Leaving puppy alone all day

[welshgal2]

My puppy is 6 months now. We got him at 8 weeks. I took the first 2 weeks we had him off work completely to help settle him in, and then returned part time either working in the morning or the afternoon for 4 hours. He was good as gold and the half a day he was left alone I would always get home to him playing with his toys or most of the time, fast asleep.

It's been a great few months with him but unfortunately couldn't afford to not return to work full time. I've been back full time for one week, to try and make the transition easier I've been going home for an hour at lunch and walking him and then popping home again at about 3pm for 15 minutes just to check up on him.

There's been a pretty obvious pattern of we leave him in the morning, he's good as gold and we return at lunch time to find him quite happy and no damage. However when I've been popping home mid-afternoon (where possible) or getting home from work at 5 we've been getting home to a complete mess. I'm talking wallpaper ripped off the wall, furniture chewed, ripped up toys. He's obviously reaching his threshold for being alone and getting bored and destructive.

DH and I didn't get a dog for a long time as we felt too guilty about our hours, so once we'd saved enough for me to take a few months part time we went for it figuring there's never a perfect time. We both have 2 days off a week, only 1 of those is normally the same day so puppy does get 3 days a week where he's not left alone, and if i go home for lunch he gets an hour and a walk, if DH goes home he'll get about half an hour and a run around the garden but not a walk. We leave the house about 9 and return around 5. Does anyone have any advice of how we can work around this? I don't want our pup to suffer but we need to work, we live rurally so hiring a dog walker isn't an option unfortunately.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

No local teen who can sit in after school til you get home for a tenner?

My dog is 5, and if he's left for more than an hour he starts chewing his tail. Dogs aren't solitary creatures, and it's really really cruel to leave one for more than a couple of hours a day.

You may love your dog, but you're not doing what's best for it. Mine comes to work with me, he is the company dog now and gets fed digestive biscuits whenever my back is turned. If I had to work full time, I'd rehome him. It would kill me, but I'd do what's right for him.

We are desperate to get a dog but just can't do it as we work full time. Why does anyone think they can get a dog and leave it alone all day - makes me so cross.

Our pup is seven months old and I would not dream of leaving him that long. we juggle dog walkers and I work part time.

He’s getting destructive because he’s bored and stressed. It’s really not fair on him to be alone for so long. Watch for other behaviours like self harm and barking - these are things dogs do in the absence of stimulation.

Costa you really are a drama queen!

It's a dog and they adapt. No she doesn't get a wee break and you know what she doesn't rush to take a wee when I get in either.

And if she wee'd in the house (she hasn't since she was 6 months) it only take a mop! People really over think these things!

OP it's four days a week - he's prob over excited from all the nipping in your doing! Do the lunch visit and then leave him to sleep he'll be fine

Outside mumsnet plenty of people have puppies and work and it's the norm! you find a routine that fits round you not the other way round.

All these anxious dogs are likely the result if stressed and anxious owners. Puppies sleep loads - even my two year old will sleep hours in a day. She's knackered at the weekend when we're all around as she can't sleep as much

What breed is the dog? Some are better than others at being alone.

However, in the short term you Nedd to look at doggy day care or a dog walker.

Daft question, but have you tried not coming home for that 15 mins to see how he has coped? It may be the excitement and then being "abandoned" again after a short time that is causing the issue

I agree with previous poster about cutting out the late afternoon visit home. It's probably getting him excited. He's thinking you're staying for longer then you go. Best to let him sleep the afternoon and provide frozen kongs, a radio on in the background also helps!

We found our lab for more destructive from 6 months through to 18 months, chewing everything from sofas, carpets, to skirting boards and kitchen cabinets. Mostly during the night due to teething.

Hmm.. there's a lot of responses here about the length of time left. My dogs are left from 7-4.30 with an hour's walk with a dog walker and they are completely fine (when I'm at work, currently on maternity) - I have a camera and I check in on them throughout the day, they are always asleep.

However, they do have each other and they aren't as young as yours - they are 9 and 4 but this has been routine since the youngest was around a year old, before that they went to daycare.

Also, they are crated which they love and feel safe in. Tried them out of it and it was awful watching them on camera.

It's very easy to judge and say you shouldn't have got the dog but there are plenty of people who do the same and have perfectly happy dogs. My dogs are unbelievably loved and spoiled.

I'd suggest getting a camera so you can see what's happening, there may be a particular trigger, a pheromone plug in also might be good (Aptamil do one). If the dog is crated at all, maybe it's a good idea to do it for those couple of hours when he's destructive?

Maybe approach some of your dog owning neighbours and suggest mutual dog care. I have this with one of my neighbours, if they are out for longer than they want to leave their dog, I have him, and she reciprocates when I have to go out.

What about some brain games for those hours in the afternoon? www.mypetwarehouse.com.au/my-pet-blog/pet-care/dog/the-8-best-stimulating-interactive-dog-toys

I know loads of people who work full time
And have perfectly happy dogs who cope very well being left and get plenty of exercise and play around their owners hours.

