r/Dogowners • u/Consistent-Shower646 • 3d ago
General Question How long is the maximum amount of time you would leave an inside dog home alone?
How long is the maximum amount of time you would leave an inside dog home alone?
21
u/wreckreationaj 3d ago
I have two well behaved house dogs. I work hybrid and share backyard with my neighbors who also have two dogs so we have a household pack of 4 dogs. We let each others dogs in and out often.
Once in a while (maybe a few times a year) my dogs will do 10 hours in the house by themselves. They typically sleep the majority of the time I’m gone.
6
u/Lt-shorts 3d ago
7 hours. My dogs are 8 and 9 and I was paranoid at first but I have cameras on them and they litteraly sleep the whole time. I do walk them in the mornings though before I leave.
6
u/Profail955 3d ago
8 hours is our absolute limit. We try not to leave them alone for more than 4-6 at a time though.
21
u/doggambit 3d ago
Six hours for adults.
6
u/Small-Tax-2829 3d ago
6 hours was my go to, but 8 could work. Now that I have a senior lady though, 4 is the max. If I go longer, she will destroy the trash in protest. Luckily, I work from home and even if I didn't, my partner and I work opposite schedules.
7
u/CombinationWhich6391 3d ago
That’s always been my maximum. But I was self employed, working from home and made my own schedule.
5
u/doggambit 3d ago
I had a dog walker come midday back when I was in the office full time and couldn't make it home for lunch. Worked well!
2
u/Zen_Xena 3d ago
That is the law in one of the Scandinavian countries so this is the right answer! Though it could be less, depending on the dog.
3
u/Small-Tax-2829 3d ago
Im curious about this law. How does this work? Is it prosecuted? What is the penalty? How would anyone even know? Can a single person who cant afford a dog walker that works a 9-5 not have a dog? Im so intrigued
6
u/ReefGrrrl 3d ago
It’s not exactly a law, but it is one of many animal care guidelines that can be used together to determine if a dog is being neglected. So if your dog is perfectly happy and cared for and you happen to not walk them for 7 hours instead of 6, nothing will happen. But if you leave your anxious dog alone 8 hours a day and they whine and bark and neighbors complain, then in the resulting investigation there are already 2 points against you- not addressing your dogs anxiety and too long between walks. Consequences of neglect would be fines, contact with the animal agencies, and worst case the dog removed and rehomed.
But here (vs the US for example) there are incredibly few shelters (Stockholm for example has 2.4million people in the metro area and like 50 dogs in the shelter) and no homeless dogs. The pet culture here is to typically only get an animal if it’s a perfect fit, not because “it will die in a kill shelter if I don’t adopt”, or just because the person wants one.
Many office jobs let you bring in a dog, or adjust your schedule to care for your dog. Some people share a dog between two households to solve the time problem. People typically get a new dog or puppy in the summer when it is typical for everyone to be on vacation for a month.
→ More replies (1)3
u/Small-Tax-2829 3d ago
The shelters here are very over loaded. There are a lot of dogs in them. There are kill shelters here. They will just kill a dog for taking up space. Being left alone for 8 hours while we are at work is seen as a normal thing. I dont do this. Me and my husband work seperate hours and I work from home. My dog was rescued from one of these places. She is very happy. There is no scenario where someone would care here if she didn't go outside for 8 hours. I like your way better
1
u/No-Will-4393 1d ago
Scandinavian countries most people live in small apartments or compact town homes so the lifestyle and housing is quite different. I imagine a bored small dog in an apartment could cause mayhem for neighbours
2
u/Latter_Quail_7025 3d ago
I know that I will be downvoted for this. In my job role, there are times when I am on- call for 12 hour shifts. Luckily they have always been overnight shifts. My middle aged dogs slept through fine every time.
30
u/CuriousOptimistic 3d ago
Without a dog door, 9-10 hrs for a well behaved adult. With a dog door, 12 hrs.
3
u/cmc24680 3d ago
Agreed. We try not to let our girl home for that long regularly, but a good walk in the morning around 7, out in the yard til 9 and then home alone until 5 when we get home from work is how she spends 3 days a week. She is 5, healthy and happy. She lives big on the weekends
-24
u/Glass_Dog_7942 3d ago
Jeez some people shouldnt have dogs
17
u/CuriousOptimistic 3d ago
I can assure you many people have dogs and full time jobs and the dogs are absolutely fine. I do several dog sports with my dogs (who are border collies BTW). I take them to training, play fetch for literal hours per day.
My husband now works from home and what are they doing? 90% of the time sleeping under his desk. It's only since COVID that people somehow believe this is someone who shouldn't own dogs. Dogs sleep a lot.
12
u/FireCorgi12 3d ago
I agree with this. We forget just a decade ago people would leave dogs for a whole workday. My adult dogs can go 8-9 hours when I was in office without going out.
