how many hours a day is your dood alone?

[Jen W]

I feel so much guilt about leaving my 8 month (she doesn't like being alone) that I have curtailed a lot of my hobbies and social life. It's kind of starting to get to me, so in a way I guess I'm looking for some confirmation that it's okay if she's home alone for more than a few hours a day.

[Julie and Charlie]

Oh, and he goes to day care about once a week, but for the time being, he's not welcome due to canine papilloma virus. It's going to be a long "weeks to months" span before it clears up.

[Adina P]

The longest I've probably left my dogs without a potty break is probably 6 hours.  I am mostly a SAHM so I am rarely gone and even when I worked full time I was able to come home at lunch.  Now, I don't feel guilty about letting my dogs be alone for a few hours, I just am rarely gone for long.  That or I make prior arrangements for a friend to stop by and let the dogs out to potty.  It is forcing them to hold their potty (or the fear they won't) that worries me more on the occasion I have to leave the house for a long time.  They do just fine on their own and basically sleep the whole time.

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Luna was left alone for about 8 hours a few times a week when she was only a few months old... we didn't have a choice, we had to work.  She had water and her crate in a playpen with a little potty area.

She was totally fine and because she was confined in a safe area we felt a bit better... still super guilty though!

Now she can be left alone all day (8-10 hours) while we're at work and has the run of the house.. no issues.  At least she can see what's going on outside at the front and back so she has something to "do".  Thankfully I usually only work a full day a couple days a week and otherwise it's half working from home so she's only home for maybe 4-5 hours alone.

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

Bexter and Maggie are in their crates for about 5 hours in the morning.  Then, they get a break to go play outside while my husband eats his lunch.  Then, back in the crate for about 1.5 hours.  They should be old enough to have free reign (both 2 years old), but I always feel like they are safer in their crates.  Plus they love being in their crates.  During school breaks (I am a teacher), I am with them all day & night!

[Itims]

Mine is alone for between 6-8 hours about 3-4 times a week. I come home for lunch for about 90 mins in the middle of the day. I don't crate her anymore and that makes me feel a bit less guilty but I still feel bad if I stop to have a hallway conversation on my way out or don't take the fastest route home. I never ever have lunch or coffee or do any work social events with my colleagues now. 

I'm looking into a day care for 2-3 days a week to give both of us some more activity and socialization.  I'm also considering fostering though I need to get more information and research on that before I commit. 

Till then, I try to do  limit our social activity to those days where either shes tired from playdates or puppy school OR those days that we have been home with her the entire day (like weekends). 

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

When I was crate training my doodles I would go home for lunch. So it was like 4 hrs. in the a.m. and 3 hours in the afternoon.  I too was worried that my Sasha was alone so I got my Oliver and they keep each other company now.  I do go home a few days a week to check on them on lunch but for the most part they have the run of the house and each other so  I am not too concerned and they sleep most of the day anyway.  When I was working from home this past winter I would be at my dining room table working away and both dogs just slept.  In the evenings I take them for walks and on the weekends its usually some place where they can get their run on.

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

Quincy is just a year - this week!  We crate him and have increased the time before a break incrementally.  No matter how long, and it has been over 6 hours on occasion, he is asleep in his crate when we get home and he leisurely saunter out, stretches, looks to be scratched and goes and lays down on his bed!  He always gets a mile or so walk to the beach, hangs with us while we get ready, and then a quick potty break before we leave him in his crate-fully equipped with bully stick, toy and cram cheese filled kong. If no one will be home, I have a walker who comes in mid day and plays with him.  If once of us will be early, he lasts the 6+ time just fine.  I think it's like child care, it works out on a day to day basis.  Weekends are dog park, much longer walks and we do puppy daycare occasionally during the week, too.    

[F, Calla & Luca]

I would be nervous leaving a dog with a bully stick unsupervised due to a possible choking hazard.

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

I only give him the long ones-the 12 inch long and thick sticks, never the shorter chewed sticks that we toss. He holds it between his paws and chews the end. Do you still think this could be a problem?  I worry about his toys in there too and I don't leave anything he could possible shred.  

[F, Calla & Luca]

It sounds unlikely but how much of it does he chew ? What size is it when you return? A kong should be safe and other basically indestructible toys.

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Yeah we've left Luna with kongs unsupervised and filled with things she can't choke on (mashed bananas, peanut butter).  I wouldn't leave her with anything else when she was a puppy.  Now she has all her toys except her stuffed toys, because she would shred them and possibly eat the stuffing :p

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

Not more than an inch or so-never down to anywhere near a size he could swallow.  He takes a few days to get it down to even half.