Home Alone Dogs

[GoldenOldie]

I was very sad to read about Troy and his rather lonely end but how wonderful of the Oldies Club to have stepped in to try and get him a home. Two of my three oldies, now 14 and 13 were 'home alone', coincidentally both for 6 months living in their old owners homes with friends/family popping in to feed them and let them out. My lab. was 11 when I adopted him and was 53 kgs. and had breathing problems because he had been overfed and only let into the garden by very well meaning family. My other girl I adopted this year and she is profoundly deaf and has a significant heart murmur but is a very sprightly old girl and bounces around like a puppy most of the time. Both of them have the most wonderful loving temperaments and are very sociable, adoring dogs/cats/children and everyone in general! I can only imagine how lonely their lives were without stimuli and TLC, shut up in a house all day,especially my little deaf girl who has very quickly learned some basic hand signals and absolutely loves to be out and about being made a fuss of by everyone.

In both of their cases I'm sure there was no intent to neglect but all animals need more than just feeding and toileting . I believe there was also a genuine feeling of not wanting the previous owners, in both cases in permanent residential care, to think family had just got rid of the dogs.

Interestingly neither has ever shown any separation anxiety - I know how strange that sounds when they were used to being left so much! - but completely and quickly adapted to my routine when I work part of the week and they settle down after their morning walk and tend to sleep several hours, even on days when I'm at home. The only vice my dear old boy has is his love of emptying bins and I have many times been half way to work and remembered with sinking heart that I forgot to empty/hide the kitchen bin. He also loves to sort out my fruit and veg. shopping if I forget and sit down with a coffee before putting it away - particular favourites are strawberries, tomatos, bananas and melon topped off with carrots - his most spectacular being the day he opened and ate a vacuum pack of beetroot (5 beets) which he took into the living room to eat on the carpet when I nipped out for a forgotten item. No ill effects but I am paranoid about certain things like grapes and peppers and get those away first. He is, after all, one of the better known canine dusbins - a lab.!

[melissa]

Sadly we get a fair few 'home alone' dogs, they really upset me and I can't help but think of how worried and anxious they must be. Their lives must be so lonely and boring, constantly waiting for that person to 'pop in'.

I do wonder if the seperation anxiety is greater with the dogs that have lived with people that rarely went out or were housebound.

As you say some home alone dogs are just glad to have company again, slot right in to a routine but maybe they were used to being left and are generally more confident dogs. Heartbreaking to think of your dog on its own for six months! Troy did have family trying to help him, I suspect he just wanted to be with his owner again, hope he is.

[elainew]

Oldies Club Storm (now atb) whom I fostered and was adopted by Trudging Trish was one such dog - his owner was about 90 and spent a long time in hospital and then moved into a home. I belive he was left home alone with just basic care for about a year before Oldies Club took him on. I was his second fosterer, he had been with his first one for soome months - he was completely traumatised when he arrived with her but was a quiet happy lad by the time he came to me thanks to her care.