Tv channel for leaving

[ZombiePara]

Hello!!

I'm looking for some advice re good tv channels to leave on for a dog whilst out of the house.

We're going to really start trying to improve leaving ZombiePup at home and want to do it as "right" as possible with regards to limited/no whining...

Unfortunately due to a combination of being off sick, exDP working from home and a family care/bereavement situation he has only been left on the odd occasions.

We tend to leave the blinds open - he loves people watching...
We hide plenty of treats around downstairs, although his "long lasting ones" are lasting less and less time as he grows up... a normal selection would be a furry cow ear, rabbit ears, a dentastix... i have also bought chicken feet, filled trachea and a filled hoof to try and increase the range/lasting time..

We have a little spy camera i can watch through.

It seems really hit and miss as to whether he settles himself and doesn't give a monkey's, or if he watches out of the window with a bit of howling.
The howling has never lasted long thankfully... but has put a halt in us trying to leave him as it hasn't been top priority recently..

I am open to any and all tips, and to be honest have asked re tv channels simply because I've seen it recommended in places as a general thing but never specific to what would be good. He loves wildlife bits, and the queens corgi film, and weirdly the latest mad max film 😂

TIA

I leave the radio on but he hates talking channels as he thinks humans are around so I pick a mostly music channel.

Personally I wouldn't leave anything more than a kong type treat to lick because I have seen first hand my dog choke on a chew.

As for looking out of the window I guess you need to decide whether that helps or hinders. I have to close blinds because mine gets upset at things in the garden and in the winter would bark at his reflection in the glass.

Cheers Bitey - a bigger kong is on my to buy list (only have his puppy one at the moment and he's huge now 😂

Will definitely have a think about the blinds as well; he doesn't seem to get het up or agitated as such, he's just incredibly nosy 😂😂

What age is he and is he crate trained? I'd focus less on ways to distract him from the fact he's alone and more on getting him comfortable being alone. Dog Training Advice and Support on Facebook gives good tips on how to build up to leaving them, if he's not been left then you'll need to start from scratch. Going outside for seconds/minutes at first, desensitising him to your routine of putting shoes on or grabbing keys, etc.

We tend to close the blinds and put her in her crate to encourage her to sleep while we're out. So far we've only left her later in the day when she'll be tired out anyway. I don't leave any sound on.

And I agree with Bitey, I'd only use those chews under supervision.

Hi Ash he has just turned 1, and not crate trained. He was when younger before being reliably toilet trained but now has free roam of the house

I will rethink the blinds being open and try him with them shut to see how he is like that

Ok will definitely rethink the chews as well - I'd never really thought about them being a choke risk, as silly as that sounds

I leave the garden door open, kibble and water in his bowls and he just goes to sleep on the sofa. Sometimes I think he doesn't want us to drag him with us everywhere and enjoys the alone time 😄 We have only left him alone a few times (he's four months old) for about an hour or two

Our pug puppy also choked on a chew in front of me! Thankfully I was there to help him

Notes re the chews!

I wish he enjoyed alone time!
Will definitely be back to basics and start building up tiny bits!

I leave TV on for my dogs when I go out always have. When I come back I always give a treat the same when I leave them.

I ask Alexa to play dog calming music when we leave our dog alone in the house

agree with the pps - when I have to leave my newish rescue adult dog - I pull the kitchen blind down - she can't see out and get agitated.
I put on white noise/nature sounds. Radio is not good as it sounds like people in the house. She is a bit clingy and does not like me going out but she is getting better.

I don't leave her any food or chews - as others have said they can be dangerous
When I return I do not over-react if she has knocked something over or do a over-welcoming greeting. When she has calmed down I make a moderate fuss of her.

Mine is addicted to National Geographic, and if he knew how the remote worked, I'd probably never get to watch anything else. He is particularly fond of apes and monkeys, meerkat, other dogs or canids, and, oddly, dolphins! Oh, and he likes watching owls too.

I have a Google smart speaker, I ask that to play music to relax dogs, which seems to keep my two settled when I'm out

My kids persist in leaving anything remotely dog-related on as they think the dog will like to watch it. Hour after hour of the fucking Paw Patrol (not in one go - we don't leave the dog for long) feels cruel to me.