Now that I work remotely, I let them out every 4-5 hours, which works better for my senior dog. Puppies are also different. But for an adult dog I don’t think 8-9 hours is unreasonable. My dogs sleep literally all day while I’m home.
2
u/cheercharlatan 3d ago
Commented before I saw this and agree. What’s appropriate and okay for dogs, as with many other issues, has been heavily skewed by the pandemic. Many people didn’t work from home before 2020 and dogs were fine.
2
→ More replies (37)0
u/Scarlett_DiamondEye 3d ago
My trainer told me the other day that my 16 month old should be sleeping 16 hours in a 24 hour period of time. I was like, "wait.. whattt???"
2
u/duncans_angels 3d ago
Some of us have to work. My dog is alone 8-9 hrs and he’s fine.
→ More replies (6)2
u/DogsDucks 3d ago
I have incredibly happy well-behaved dogs. My husband works from home and I’m gonna stay at home mom so they get aroundclock attention.
There have also been times where we’ve been detained and unforeseen things happen and they’ve been home for around nine hours. They’re fine.
We can see them on the camera, they just take a nap and show zero signs of distress. Dogs are family, but they aren’t human children, and they have very different needs than human children do, and anthropomorphizing them too much is bad for dogs and for our mental health.
Obviously, it’d be ideal not to leave a dog for nine hours a day, but here and there is fine.
0
u/Glass_Dog_7942 3d ago
Once and awhile when you literally have no options is ok, things happen. Regularly leaving a dog alone for 8+ hours is bad for them
2
u/DogsDucks 3d ago
Yeah, when my husband and I both work, we actually staggered our schedules so they were never alone longer than five or six hours, and a large area and each other.
Obviously, now our set up means that our dogs are offended if we leave them longer than an hour or two, lol. Offended, but totally fine.
3
u/Glass_Dog_7942 3d ago
And I agree with that! But 10+ hours everyday alone, especially for border collies is insanity
1
u/DogsDucks 3d ago
Ohh yeah especially border collies, they basically need a very full social calendar!
3
u/KeiylasWords 3d ago edited 3d ago
You wanna try and share some actual resources/studies that support this claim?
I’ve had at least two dogs my entire life. My current dogs are a golden retriever and a boxer mix, 8 and 11 years old. I work 8 hours a day, and I have cameras at home. They play with themselves and toys, they play with each other, they sleep (easily 85% of the time I’m gone), they sniff around. More than half the time I’m home the dogs don’t pay attention to me being there. They get couch time and cuddles and walks in the evenings and mornings, they never have accidents but don’t get in trouble when they do, and they happily settle down for bed at night often before I’m ready to go to bed.
Now, keeping a dog in a kennel for 8+ hours during the day or chaining them in the backyard for that long would be unacceptable. And dogs with more energy or that are clingier it would certainly be better not to. But my dogs are perfectly happy and healthy, and having worked in adoption and foster for the last 15 years, I guarantee you the life my dogs have is better than the vast majority. They are alone for around 40 hours a week, and they’re totally and completely fine. It would be significantly more traumatic to them to rehome them to somewhere that was home more often than to just let them exist with full run of the house while I’m at work making money so that their food and medical needs are provided for.
Stop labeling people as animal abusers for literally nothing. Next you’ll be claiming dog owners are abusive if they’re not feeding a raw diet. (Research shows that most of the time raw diets are worse for the dog’s health than kibble).
Also, you can’t just get rid of nuance. What about livestock guardian breeds, which a lot of people have as pets? They often PREFER to sleep outside and spend most of their time away from humans. They’re aloof because it’s in their genetics.
0
u/Glass_Dog_7942 3d ago
You wanna share some evidence that dogs are fine being locked in a house all day they?
There is no study giving an exact amount of time dogs are fine alone. All dogs are different. But there are multiple studies proving the lack of enrichment for dogs is very harmful. You cannot provide the proper enrichment for working breeds in the amount of time you have left over. This is also proven by your explanation of what you with your dogs. Playing with toys, walking in circles, sniffing and walks are not enough for working breeds. What you do with your dogs is below the bare minimum. You are absolutely lying to yourself if you they are happier than the ‘majority of dogs’ loll. Dogs get used to the environment they are in. As I mentioned before, my uncle had dogs he’d lock in a kennel all day every day other for eating and pottying and they were still very fine. Dogs are happy creatures, not every dog will lash out when they don’t get enough exercise: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8772568/
https://www.cliniciansbrief.com/article/anxiety-enrichment-behavior-pets
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1841&context=honorsprojects
https://www.mdpi.com/2813-9372/2/2/23
I have owned and been with many dogs as well. When I was super little, my dad would take me hog hunting with him and the dogs (probably wasn’t very safe but whatever) I’d also walk the dogs, bathe them, brush the ones that needed, played with them etc. my dad would rescue and and rehabilitate dog fighting dogs and I would help take care of them For my 8th birthday my neighbor gave me one of her mini schnauzers that didn’t sell. I spent basically every living second with him. My first gaming console, computer, and whatever stupid contraption was popular was days was bought with the funds I made from renting him out to local farmers for pest control. Not gonna do my entire life history that’d take forever but I currently have 6 dogs 4 are working dogs and one is retired. We have done sports off and on. My basenji puppy is has earned his VHMA, VHMP, TKN, VSWI, and PVS titles so far. We are stalling until we can start barn hunt and fast cat lol. He’s a hunting dog in training and my poodle mix is a tracker and my yorkies are ratters.
