How Long Will You Leave Your Dogs Alone

[phoenix21]

ours are left very little. If i dont have phoenix at work then shes at home and mum is often in and out all day. If we are out all day we make sure either phoenix is with me and molly is left at a couple who live down the road or both of them are at home and someone lets them out midday. so long as phoenix has had a good long walk the day before she tends to sleep all the next day. Even when someone comes to let them out at midday they usually have to go upstairs and drag phoenix out from my bed so she'll go out in the garden. Neither are bothered about being left and tend to just sleep. I wouldnt be happy leaving them crated though - they both have free range of the whole house - phoenix stays under my douvet most of the day

Edited January 26, 2007 by phoenix21

[cocoa]

I don't think it is right to say a dog is never left! What happens when you have to?

For what ever, there many be a point where you have to

 

I don't let my dogs run with each other why I am not where

 

There could be a fight.

Which I have hear of and people coming back to there dogs to fine blood all over the place and a dog which is in need of a vet, I have hear of one where the dog die ( very sad )

 

But breed and age have to come into it if there are males with all there bits to or girls that might go all out to

 

 

My dogs are crated and are happy to get in them

Cocoa loves his crate and will close him self in it

 

We go to show and go camping where the dogs have to be crate

But I do walk them first

I think 2/3 hours for me is what I would be happy with

 

But if in the house one in living room one in wall 4 to 6 (if needed)

 

I don't think a puppy should be left for that long and I do think they would need a wee and a walk 1/2 into that

Again if the dog was older I would be happier if it was not so long

 

But that is me, we all know our know dogs and we know how long they are happy and what they need

 

I do think 6 hours in a crate is too much if you are going to put the dogs back in to at night to

That would be a dog that is crated for more than 12 hours a day! 5 days a week !

 

But saying that I know people with dogs that sleep and go to walk and the dog must only get to see them for 3 / 4 hours at night

I would not be happy to do it but I am not sure that makes is wrong?

 

I think what you have seen with your own eyes or felt come far more into it all

 

And never say never

 

Why at shows I can only do my best with the dogs

It could take 2 hours to get there and 4 hours at a show then 2 hours home again

The dogs would be walk and feed why there and I would give cuddles but that is a long day and the dogs would have to go into the crates in the car to get home again

 

it is a hard one to say and we can only give what we feel is right

which is never going to be the same all round

[Mrs Mop]

A lot of things are acceptable to Americans which are not here.

 

Mine get left when I go to the supermarket or to a friends but it is the transport runs that I am away the longest, usually about 4 hours.

[Brindlebabe]

Our 3 are left very infrequently, because we are both home all day. When we have had to leave them, they are fine for 3 hours or so. We haven't left them longer.

 

Have never crated them, although we fostered 2 pups who we crated during the night. I've given the crate away to someone who fosters regularly.

 

As for crating dogs all day, every day, I wouldn't entertain having one to keep it like that. I just don't see the point. I should think the quality of life for the dog would be non existent.

[sanrossscot]

Well, mine will sometimes get left for 14 hours IF I am away and OH is working. Doesn't happen too often though. They will be left fairly often for 8/9 hours but get the run of the house and get their excercise before and after. Keira has a crate which is open permanently but is usually found on the double bed

 

I think those peeps who have met my girls could hopefully agree they are not stressed

 

When we are home at weekends, Keira can't wait for us to get up so she can have the bed

[phoenix21]

Ours have been left together for 6 yrs since phoenix was a puppy no problem. depends on the dogs - molly is very submissive and wouldnt hurt a fly. phoenix wouldnt ever start on molly any way. they both sleep when we are out anyhow. i would leave them all day if i really had to so long as they went out a walk in the morning before i left.

[ReikiAnge]

I think that the times mentioned in the original post are WAY too long to crate a dog I think that must be considered cruelty, at least in some cases.

 

I've only recently used a crate and that was for Sweetie in her last month or so, but she was only in it for short periods of time, and we don't use a crate for the others. Ours are used to being left, but aren't generally left now for more than about 4-5 hours, max, once a week. I used to come home at lunchtimes when we both worked full time, and then went part time and left them for 5+ hours and they were all fine, but I couldn't imagine leaving them crated all day (not that they're crated at all).

 

I agree it's healthy to get dogs used to being left for some time, because you never know when circumstances might change. Though I wonder to a dog, how different 2-3 hours is to 5-6, because I'm not sure they see time in the same way we do.

[scotslass]

I rarely have to leave Bonnie because I no longer go out to work. My OH works full-time though, and we do eat out together on occasion. I decided a while back that I'd better get Bonnie used to being left- for the very reason some others have cited. We don't have family around to leave her with, and I would hate her first "home alone" experience to be during an emergency of some kind.

 

So - I go out for a few hours (max 4) once a week, making sure she's exercised well beforehand, and she has the cats for company. She is always thrilled to see me again, but doesn't seem traumatised.

 

Liz.

[ranirottie]

Altho mine are rarely left for longer than a couple of hours at a time they have the run of the house plus access to a safe and secure back garden through a dog flap so it is very different to being crated and unable to get out.I think 4/6 hours in a crate is long enough to go without a break for a house trained adult dog that is happy to sleep,less for puppies.

[Fee]

I suppose we're lucky, I only work away from home 3 days a week, and on those days OH is around for quite a bit of the day. The dogs have the run of the kitchen and living room, I've never used crates. Molly, in particular, gets very upset if she thinks she's 'shut in' anywhere, even in one room, but is quite happy in a larger space.

 

Once in a while they may be left for 3-4 hours, but I wouldn't like to leave them more than that. Definitely wouldn't want to leave a crated dog that long.

 

Having said that, the days I work at home I give them a long walk early in the morning and they generally don't move again until about tea time, so I suspect I worry much more about leaving them than they do about being left

[Laurel n Hardy]

my two (3 at the moment0 are left during the day and they have the run of the entire downstairs

 

I never shut the door on the crate i have, it's always open for one of them to get some quiet time if they want to

[EAD]

I only work part time so my lot are left from 8.45am until 1.45pm.

 

I leave them happily tucking into their frozen kongs and they dont seem to notice im going out the door

 

We go to the beach as soon as I come home for an offlead run.

 

I very rarely go out and if I do I always make sure its a Saturday night when ive been at home all day with them.

[Happylittlegreensquirrel]

on the days I work fab dog walker comes in twice so they are never left for more than 3.5 - 4 hours

 

over night they sleep down stairs and can manage a good 8 hours and sometimes more if we have a lay in ( they can come up the stairs if they wanted too )

 

working days they get 4 walks a day , one before we leave for work , twice with dog walker ( 2 x 30 minutes ) and then an evening walk so at night they want to sleep

 

in an emergancy I guess they could cope with 8 hours in the day ( as they do at night ) but of course I would expect that they would wee in the hall ( as they are used to having a wee in the day )