None of us like to leave the dog alone at home, but sometimes it is necessary because we need to go to places where they cannot accompany us, such as work, shopping or the doctor. Even if it is only for a few hours, we always ask ourselves: will you be comfortable? quiet? Sleeping ?.
Knowing what a dog feels when left alone is complicated, but we can get an idea knowing how it behaves during our absence. If you wonder how my dog feels when he stays home alone? these are the options you should consider.
Index of contents
- 1 Do they get sad when we leave?
- 2 What do dogs do when left alone?
- 2.1 Rest and sleep
- 2.2 Play and spend energy
- 2.3 They await our arrival
- 3 Tips for leaving the dog alone
- 4 Things you should never do if you leave him alone
Do they get sad when we leave?
First they get a little nervous, because they know at all times when we are going to leave the house and leave them alone. In the same way that they know when it is time to eat and when we go out for a walk, they know our routines.
When they confirm that we are leaving without them, yes, they also feel sadness in the same way that we feel sad for not being able to take them with us. That is why It is not advisable to say goodbye to them, or talk to them when we are going to leave. without them, because we will inadvertently increase their sadness.
It is best to leave the house as if nothing happened, although we are sad. We can even leave the television or radio at low volume, if we are going to be away for several hours. When you hear voices or noises from television or radio, you will not feel so alone.
What do dogs do when left alone?
Each dog is different and their way of acting can vary greatly, especially if they are puppies, since they have a lot of energy and require more games and attention than adult or elderly dogs.
Let’s see what things a dog normally does during the time he is alone at home. Surely your dog will do the same, so take a good look at all the phases so that the next time you leave home, you know what he will be doing.
Rest and sleep
Although when we leave they will stare at us, looking sad, after a few minutes they will realize that they are completely alone and they will take advantage of the time to rest and get some sleep.
If you have not told him otherwise, they usually climb onto the sofa or our bed, since they like to rest feeling our scent. It is a way to overcome loneliness. If, on the other hand, you never let them do that, they will surely lie down for a while in their bed or in a cool place in the house.
Play and spend energy
After a comforting dream where they have been able to recover energy, it is time to spend that energy and what better way to do it than by playing? If they have teethers or a ball, they will surely spend some time nibbling and playing.
It is also possible that they give you mischief, and that boredom and excess energy can make your dog have a bit of evil ideas, like chewing on a piece of furniture, breaking a cushion or even running all over the house without stopping until you get tired.
If he also hears some noise in the street or from a neighbor, it is very likely that he will begin to bark to try to chase away possible thieves (he does not know if they are neighbors or not, so he tries to scare them). Barking is another thing that dogs usually do when they are alone, it is their way of attracting attention or preventing strangers from entering.
They await our arrival
Have you never seen your dog look out the window or wait by a door? When they think that it is time to get home, what they do is wait for us as close as possible to the entrance of the home, to receive us with great joy.
Sometimes they are wrong in calculating the time it will take us to return and they get bored of waiting or watching out the window, it is where they return to the previous stage of sleeping or playing / playing pranks.
No matter how long it took us to return, they will always receive us with much love and joy Because they simply love us and want to always be by our side. For them, we are their whole family.
Tips for leaving the dog alone
It is proven that dogs that exercise or walk before being left alone, become less nervous and sad because of our absence. So here we leave you a series of tips for you to put them into practice.
- Take a long walk or exercise It is ideal before they are left alone at home, so they will be tired and without excess energy. Most likely, they will take advantage of that time of solitude to rest taking a long nap.
- Let them relieve themselves, so they don’t feel like peeing or pooping. Dogs that do not relieve themselves before being left alone become much more nervous as they are sometimes very eager and do not know when you will return.
- Feed them and always leave fresh water If they are eaten, they will most likely take advantage of it to sleep. Also, a hungry dog may be barking for a long time, claiming its food. Something that can disturb the neighbors. You should always leave clean, fresh water at your fingertips.
- Interactive food You probably know the bones for dogs or the dry nerves of ox or bull, even Kong toys in which you can put food inside. They will love to have a good time chewing on those bones or nerves, while you return home.
- Turn on the radio, since many dogs feel accompanied or better if they listen to music or a human voice in our absence. That if you should leave the volume low in case they want to sleep.
- Leave your terrace open If you have a terrace or balcony, it is a good idea to leave it open so that our dog can go out to sunbathe or gossip to the neighbors. It is a very healthy way to entertain yourself.
Things you should never do if you leave him alone
In the same way, there are things that we should never do if we are going to leave our dog alone at home, because they are counterproductive. Take note and never make these mistakes.
- Say goodbye to the dog It is a very common mistake that will only make our dog much sadder. Don’t say goodbye to him when you leave, just give him love when you return.
- Lock him up or tie him up, let the dog run around the house, never tie him to a chain or
leave him locked in a room, because he will be very nervous. - Leave it without water It is something that can cost you your life, especially in the hottest months. We must always leave water at the disposal of our dog.
Now that you know how your dog feels when he stays home alone and what he does in your absence, will you be calmer @ the next time you have to leave home?