When you go out for the evening....

[ChickensArentEligableForGold]

We're going to a friend's for dinner and drinks tonight. We'll leave at around 6.30 and won't be home 'til around midnight. I have never left Jas for this long before. I'm planning on a 2 hour off lead walk before we go, and have frozen kongs at the ready. This is normal, yes? I mean, people go out for the evening, right? Such is my hectic social life that this is the first time in 11 months of dog ownership that this has come up. Is it ok to leave dogs for slightly longer than normal occassionally, especially when they'll spend most of the time asleep?

Ours seems to be fine, if he's had a decent walk beforehand. He's a creature of habit, though, and is often sparko by 7.30pm anyway!

Have another (for eating purposes, I mean!). He'll be fine, Chickens, I promise!

That's what I'm thinking Smart. Jas is usually snoozing by 7-8pm anyway. I have never left him for more than 4 hours. I'm a massive softy

So am I, Chickens, so am I ... ArseDog is my fourth baby and I adore him.

So, having told you it'll be fine ... I'm taking the DCs out for an evening in a couple of weeks when DH is away. We'll be out from about 5pm until around 11pm, and I've asked one of DD2's friends to babysit! But only because it's that much earlier in the day, you understand!

I was once told that dogs have no concept of time. Whether you leave them for half a hour or four hours, its making sure their physical needs and emotional needs are accounted for in the time you are gone. ie some dogs (like mine) are happy to go out for a wee, and as long as he has a bowl of water, some food, unlimited access to the settee, a window to look out of etc he is very happy on his own for 6-7 hours.

Other dogs pine after five minutes.

I regularly leave mine for 4 hour bursts but wouldn't leave him longer than this as the norm. Occasionally I have left him for 6-7 hours and he has been absolutely fine and made no more fuss when we arrived home than he would of if we had been gone twenty minutes.

That said on the whole if I know I am going to be gone this long I normally arrange for my dad to nip in and fuss him for ten minutes.

To be honest as long as mine can lay on the settee I think he quite likes it when he go out!

I do leave a light on though if I think it might get dark if I am going out on an evening!

I leave the radio on for my dogs. I think they like music.

It wont do them any harm chickens

I'm sure your dog will be fine. Like someone else said, dogs have no concept of time and my dog is a classic example of that. I can leave the room and be greated like I've been gone for a day!

I also leave the radio on for my dog Jax, but no higher than number 10 on the volume incase it annoys the neighbours!