Tips for leaving dog alone for most of the day?

[SamG93]

My Labrador (9 months) will need to be left alone for most of the day on Friday next week as I go for a scheduled c-section. Luckily we are able to arrange his 'training trek' he usually has to that day which usually lasts 2 hours so that'll break up the day a bit. We are leaving at about 6:30am, the trek will last around 2 hours and starts sometime between 10am and 12pm then he'll be alone until DH comes home from the hospital, we don't know what time that'll be but should be before his dinner time at 6pm, if not we'll have to get someone to come and feed him. He's house trained and NEVER goes in the house anymore but of course we're usually there to let him out in the garden during the day so hopefully DH doesn't come home to any accidents!

Anyway I'm wondering if anyone has any tips to keep him occupied while we're gone? He's generally not an anxious dog and copes well being left alone when we go out shopping for a couple hours but this will be the longest amount of time he's been left so I'm not sure how he'll feel about it! He'll also be confined to our kitchen, lounge and conservatory as we don't yet trust him alone with our indoor cat I was thinking I could get him one of those antlers which seem to last a while. Probably worrying too much to be honest

@Sisisimone exactly, which is why we've decided to leave him at home as we know he'll be happier and he LOVES his training sessions which tire him out so much so we won't be worried really, he'll be absolutely knackered when he gets back! They've also made sure to put him down for a midday session so it breaks the day up better.
DH will walk him in the early hours then we'll leave him with something to do and with the TV on, he'll sleep then have his long training walk, then it won't be long until either DH comes home or someone comes in to feed him

@prettyvisitor we've arranged for the dog training people to come and feed him in the afternoon which we may not even need them to do if DH can get back.. but yeah that's a good idea, if I'm desperate i could always ask my neighbours as they are all lovely and we have an active WhatsApp group!

@Pickledpenguin

Surely you have been pregnant for a long enough time that you could have organised something sooner though? You cannot even consider leaving a dog home alone for that amount of time.

@Pickledpenguin what amount of time?

From what the OP says the dog will be alone for two chunks of approx 4 hours each with a two hour walk in the middle.

@SamG93 your plan is perfectly fine - he'll be grand - a few extra hours one day will make little difference to him. If you're worried a dozen kong or puzzle feeder with a free treats in it will help.

@viques

Are nine month old dogs supposed to have two hours of exercise? Isnt it advised five minutes for each month of age? I thought you could damage their joints if they were exercised for too long.

Good luck with having a nine month old lab and a new baby. Great timing!!!!!

@viques no your information is outdated and not based on anything so you may want to check your facts before you make snarky posts with zero helpful info

@Veterinari thank you 😊 I have come to the conclusion that the original plan is fine, ONLY because of the long walk in between he has to break up the day and that he's generally fine with being left alone- otherwise we wouldn't even consider it! I'm even buying him another kong to put in the fridge so the training lady can give it to him to keep him distracted in the afternoon. He will probably think it's the best day ever 😂

Ahh those posts annoyed me but at the end of the day I know my dog best and I'm making arrangements with his best interests at heart. Not sure how anyone is supposed to make dead set plans for the birth of their child whether it's spontaneous or scheduled, it just doesn't work like that! I could go into labour tonight at 38 weeks and would be happy knowing we've got people who would step in and help!

[quote SamG93]@Veterinari thank you 😊 I have come to the conclusion that the original plan is fine, ONLY because of the long walk in between he has to break up the day and that he's generally fine with being left alone- otherwise we wouldn't even consider it! I'm even buying him another kong to put in the fridge so the training lady can give it to him to keep him distracted in the afternoon. He will probably think it's the best day ever 😂

Ahh those posts annoyed me but at the end of the day I know my dog best and I'm making arrangements with his best interests at heart. Not sure how anyone is supposed to make dead set plans for the birth of their child whether it's spontaneous or scheduled, it just doesn't work like that! I could go into labour tonight at 38 weeks and would be happy knowing we've got people who would step in and help![/quote]
Yep him being at home is MUCH less stressful than kennels the only thing you may want to consider is if there are any delays on your DH returning but it sounds like you've got a support network in place to check on him if so

@Veterinari yeah and he's never been in kennels before and I think even when we go on holiday I'll try and find home-boarding for him rather than put him in kennels. I would have definitely done it as a last resort though if we didn't have anyone to help. DH's dad can always come and sit with him for a bit in the evening if we really are that delayed, but fingers crossed all goes well and that isn't the case

just adding a tip

when I leave or have left any of my dogs for even a couple of hours - up to half a day when I cannot organise a neighbour visit
I put an mp3 of 'white noise' type sounds on rather than anything with voices and interruptions such as a radio or TV
it seems to work - good luck

@bunnybuggs thanks for the tip! Ive actually bought a white noise machine for my baby haha I don't know which noise he'd like best though.. probably not the vacuuming one 😄

SiPup loves the playlist Classical for Dogs
Good luck with everything SamG93

@Sisisimone hmm I might try that, I usually leave Magic on for him, not even sure why 🤣

Thanks so much 💖 feeling a bit scared now after making arrangements today for the dog, it's made it all feel a bit real!!

Research supports low tempo music for relaxation in cats and dogs - reggae or slow soft rock type. Classical can often be a bit 'frantic'

It's the tempo that matters rather than the music style

I play smooth fm to horses and dog 😆

Yeah the classical for Dogs is all low tempo. Only takes a few songs and he's out like a light! I like the idea of playing him reggae though. Might try that

This thread is mad.
I have 3 dogs and sometimes they have to be left.
What happens in an emergency if everyone’s dogs have meltdowns if left for more than an hour

There’s usually someone home with mine all the time but if something did happen I know i could leave them with someone popping in without the world ending! It’s one day as a one off not something she’s doing every single week!!