I work 3 days a week and on those days my dog goes out with a dog walker for 2 hours.
She's absolutely fine, a happy dog who is very much loved and doesn't have any separation issues, doesn't chew or bark or whine while we're gone (and yes I know she doesn't as we have neighbours who don't work and I've asked them right from the start to report if they hear any barking or whining).
I don't think my dog knows the difference between 3 days and 5 days to be fair!

Agree with all those who suggest a dog walker. There are actually lots of options. When our dog walker is on holiday our dog goes to a lady who lives nearby who doesn't work and has her own dogs. She charges us £15 for the day and it includes two good walks.

Ask around on local dog FB forums and I'm sure you can find a solution. I think if you work any hours with a dog you have to be prepared to pay for a dog walker or for some thing.

Have you crate trained?

Our puppy is crated from 9-12 and 1-4.30 3 days a week. He's not destroyed anything because he's safe in his crate. He's usually sleeping when we come home, always chilled as a cucumber listening to the radio.

He also goes to daycare once a week which absolutely exhausts him so the day after daycare he's even more chilled than normal.

Not a drama queen, just an animal lover who volunteers in animal rescue and knows just a little bit about looking after dogs of all ages - and over 40 years of experience from bottle feeding newborns to deaf, blind, geriatrics and everything in between

Wow - OP this makes me really sad. What were you thinking? Why did you get a dog when you can't be at home to look after it?

Destructive behaviour is a clear indication of an unhappy dog. You need a dog walker or dog daycare. Dogs are sociable creatures. Your poor dog.

@Wheresthel1ght He's a King Charles cavalier.

@BIWI Yes I changed my username. I only use MN for support on the infertility threads and knew people would search my username like you've obviously done and wanted to keep the two subjects separate. Is that an issue?

@Mummyshark2018 @Wheresthel1ght and whoever else mentioned it sorry can't remember names, I didn't go back and visit this afternoon and when I got home there was zero damage to anything! He was curled up on blanket chewing his kong. Makes me feel a bit better.

Thank you all for the replies, except the ones telling me to rehome him. I've put a post up on the local Facebook page and had a few responses of people who may be able to help out. If he was to have a walk from me before work, left from 9-1, walked between 1-2 and then left again from 2 until 5, would this be sufficient? Obviously he'll get walked again when we both get home, he'll have us all day 3 days a week etc.

Bold bits all went funny sorry.

You should be able to view profiles in borrowmydoggy before you part with the money so you can see how many local folks are on. I've registered for our pup so he can get some additional attention when I'm working from home, but it might not be ideal for regular care.

I'm sorry but I agree with others, your poor dog is simply on its own for too long. 3-4hrs at that age maybe ok, but pretty much the whole day with a tiny bit of socialising in the middle isn't great. I'm surprised you didn't come across this information when researching getting a dog - I didn't even particularly want DDog but part of us getting him was making sure his basic needs are met.

Can you try checking on FB to see if there is a local dogs group or indeed ask for ideas on how to get a dog walker. There's probably loads of people who'd like to do it.

I had a puppy and work 7-5 4 days a week, BUT we pay a small fortune to put him in doggy day care which he adores.

You can't leave him alone, he's clearly bored out of his mind.

Ask at your vet for suggestions of dog sitters, daycare, walkers etc.

I'd love a dog and am desperate to have one but we both work full time. Even though I can pop home in the day, I know it just would not be fair on the dog. So we won't be getting one until either I retire or can afford to go part time. I grew up with dogs so I know you can't expect to leave a dog alone most of the day. It's not a cat!

If you want to keep your puppy then you will have to find a way to fund doggy day care, or work part time. Dogs are not solitary animals.

Can everyone please stop commenting about how awful I'm being to my dog - if you read any of my replies I am saying I love him and want what's best for him, and no I will not rehome him but researching and contacting people to help me take care of him in the day! I'm not posting saying I'm going to leave him all day and I don't care, I'm asking and taking your advice!! Jesus!!

Can you take him to work if you have an understanding boss?

I only work part time and won’t leave mine more than 5 hours or so but I take mine to work. They are quite happy crated under the desk with a bone watching the world go by and they get a good hour run at dinnertime. It’s more about being close to me than anything else. I also have two dogs so when I am out they are not ‘alone’ as such and have someone else to play with.

My youngest one also gets destructive if I return and then go again soon, I think that’s more of a protest thing for mine.

I do think leaving him alone all day is cruel though, sorry OP. I would never have gotten a dog with the intention of doing that although I understand people do.

You obviously love him a lot and it would be a real shame to have to return him. It sounds as though it's company he needs more than anything. The extra walk might help though, I think it will be a trial and error thing. I got lucky with my two that they are perfectly happy left alone with access to a secure garden so they can go for a wee. My neighbour has to arrange someone to come in every two hours for her dog as he just doesn't cope alone and gets very distressed and destructive. It depends on the individual dog, how much they will tolerate.