Leaving your dog alone - how do you teach him to do that?

Leaving puppies alone

Whether and how long a puppy can be left alone depends entirely on how it was brought up. If your puppy has just moved in with you, you should completely avoid leaving your dog alone for the first few days, or better still, for the first two to three weeks. Your puppy has lived in a pack with his siblings and his mother. They have spent day and night together. So he has never really been alone. When he arrives at your home he will need some time to get used to you and the new environment. In the beginning he will also miss his siblings and his mother. This is already a lot for your new roommate.

The training can begin

But if the puppy has arrived properly then the training for being alone can begin.

1. Start very small.
2. At the beginning leave the room only for a few minutes and close the door.
3. Go out for two to three minutes and see how your dog behaves.
4. Come back after the few minutes and give your dog the feeling that everything is normal. But do not greet him.

Even if he cries or barks at first, stay outside the locked room for two to three minutes. As soon as your dog is calm, you can increase the time:

• Leave the room for five minutes
• Leave the house for a few minutes
• Stay outside for a few minutes

Always make sure your dog is completely relaxed when left alone before increasing the times. Once your dog can handle 10 to 15 minutes, it won't take long for him to stay alone for a full hour or more. Get your puppy used to it slowly. Please make sure with a puppy that they need to go out more often than adult dogs. A puppy should not be left alone for more than 2 hours in the first 4 months. Once you have a good understanding of your dog and how long he can go without being distressed, you can increase the amount of time he is left alone.

Your dog can not stay alone?

This problem is probably known to many dog owners. A dog that has never learned to stay alone can't either. Dogs are pack animals. Wild dogs and wolves always live together in a pack. For a dog to be left alone is something that goes against his natural instincts. Nevertheless, every dog can learn to stay alone. It is important to avoid that the dog develops fear of loss. This happens when you leave your dog or puppy alone for too long without training him. He does not know if you will ever come back. Yet you are his pack and more importantly, you are his food source and ensure his survival. As with puppies, adult dogs need to be accustomed to being left alone slowly. The principle is identical. Start with a few minutes and slowly work up the time spent alone. Don't suddenly leave your dog alone longer than your training level allows. This could set you far back in training if fear of loss develops in your dog.

Generally you should consider the following, so that your puppy remains alone without problems

• do not leave your dog alone for more than six hours a day
• adapt the times of absence to the level of training
• puppies need to go out more often than adult dogs
• if you can't guarantee that your dog will be out the door every 6-8 hours, don't get a dog.
• leaving a dog alone for several hours a day is cruelty to animals