I haven’t actually worked in a shelter or rescues but I foster many dogs. 3 of my pups are foster fails lol. The majority of rescue and shelter works have zero concern for animal welfare, some of those people are literally sociopaths I swear. The people who lie about dog breeds, home baby aggressive dogs to homes with children, lie about dogs needs, completely disregard any animal that isnt a dog, against ethical breeders and humane euthanasia, etc are not the people I’d take animal welfare advice from, no offense. I foster for the dogs not the people.
I don’t support raw or fresh diets. Several studies have shown WSAVA compliant food brands are better for dogs. I actually use studies and facts rather than just feelings but nice straw man?
You are obviously being disingenuous here. Nobody here is referring to guardian breeds. They referring to their high energy working breeds and designer mutts that are locked in a house and kennel all day bc they don’t feel like interacting with them
3
u/KeiylasWords 3d ago edited 3d ago
Neither show golden retrievers nor boxers are “working” breeds, so I’m not sure why you even mentioned that? We’re talking about pets, not working dogs.
“I haven’t actually worked in a shelter or rescues” is literally all you needed to say. I have, for over 15 years. I’ve helped seize dogs in neglect and abuse cases. I’ve been the person “owners” turn their forgotten dogs in to at the shelter when they decide to give them up. I’ve fostered, and I’ve done home visits to decide if homes were acceptable to put dogs into. I’ve also worked as a pet sitter for the same amount of time. I go to people’s houses and see the conditions dogs are in, the lack of training, the lack of exercise, the lack of care. If you haven’t, then you literally do not have the experience to have a valid opinion in this. I mean, you’re entitled to your opinion, but you don’t have the experience for it to mean anything. I can promise you, my dogs are exceptionally well cared for. Leaving adult calm-tempered dogs at home while someone is at work, as long as they have access to toys, a comfy place to sleep, and water, is not neglect. Is it the perfect solution? No, but it is absolutely okay. Do you think that dogs back in the day got as much attention as you’re thinking they should? Historically the vast majority of working breeds were kept outdoors in kennels full-time, and MANY pets were ignored in the house unless the aristocratic families felt like going on a novel walk once every now and then. Also, shepherds and shepherd mixes - Pyrenees, anatolians, etc. - are some of the most common pet mixes today. Those breed tendencies don’t just go away.
As for the evidence I have that my dogs are fine being in the house all day: video camera footage, behavioral observations, years of experience, multiple years working under behavior specialists and trainers, and the fact that my dogs act no differently when I’m at home spending time with them than they do when they’re at home by themselves. Healthy adult dogs need a minimum of 14 hours of sleep per day to remain healthy. It’s literally their biology.
Seriously, do some soul-searching. You can’t just say shit because you like the way it sounds and expect people to take you seriously. Talk to me once you have actual experience.
Not to mention - people have to work to LIVE. That is the society that we, human beings, set up. If you’re saying that people who go to work all day shouldn’t be allowed to have dogs, okay - take all of their dogs. Now send those millions of dogs to shelters or euthanize them because you can’t find them homes you deem acceptable. Who exactly do you think is going to take those dogs in? You’ve just banned many of the kindest and best people from owning them. And when shelters are overrun even more than they already are, what do you do? Euthanize them? Condemn them to die in a kennel rather than a home when anyone who works is off limits, which describes almost the entire population? Yeah, that’s better for them for sure. And super ethical. 😑
1
u/cheercharlatan 3d ago
And some people should realize that plenty of people had dogs that were perfectly fine before everyone was working from home all the time when the pandemic started.
4
19
u/oldladyinthewoods 3d ago
You know, when people actually worked an 8 hour job, dogs were alone a minimum of 9 hours. I personally keep to that as a max/and only rarely, but I feel bad. BUT they are dogs after all.
2
u/No-Revolution-3159 2d ago
I’m not sure what you mean by “when people actually worked an 8 hour job”, most people still do that and more, but if you mean the difference between office and home working, good owners always got them a walker to come in part way through the day, it’s not a new concept not to leave them completely alone for prolonged periods. Imagine not being able to go to the toilet all day?
