If we are gonna be gone longer, we employ a wonderful dog walking service in our area who will come in and feed him, take him for a walk and even administer any meds (if he did need them). They are reasonably priced and I would prefer to spend the extra money and know that he is taken care of then to leave him to his own devices. If I am going away, I have an equally great sitter who loves him and takes great care of him while we are away. She even lets him sleep in her bed, a luxury he does not have at home.

My cats are both very independent. I have left at most for 4-5 days with someone coming over midway to change their litter boxes. I do this only on very rare occasion, as I have to change them from wet to dry food when im gone, not only does it interrupt their feeding routine, but my little girl puffs up like a plump roast from all the dry food she inhales while we are gone !!

I think its fine to leave the cats alone for 4-5 days... just as long as you leave plenty of water bowls around with the faucet dripping ( for a peace of mind) the only drag is... coming home to a smelly litterbox. I also have someone stop by midway and scoop up the poop, my little girl is also very independent and likes her own space.

[poedua]

My wife and I both have "9-5" jobs,

so the dog is alone from 7am-5pm.

I keep an eye on her with a webcam, and she basically sleeps all day except for a few periods when she is barking at the window. She is spoiled though and has her own leather chair! Of course after being alone all day, she craves attention when we are home, and she sleeps in the bed with us.

Having a dog stuck inside at home for 10 hours straight seems a bit much...but that's just me.

Why don't you hire a dog walker to drop by during the day to take the dog out for you ?

How much exercise does your dog get a day ?

[Beachdown]

My dog is alone 9 hours a day. She seems okay with it. She gets a half hour walk in the morning and another hour at night. While she's alone at home, she chases/stalks the Roomba.

Having someone come in to walk her or let her out in the yard to play is $20/day minimum. Pretty big ***** of change when it's really not necessaryl.

[poedua]

My dog is alone 9 hours a day.

She seems okay with it. She gets a half hour walk in the morning and another hour at night. While she's alone at home, she chases/stalks the Roomba.

Having someone come in to walk her or let her out in the yard to play is $20/day minimum.

Pretty big ***** of change when it's really not necessaryl.

Depends on your point of view I guess.

As for me , I would think it IS necessary NOT to let a dog sit in the house for 9+ hours a day...that's just a cruel thing to do to a dog....at least in my books.

So, if it meant paying someone $400 a month - or more - so my dog could get out each day...I'd gladly pay it.

[nalababe]

Since we both work, we wouldn't get a dog (I am not a dog person anyway). Our cats have no problems being at home during the day...and we are comforatble leaving them in the house if we go on a week's vacation.

[Beachdown]

Depends on your point of view I guess.

As for me , I would think it IS necessary NOT to let a dog sit in the house for 9+ hours a day...that's just a cruel thing to do to a dog....at least in my books.

So, if it meant paying someone $400 a month - or more - so my dog could get out each day...I'd gladly pay it.

To each his own opinion.

She ambles off to her bed to sleep when I leave. She's happy to see me when I get home. Nothing's broken, chewed up or destroyed, she's not barking her head off while I'm gone (sometimes she gets up and looks out the window if she hears a noise outside - webcam). She pretty much sleeps all day.

These aren't human beings, you know. While they do need socialization with people and animals, they (for the most part, there are some exceptions) are prefectly fine on their own for 9 hours a day if they're getting enough exercise and mental stimulation.

[setell]

Depends on your point of view I guess.

As for me , I would think it IS necessary NOT to let a dog sit in the house for 9+ hours a day...that's just a cruel thing to do to a dog....at least in my books.

So, if it meant paying someone $400 a month - or more - so my dog could get out each day...I'd gladly pay it.

I'm curious, do you find it cruel if you sit at home for 9 hours a day without going outside? That's what we generally do on the weekends to relax from the work week. If we're ok with being home for the day I don't see how my dog isn't. I can't speak for others but my dog don't sit for 9hrs straight, he spends his time looking out the window, sleeping, lounging around, play with his toys etc. I don't think it's all that terrible of a life as he gets lots of love and attention after work. Since I use pee pads my dog has full access to his pee pads for the 9 hrs. When I take my dog out (on good weather days ie no rain, snow storms, extreme wind chills etc.) it's at least an hour walk/run outside which I consider plenty for a 9.6lb dog. Since I live by a park we run up and down hills a lot. I doubt a dog walker will run with my dog the way I will as all the local dog walkers I've seen got a lot of dogs with them at the same time. My dog is a spoiled brat and is an attention hog.

[poedua]

I'm curious, do you find it cruel if you sit at home for 9 hours a day without going outside?

Not if it was my choice - a dog has no choice.

Not if i had a chance to socialize with other people via phone / internet - most dogs have no chance to socialize with other dogs for those 9 hours.

And if it wasn't my choice and I was forced to stay in a house 9 hours a day, 20 days out of every month...then yes....... I'd consider that cruel.


That's what we generally do on the weekends to relax from the work week.

