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Original poster

How long do you leave your dog for?

77 replies

MaMoosie · 01/02/2025 17:54

We’ve been considering getting a dog, but there are two days a week where the dog would be alone for 2 hours in between my husband leaving by for work and me coming back. I’ve seen quite conflicting advice on what is ok for a dog to be left alone. I am wondering what others do with theirs?

OP posts:
mondaytosunday · 01/02/2025 18:17

Two hours is fine. Of course there will be times when you are both out - shopping, dinner party, whatever. You should train your dog to be left alone for about four hours without much issue.
I have on the rare occasion had to leave my dogs for the day. Decent walk before I go. They do not have separation anxiety in any form, though of course they are happier when I'm home!

FTHC · 01/02/2025 18:19

4-5 hours very occasionally, any longer and someone comes in to let her out. She is older now and will just sleep if we do leave her.

Mirrorxxx · 01/02/2025 18:29

Our dog can be left for short periods(hour or 2) but we don’t actually leave him alone through choice. He goes to daycare if we are in the office or are going somewhere he can’t go.

Tomatocutwithazigzagedge · 01/02/2025 18:32

Where I live we have regulations on this, and the maximum time a dog can be left alone is 4 hours.

Chasingaces · 01/02/2025 18:33

Usually up to 4/5 hrs occasionally if been walked, fed and played with. Left him for 7hrs this week snd he was fine but that very much was a one off. He's a good boy though and has never been destructive at all

WiddlinDiddlin · 01/02/2025 18:33

2 hours for an adult dog would be fine, once used to it, not straight away for a rescue dog (and that may take months to build up to!).

2 minutes for a puppy may not be - but if its only a couple of days a week, a puppy sitter and then later, dog walker is a suitable compromise until they are able to be by themselves.

Dogs can generally learn to handle up to around 4 hours alone (and longer if someone comes in to walk/take to the toilet/entertain and re-settle) fairly regularly, but puppies can't and it may well take the better part of a year before a puppy can reliably be alone from time to time and longer for them to be alone regularly.

(Puppy training/development and separation anxiety are my bread and butter day to day biz!).

Nursingadvice · 01/02/2025 18:34

A puppy can’t be with a dog Walker for 2 hours. They’re not supposed
to walk for long as pups. I think it’s something like 20 mins to begin with. It’s bad for their joints.

2025willbemytime · 01/02/2025 18:36

The longest mine has been left was 10pm to 6.30am but that was an emergency and it helped that it was over night and she went to sleep.

Day time it has been for four hours four times though I wouldn't chose to leave her that long.

I am okay with up to two hours. She's okay with up to two minutes 😍.

She is eight and a half.

Oneflewovermydogsbed · 01/02/2025 18:40

Before lockdown our dog was on her own for 4-5 hrs twice a week and was absolutely fine . Since lockdown she has got used to only being left for up to 3 hrs .
If she is going to be left for longer we organise a local lady to take her out or just pop in and let her into the garden.
Fair to say that the greeting I get is the same whether me popping into the village for 20 mins or being out for 3hrs !

Dymaxion · 01/02/2025 18:41

4-5 hours, she is elderly though, so just bags the best sofa and has a long leisurely nap, due to deafness she often doesn't wake when we come into the house Smile

Shortandsweet20 · 01/02/2025 18:42

3 hours, she's with the dog walker for an hour walk and plus travel time so probs maybe 2/2 and a half hours and then on her own again for 2/3 hours. We've built it up and from a puppy so she's used to it.

FinallyMovingHouse · 01/02/2025 18:42

2 hours is fine if they don't have separation anxiety. If they do, it's not possible. We didn't leave ours alone for a year (had as a puppy), as he was not happy with us even leaving the room. After a year though, he suddenly didn't care and we can happily leave him for 3 hours...he sleeps and we have a nest indoor to check that.

WeregoingtoIbiza · 01/02/2025 18:43

Some dog walkers will do puppy visits where they play and let them out for a toilet break.

I work in the office for full days twice a week and my dog walker has my dog out for around 2.5 / 3 hours which breaks the day up.

jhar · 01/02/2025 18:45

No way I would get a dog walker for a two hour gap.

Puppy will quickly get used to routine. Pee before one leaves, pee when one home. Might get a pee when out occasionally but let's face it, you will get that when in.

They can't walk them far at that age. Puppy more than likely to snuggle down and sleep. So it's just waking them and getting them all excited.

Theuniversalshere1 · 01/02/2025 18:50

YellowDaffodilRedTulip · 01/02/2025 17:57

7hrs when I’m in the office. But we built up the time gradually and he doesn’t have any separation anxiety.

It all depends on the individual dog, but most would be able to do 2hrs easily.

How often do you leave for 7 hours? How do they get outside to do business?

RunVelma · 01/02/2025 18:55

When I worked our dog was at home alone for 8 hours with a dog walker coming in the middle of the day.

2 hours is fine!

Like others have said, it does take work though. I crate trained our dog first, then after she was comfortable with that I left her alone for a short time each day. We set up a camera so I could watch her on my phone and gradually built up the time. She doesn’t bat an eyelid and sleeps the whole time we’re out.

bugalugs45 · 01/02/2025 19:09

I leave my adult dog around 4-5 hours regularly , at least 4 days a week when I'm working . He's fine , but it's really dependant on the dog , I've got a friend who can't leave theirs at all, which is an absolute PITA

Hoppinggreen · 01/02/2025 19:10

4 hours and no more. If its going to have to be longer we get a neighbour to have him.
We also won't do the 4 hours and then leave him again later

biggreenapple24 · 01/02/2025 19:12

Up to about 4 hours but that is irregular. Regularly 1-2 hours while doing nursery run or shopping.

It does depend on the breed. I have anxious dachshunds who really struggle with being left home alone.

Runningoutofthyme · 01/02/2025 19:15

Going against the grain, our last dog could be left 4 hours no issue

Current dog an hour max and when a puppy not long at all

Tricho · 01/02/2025 19:15

I leave mine for two hours fairly often

Four hours is once in a blue moon

Catza · 01/02/2025 19:16

We mostly have someone at home every day but on rare occasions we both need to go to the office, my dog is perfectly fine for 7+ hours. We have a rare accident here and there like eating my leather gloves or emptying the bin but these often happen if we just pop out for a short time in the morning. I don't know what her deal is with that. Zero issues when left in the afternoons or for longer periods.

Offcom · 01/02/2025 19:23

Also four hours max – and never more than one period being left alone on a single day.

magicstar1 · 01/02/2025 19:32

I have to go to the office once a week and DH is also in work so she's left from about 9am to 4pm. My parents come up for a couple of hours about 11.30. She just naps for the whole time.

We did start leaving her for a few minutes from the time we got her, so she always knew we'd be back. She doesn't even bother to get up now when we come home. It's just a cursory look of "oh you're back then".

Sadcafe · 01/02/2025 19:33

4 to 5 hours as long as they’ve been walked, no longer than that, 2 would be fine