I wouldn’t send mine to kennels either, much happier and less stressful for them in their home environment with someone popping in for a toilet break or a walk.

@3ormoredogs I know! I really wasn't expecting such a reaction.. I'll know better than to post on here again for advice it actually got me really stressed out! Especially when one pp said 'good luck & great timing' as though I won't be able to cope with a young dog and a baby. My dog is probably easier to look after and more laid back than a lot of adult dogs I've met to be honest. People are so judgy on here and I don't like it!

I was actually looking for advice on how to keep him occupied WHEN I leave him but ended up being shouted at for even thinking about the prospect of doing that!

Spotify has playlists for dogs. We have a calming one for the car.

The reason I was suggesting home-based doggy day care, or extra time with the Treks people, is that births are by definition unpredictable. If anything throws your timings badly, then you don't want tyour DH worrying about the dog when he shouid be focussed on you. Better to have too much care arranged and spring him early, than have an issue to sort on the day.

I left my tiny puppy in home-based doggy. day care when she'd only been with us a couple of weeks (unavoidable human medical issue). She thrived. I think finding a day-care place that will do ad hoc care and gettting your dog used to going from time to time is very much worthwhile

It’s not being a nutter to say leaving a young dog from the early hours until lunchtime then again until the husband can get home is too long.
The maximum recommended for an adult dog used to being left is four hours. Not at a time. In total.
This is far too long. I would want a sitter or daycare.

Thanks @wetotter for the advice.. I think home sitting is a great idea for when we go on holiday but I don't feel it's necessary for this situation as we have enough people to help if we need them and it's just for the one day.

@SamG93 I’m also going to be giving birth at the end of summer and I’ll probably just leave mine at home with my mum popping in to check on them, she would stay overnight though if it came to it as I wouldn’t like them alone at night. Who knows how long it will take, they won’t die as a one off I’m pretty sure of that. It’s not like they are neglected unloved pets left day in and day out.

After the birth they may even miss the odd walk or two. Again, I’m sure the sky won’t fall out over one missed walk and I have working types so not even couch potatoes.

I honesty think it’s important to teach them from puppies to be left and that routines can be broken. I am also one of those horrendous owners who does not always walk at the same time or for the same number of walks every day either. Sometimes they go once and sometimes 3 times, depends on what’s happening that day.

What happens if I am too ill to walk them or something like that, if they have never been taught how to behave in that scenario I’m not surprised there are so many dogs tearing the house apart when left or missing one walk. It’s probably why parents of newborn children can’t cope with dogs as the dogs have never learnt not to be the centre of the universe.
Like I say mine are rarely left, maybe once or twice a week for a couple of hours or at school run time but it’s a real important life skill for dogs to learn to be happy and settled in their own company and have a little bit of resilience!

All of my dogs are happy and settled. No anxiety problems or stress behaviours, no anticipating walks of separation anxiety. When we walk, great! When we don’t they relax or play or potter around in the gardens and that’s it.

Practically when I do leave mine I make almost no fuss. I don’t do a long goodbye but I do make sure they have a good selection of toys/puzzles and the odd frozen carrot or two and have been for a good walk beforehand. I also leave the radio/TV on for a bit of background noise, if I check on mine on my cameras I would say 99% of the time they are asleep!

Oh and before anyone says I’m the worlds most evil owner, I’m sure most dogs would kill for the lifestyle and attention mine get on a daily basis but very occasionally the world does not revolve around them and that’s okay

@Wolfiefan of course it's not a silly suggestion, I really did consider it but putting my dog's best interests first I believe he will be better off at home with people going in to feed and walk him then possibly having family round and sitting with him in the afternoon. He'll be in a familiar environment with all his needs met.

I wouldn't bash anyone for putting their dog in daycare or kennels in this situation.. each dog is different and their owner needs to work out what's best for them. I don't think I'm being irresponsible though.

@Wolfiefan

It’s not being a nutter to say leaving a young dog from the early hours until lunchtime then again until the husband can get home is too long. The maximum recommended for an adult dog used to being left is four hours. Not at a time. In total. This is far too long. I would want a sitter or daycare.

The problem is that the 4 hour limit is not rooted in evidence. It's like the 5minutes per month exercise rule. Dogma

If you have a dog with separation anxiety, 10 minutes may be too long to leave him. If you don't, then many dogs are perfectly comfortable for several hours. Dogs typically sleep 15-17hours per day and a good chunk of this is during the day as well as overnight. Dogs aren't really aware of the 4 hour rule. Why is leaving a contented dog alone at home for a few hours a problem?

I also find it interesting that many of the rehoming organisations that push the 4 hour rule themselves leave the dogs in their care alone for long periods, typically 5pm - 8am when the premises aren't staffed so it's clearly a rule that only applies in certain Human-defined contexts, not one based in welfare science

@3ormoredogs I literally agree with everything you said, I think being laid back is good with being a dog owner and means they can be more independent and less likely to suffer from separation anxiety.. though I hardly ever leave him I don't make the effort to get a dog sitter every time I do.. he's fine on his own for a couple hours 😄
He's happy and settled too, so we must be doing something right 😊 I'd definitely consider different options though if I had an anxious dog. It's each to their own really.

i opened this thread expecting the most of the day to be every day!

Leave him with plenty of kongs/chews/search games in the house/tv or radio on and he will be fine, ensure wires are removed too even if he isnt a chewer they have a habit of choosing to!

@GettingItOutThere I think that's why it's got so much attention 😂 good idea, think I'll do some dog-proofing the night before! Better to be safe than sorry!