That's your choice....and that is 8 days out of 30 in a month....not 20.


If we're ok with being home for the day I don't see how my dog isn't.

See above.


I can't speak for others but my dog don't sit for 9hrs straight, he spends his time looking out the window, sleeping, lounging around, play with his toys etc. I don't think it's all that terrible of a life as he gets lots of love and attention after work.

Guess we'll have to disagree on this point, as I happen to think it is a pretty lousy existence for a dog to be locked up in a house for 9 hours straight for 5 consecutive days, 20 days each month.

But that's just me.

[poedua]

To each his own opinion.

She ambles off to her bed to sleep when I leave. She's happy to see me when I get home. Nothing's broken, chewed up or destroyed, she's not barking her head off while I'm gone (sometimes she gets up and looks out the window if she hears a noise outside - webcam). She pretty much sleeps all day.

These aren't human beings, you know.

While they do need socialization with people and animals, they (for the most part, there are some exceptions) are prefectly fine on their own for 9 hours a day if they're getting enough exercise and mental stimulation.

Again, to each their own i suppose.

If you're O.K. leaving your dog locked up in the house for 9 hours a day, for 5 consecutive days, 20 days a month.........fine.......then that is your choice.

As for me, I'd never do that to a dog...I'd consider it a cruel thing to do.

But that's just me.

[melikeellen]

I leave my dog at home for 9 hours during the week because me and my husband have to work. I would prefer to have someone come over and take him out in the yard, but they are extremely expensive in my area. I do feel very guilty though. He is a 5 months now and he is trained to go do his business outside, but when we are out leave him in the kitchen. Right now we have pee pads out for him, but I find he always poos on them as well. Does any one else's dog poo in the house as well? I would eventually like to not have a pee pad out at all and for him to be hopefully able to hold it in. How long can a dog hold in his business? I know it depends on the size of you dog too. I have a boxer.

[Beachdown]

My dog is a 70lb mixed hound. She holds it for 9+ hours during the week. Sometimes when I get home, she runs down the deck stairs to pee, other times she wanders around the yard for half an hour before she goes.

I know she doesn`t eat while I`m gone. She usually drinks maybe half her bowl of water. She`s around 8 years old now...she's been like this since I got her when she was 4. I would never expect a 5 month old puppy to hold it in for more than a couple of hours at a time.

[lor74]

She is alone, but at least she is comfortable.

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/1302/34935713.jpg

[okaywithme]

I agree with poedua. A dog left in the house on its own without human interaction for a 9 hour stretch 5 days a week is a bit much. I think there's alot to be said for the petcare/dogwalking business. I'd gladly pay whatever is needed to see that my dog received human companionship during the day. I have friends whose dogs are walked while they're at work and it is so endearing and comforting to witness the excitement in their dogs as the dogwalkers arrive to pick them up for their mid-day stroll. They will actually sit in the foyer or on the stairs waiting for them to arrive.

Dogwalking is available on a private basis as well. There's no need to include them in a group walk unless you're hoping to save some money. Most dogwalkers are also passionate animal lovers. I've used them myself for home visits.

[suzy.wong]

Since we both work, we wouldn't get a dog (I am not a dog person anyway). Our cats have no problems being at home during the day...and we are comforatble leaving them in the house if we go on a week's vacation.

do you leave your cats alone for the whole week? or does someone come in midweek to change the litter and water?

[TifaLockhart]

On the topic of leaving your dog home alone during the day I think it depends on the dog. Some dogs become bored and get destructive if they're alone for a long time and some don't.
When my dog was younger I had to come at lunch every day to take her for a walk but now that she's older she's fine at home all day. We put her on her own doggie bed before we leave for work and she doesn't move from that spot until we get home. The downstairs tenant used to wonder what we did with her during day cuz they didn't hear her walking around.

[Ryu69]

On the topic of leaving your dog home alone during the day I think it depends on the dog. Some dogs become bored and get destructive if they're alone for a long time and some don't.
When my dog was younger I had to come at lunch every day to take her for a walk but now that she's older she's fine at home all day. We put her on her own doggie bed before we leave for work and she doesn't move from that spot until we get home. The downstairs tenant used to wonder what we did with her during day cuz they didn't hear her walking around.

do you have a beagle? my beagle is like that too. lazy.

[huskylord]

I have a dog walker to take my lab for a 30 minute walk on Tuesday, Wed, Thursday, and sometimes Fridays. For the weekdays, she doesn't come, either my dad or my father in law drops by to give our dog a decent walk.

As an fyi, this is my second dog walker.
We found out our first one that we were paying for a half hour walk, was really only walking the dog as far as it would pee/poo and then bringing him back. I actually did a stake out to confirm and fired the a$$ on the spot.

I couldn't be happier with my new walker.
We get alot of compliments on the health, appearance, and look of our lab.
I totally believe the two leash free runs (morning and evening), with his mid day walk help keep our boy in great shape....Labs are known for putting on the pounds....

Anyways, my 2 cents