How long can a dog be left alone in the house for?

It really depends on the dog. Some like to have some quiet time to rest while you're gone and others get stressed by being alone for a half an hour. I have two German Shepherd Dogs and my male loves to have the whole house to himself (sleeps the day away), but my female hates it when we leave the house for more than a couple of hours and would get into trouble if we didn't crate her... she actually likes being in her safe and cozy little crate. We have found that it works best to leave the two dogs together in a relatively dog-proof section of the house if we need to be out of the house for an extended period of time ( like if we go on a day trip where dogs aren't allowed or something). That way, she doesn't get lonely and he doesn't feel cooped up all day. I think if the dogs were used to being alone more often, they might react differently to our being absent, but since I am a stay-at-home-mom and I am around the house 99% of the time, they aren't quite so used to being left alone together for very long and see it as either a special time (like my male) or an uneasy time (like my female).

You sound sensible to me but you dont say how old the dog is..We have a rescue dog and it took 2 years of training (he was 6 months when we got him)and a huge crate in my kitchen(hes a big dog) until we could leave him knowing he wasn't going to harm himself or something else.This Jan we got a little pup to keep him company as hes really settled down and the pup never minded being left and its part of his routine.Like you I work about 4 hours a day but occasionally the dogs are left a little longer..if your going to be out for 8 hours you should really try and get someone to let them out half way through the day for you ...they need to go!Dogs are very tieing so your doing the right thing thinking about it first Good luck!

I wonder how finaldx knows that dogs feel more secure in a crate and if she has considered the possibility that the enthusiastic greeting she gets when she arrives home may be the dogs relief at being released from the crate.

Its good for a dog to know that you are going to return, try leaving for short periods and increase each period gradualy e.g 5 mins 20 mins 1 hour and so on,then your dog will realise that each time you go out you will come back, My dogs are left approx 4-5 hours each day and occasionaly 8-9

if you are adopting from a rescue centre thay may not let you adopt as you are out quite a lot and dogs can be very destructive when left for a long time on their own especially in a new home.you must think to yourself how long would i like to be left home alone

i used to leave my dog for 4-5 hours only once a week though all the other times he was with me where ever i went sadly i had to have him put to sleep as he was very ill.i think you could leave the dog at least twice a week for that long but any more i do not think it is worth getting one yet .

You sound like a sensible person who'd make a really good dog owner. Some dogs are very highly strung and would need someone around most of the time, others can cope with being left for longer - it varies from dog to dog. Where are you getting the dog from?When we first got our dog he was left for 4 hours at a time and was fine with that. Later, our circumstances changed and we do have to leave him for longer, up to 8-9 hours sometimes. In this case we walk him VERY LAST THING before going out and VERY FIRST THING when we get back. This would not be suitable for all dogs. Ours is a particularly laid-back greyhound.Ideally your dog should be let out during the day when being left for a long time. As she gets used to your home she'll feel more settled and more able to cope.Another thing to note is that rescue centres tend to err on the side of caution. As our circumstances are at the moment we'd have difficulty in adopting a dog, yet ours is happy here.Dogs aren't great at judging timespan. A dog doesn't know when you leave it whether you've been gone for 2 hours or 5 hours. Chances are the dog will just sleep whilst you are out.Bear in mind, the dog won't be able to go out for the 8 hours you are asleep. They CAN hold on. If she has space, toys and somewhere to go she'll be fine. You'll take her out for walks when you are there so the dog will be a happy one.To summarise, by the sounds of it, the dog will be lucky to have you as an owner. Good luck.

Get a dog door-flap leading into your garden so that the dog can get out to play and have a wee etc. I have two extremely large dogs and the dog door flaps come from tiny to absolutely huge. When you want to keep the dogs in there is a sliding part that stops the flap opening.It is preferable to have two dogs (one of either sex but ensure one of them is spayed) as I have. I do not go out for long periods but they can amuse themselves either indoors or in the garden if I am away a few hours. Leaving one dog alone in the house for long periods will distress the dog as he/she will see you as her companion and will miss you when you are away from home.If you cannot see yourself with two dogs (they could be small ones) then it is better not to have a dog at all. Much kinder to the dog.

i go to work at 8am then home at 12-30 for lunch and my dog is fine. i then go back at 1-15 and home for the day at 3-30. if i was to be out occasionally for all day i`d probably ask a neighbour to let him out into the garden for a wee.overall, if he gets long walks at night then he should be fine but only if your out all day occasionally.

Ive had my yorky since he was 9 weeks old and from 2 days after we got him he has been left for 4 hours a day and weekends apart from doing the shopping he has our upmost attention.There has been a few times in 4 years when Ive worked late (an hour or so)and he has been fine ,He has loads of toys and chews etc to play with and fresh water.If I have time I take him out before I go to work if not when I get home.He,s a very happy chap and knows we will be back.He actually loves his space and never makes a sound while we are out.Never shewed furniture so we have been lucky.I think its a good idea to leave her for a short time when you first get her ,Jus t pop to the shop etc ,just to let her know you will be back soon.Good luck and enjoy her company when you walk in from work and see a tail wagging pleased to see you home.

We leave ours for about 4 to 5 hours, his OK just as long as you walk it before and after when you get home.I wouldn't leave it longer, more than a couple of times because if its anything like our dog it will be sociable and like your company, they can also get bored and start destroying things so make sure you leave it some toys (you can get the ones you fill with treats there great) and don't forget water and food.If i were you i would definitely get a dog there great!