Leaving dog alone for first time all day

[amter]

So we need to leave our wonderful puppy (12 months) alone all day tomorrow. From 7am - 5pm. Usually he hangs out with DH or I during the day while working, he has been left alone in his 'bedroom'/my office for max 4 hours before but only a handful of times and usually in the late afternoon/evening.

My Dad will call over mid morning and walk him for 30 mins. We will then take him for a walk when we get home.

My question is - should I leave him alone in our secure garden or should I lock him in the office/his bedroom.

He is fine overnight in his room, sleeps 9pm - 6:30am.

What do you think?

If you have to leave them then inside, with plenty of water and ventilation.

I dont think either is ideal really. Can you not give him the run of the house?

Well, as you posted this last night, I guess you've already done whatever you're going to do.

Indoors - too hot to leave a dog outdoors right now

And if you can, get someone to pop in during the afternoon as well.

I am not a dog person but even I think leaving a puppy all day is really unkind ... why do you have to leave him alone? Surely there is an alternative?

As it's after 7am I assume it's now too late for responses ....

Ragwort it's not all day, she says her dad will be walking him mid morning.

He'll be fine as a one off but I'd definitely let him have the whole house, he can look out of the windows, find the sunshine or a shady spot.

That's too long to leave any dog (let alone a puppy) but I guess you've already done it now 🤷🏻‍♀️

Please update what gets wrecked....

A 12 month old isn't a puppy. I agree it's a long time but it sounds like a one off. They'll be fine.

You don't know it'll be fine.

If I'd left mine all day at that age, I'd have come home to accidents on the floor and probably no sofa or carpets 🤣

I wouldn’t do it
Get someone in to pet sit or don’t go
You could undo all your work in having a pup that’s happy being left

in this heat assuming you are in the uk I wouldn’t consider it at all

coffeecupsandfairylights and you don't know it won't be fine. The OP has said it's been left for 4 hours, this is 2 hours longer. Yes they might come home to a puddle on the floor but my boy was long past chewing at that age. The dog will be fine even if the sofa isn't!

peanutbutterjellysandwich

in this heat assuming you are in the uk I wouldn’t consider it at all

What heat? Our 24 hour heatwave is over.

They are puppies until they are 2!
he’s getting a mid morning walk so it breaks things up. When I’m at home my dog literally sleeps all day (he’s not 2 yet) he has been left a couple of times due to work but he’s fine. He sleeps all night without needing a wee and never has accidents. My son checks in on him at lunch time and my other son walks him after school. I think as a one off it’s fine, as I’ve said mine can be left no problem but too often I would worry he gets bored and barks etc.

@Dorsetdelight211 im near Brighton and it’s incredibly muggy here and didn’t cool at all night. I’ve got fans going to create a breeze at the moment and it’s still warmer than I’d like

It's being left for a lot longer than six hours.

It's being left for ten hours in total with just a half-hour toilet break mid morning. Nowhere near enough company and not fair to expect a 1yo dog to hold it's bladder for that long either.

That's very different to a 1yo being left for 10 hours with just a 30 minute walk mid-morning.

coffeecupsandfairylights You're right, they'll probably come back to a destroyed house, pools of urine everywhere, a lonely dog (who may well be expired from heat exhaustion).

The dog will be fine! It's a dog who is clearly very well looked after judging by the OP, this is a one off. It's getting company and a walk to break the day up.

peanutbutterjellysandwich it's lovely here, perfect temp, very pleasant. My dogs are perfectly happy. They were perfectly happy inside yesterday too when it was hot. They are able to regulate their temperatures.

Well, I'm sure the puppy will survive but let's not pretend it's fine or ideal.

Ten hours with a 30 minute wee break is a LONG time to leave an adult dog, let alone a 12 month old puppy, especially when it's over double the amount of time it's ever been left in the past.

I'm sure OP will be back to say her puppy was fine but it's not a choice I would ever make for my dog and he's an adult now. Dogs need way more than 30 minutes of company, exercise and attention in a day. I would cancel my plans before I left my dog alone like that.

So he goes from always having company to being left for a really long time with one bit of respite. You should have arranged doggy day care for him OP. Can't believe you had to ask, oh as for leaving him outside in a secure garden, what are the chances of him still being there 10 hours later 😳

Some people. 🤬

coffeecupsandfairylights no of course its not ideal, I said that I agree it's a long time but sometimes life happens and you have to make the best of it. The dog will be fine, its not an everyday occurance! OP sounds like a good owner. With the amount of cruelty and neglect that goes on in this world I can't get my knickers in a twist over a dog being left for 6 hours having had 3 walks during through the course of the day, being left in a comfortable, familiar environment.

The big welfare charities recommend not leaving even an adult dog home alone for more than 4 hours.

If a dog is left in the garden for hours, how does an owner know that it doesn’t keep barking and barking to be let in.
We are dog owners and know this happens with neighbours’ dogs. We would never do that. It’s cruel & very annoying for neighbours. (The neighbours just get upset/angry and put aggressive notes thru doors!! This I know from others’ experiences!)

If we know we are going to be out for longer than (say) 4 hours which is rare, we arrange local Doggy Day Care. I wish more dog owners would realise that dogs are pack animals & you are their “pack”. They pine for the pack when they get left.

Please, if you going to leave your dear pup home alone again sort out Doggy Daycare near you. This is the responsible & kindest thing to do. Our family dog loves it. Comes home shattered after all the fun!