How long do you leave your dog alone?

[HildegardeCrowe]

Just that really. I leave my rescue JRT alone for 6 hours 4 days a week and he seems fine. I’ve had him for 10 years and he’s old now and sleeps a lot.

Mine is 5 years old and he gets left usually no longer than a couple of hours.

Any longer and we get a sitter or when at work he goes to daycare.

A couple of hours is long enough for him as I watch him on a camera and he gets restless after that time waiting for us to come back.

I have a dog lodging for a week, she is sweet but so bloody needy. Whines outside the bathroom door while I am on the loo. Gave up on the second night and let her sleep on our bedroom floor.
We have left her for an hour or so and come back to puppy eyes at the front door.
I am even more resolutely a cat person now!

Four hours is the most mine is ever left, and its very rare that I do it.

My Shih Tzu is 9 and sleeps a lot . It varies but it’s about 6 hours a couple of times a week . He is fine but I leave the radio on for him. He likes Radio 2!

About 4 hours. Enough time to go shopping or for a night out.

My husband's retired so she's not left alone every day, just about once a week if that.

About 6-7 hours but not often and we make sure he has been for a good walk beforehand so he’ll just sleep the whole time.

Max 2 hours. DH is retired but plays football a couple of times a week, if I’m on an early shift, DDog will be alone for approximately 2 hours.

I don't have a dog at the moment but our old pet dog was used to being left for a good few hours - we used to worry about leaving her until I realised when I was at home she'd often be snoozing in a different part of the house and I wouldn't see her all day. She was the least needy dog ever!

Ours is 2 and needy. We’ll leave her for a night out so from 7 to about 10.30 or 8 to about 11.

If we are out longer than that we drop her off with family and they’ll drop her home to her bed about 8 ish.

I.n the day my in laws often have her so she’s rarely left for longer than a couple of hours. But I reckon she’d be ok for a few hours in the day if they weren’t available.

Our older one can be left 6-7 hours, with outside access and after a good walk. This was 3x week and she had another dog for company. I would take them straight out as soon as I got home.

The younger one can last alone about an hour; with the older one for company and comfort, about 3 hours.

I should say, the younger one is just over a year old.

About 5 minutes or the howling starts. We are working on it.

Goodness, this has surprised me how few people leave dogs for very long.
Our two year old Staffie cross has to be left for six hours three or four times a week when I’m at work, and she seems to be ok with that. She sleeps a lot anyway, even if I’m there. At night she happily sleeps ten or 11 hours if I have a lie in followed by morning shower.
Clearly we are well matched in terms of laziness!

Ours is never left for more than 2/3 hours but that’s because of our lifestyle , he could easily be left longer he just sleeps.

We wouldn't leave our 4 year old for more than 4-5 hours max and that's a rare thing. TBH she probably wouldn't care if we did though, as I'm pretty sure she spends the entire time asleep on our bed ! We'd just feel too guilty to leave her longer, esp as she's not used to it - DH works from home and I'm only part time

4 days a week leave house at say 839 home for lunch then back to work toll 5 ish. Good run every morning, fed at lunchtime and decent evening walk. They just sleep.

Mine are left for about 6-7 hours a few times a week. Mind you I have 4 of my own plus 2 fosters so they're not short of company! They mostly sleep, and always get tons of exercise and treats when I get back. I've come home early a few times and they give me such a look of disgust when I disturb their peace before they expected 😂

Had our rescue almost a year most wevr left him was 4.5 hours and that was last week
Before that it’s been 4 hours

4 hours max,usually 2

I’ve got 3 who are rarely left other than the school run but I could probably leave them all day and they would be fine. I would be happy enough to leave them 5 hours without worrying.

They are so used to me being in and out they don’t even realise I’ve gone half of the time

When I got my rescue JRT about 2 years ago (he's now 4) part of the criteria was that he wasn't left for longer than 4 hours at a time. I've stuck by this and it suits him well.

4 hours, any longer and a neighbour takes him out.
And it’s not 4 hours,pop in the leave him again it’s 4 hours then stay with him as it’s the company he needs not just a wee

Mine, now we're back at school, is left daily for an hour in the morning and again in the afternoon while on the school run. Sometimes I take her on the afternoon school run to meet people.

Otherwise it's an hour or two here or there as I'm home anyway. Yesterday she was alone for 3 hours until DD got back from school. Which she coped with fine. I've never done more than 3.5 hours so far.

Routinely, no more than a couple of hours. But I am happy leaving him for up to 5 hours on a rare occasion. Beyond that, I would arrange for a friend to let him out for a wee - there's a group of us who do this for each other.

My dog gets left alone for about 7 hours a day, which is a lot but it does suit her. Although my DH pops back at lunchtime to walk her. She's really comfortable on her own (she's a greyhound so sleeps a lot!) and she even sleeps on the bed all day when we're at home. During the evening she comes downstairs to have dinner, socialise and she sleeps in our bedroom at night. She gets a 20 min morning walk, 20 min lunchtime walk and a 30-60 min evening walk. She doesn't have any behaviour issues, she's just very independent.