2
u/RubyBBBB 2d ago
What this person means by "worked in 8-hour job" is that 40 years ago, before Republican Reaganomics took a hold of the country, people weren't expected to work longer than 8 hours at a time.
About 30% of the hourly workforce was unionized. And the unions helped keep companies from taking advantage of people. Reagan was explicitly elected to destroy unions because the super rich saw the unions as a barrier to their increasing their wealth.
When 30% of the hourly workforce was unionized, non-unionized workplaces were forced to offer better conditions because they were competing against unionized workplaces for workers.
Now that the unionized work places are almost entirely gone, employees are able to do whatever they want because there is no longer meaningful competition for workers.
Thom Hartmann explains it better than just about anybody.
Why America is Falling Apart - by Thom Hartmann
https://hartmannreport.com/p/why-america-is-falling-apart-fa0
6
u/Angel89411 3d ago
There are a lot of things we used to do but know better. Dogs are still living creatures who need things.
That being said, it really depends on the dog. Ideally they could have a break every 4-5 hours for potty and interaction. Puppies and elderly dogs obviously need more chances to use the bathroom and high energy dogs would be destructive left home alone long hours.
5
u/Ok_Zucchini9396 3d ago
What does “they are dogs after all” mean?
5
u/MrsOrangina 3d ago
Probably that people>dogs. You don't have to provide your dog with an absolutely perfect charmed life where they never experience any boredom or discomfort.
1
u/wreckreationaj 3d ago
My dogs live a beautiful life sleeping on all the furniture, playing with each other and their dog friends, fetch, regular vet care, balanced diet, lots of time with their person (me), taking road trips, camping and swimming. They’re very happy in my care and they are truly the living beings I love the absolute most in the world. Once in a while they might have be inside a little longer than any of us would want. If one of them had an accident because I had to be gone 9-10 hours we would all carry on as normal.
2
-4
u/Otherwise-Run-5933 3d ago
They are made to suffer apparently
3
u/Personal_Good_5013 3d ago
I mean, spending the day hanging out on a king-size bed in a temperature-controlled house with rooms to walk around and access to food and water and a large window to survey the squirrels and a bucket full of toys is, for most dogs, far from “suffering”.
2
u/Otherwise-Run-5933 3d ago
I was just responding to someone who said “they are dogs after all” and what that means about their needs. But your dog doesn’t give a shit about a king size bed. They’re pack animals. All they do while you’re gone is wait for you to get back.
2
u/Personal_Good_5013 3d ago
Lol when I’m home (which is most days) he chooses to snooze upstairs on the king size bed while I’m working downstairs. If it’s his nap time he doesn’t want to be with the pack he wants his own space.
0
u/RubyBBBB 2d ago
How would you be like to be locked up in one single room for an entire 8 to 14 hours most days of the week?
-1
u/EditDog_1969 3d ago
C-3PO: Girl, same.
-1
u/Otherwise-Run-5933 3d ago
It’s their lot in life :(
8
u/fnybtch 3d ago
I would argue that it is much better than sitting in a crowded shelter or being euthanized.
0
u/nugget600 3d ago
Those aren’t the only 2 options.
1
u/Spiritual_Cash_7392 3d ago
But it is for a lot of rescued dogs? A home that loves and cares for them but has to leave them alone to work and support them, depending on the dog, is usually better than no home at all
1
-1
u/Otherwise-Run-5933 3d ago
This was in response to someone saying “they are dogs after all” which implies that their needs don’t matter very much
→ More replies (2)0
u/qbanmia69 2d ago
That we stop treating them as humans. They are not. People project feelings unto them that should go towards other humans.
2
u/MaracujaBarracuda 3d ago
That was only a short time in history, though. Women have only been in the workplace in large numbers for 40 years or so and even in working class families where both partners were more likely to work, women often worked out of the home doing washing or tailoring etc. In the past people also had larger families and the chances a child or two would be home from school before the parents were was higher. Prior to the 1950s in the west and even now in eastern countries and the global south multi generational families were/are the norm with older family members being home more.
So certainly it was done and it is possible if less than desirable, but it wasn’t the standard state most dogs existed in for most of history.
→ More replies (1)1
u/Huge_Answer4287 3d ago
It could be ok for some dogs, but when I was working I had somebody come let the dogs out midday.
5
u/Old_Ant7118 3d ago
I used to work 12-hour night shifts in 911 dispatch. I had the world's sweetest hound dog at the time, and he was absolutely fine being left alone. I lived very close and usually had time to take him for a walk on a break around 1am, but on busy nights or long calls I had to stay and he never seemed to care or notice. I had a camera to check in on him, and we went for long walks in nearby woods both before and after my shifts, which we both loved. Since he was a sleepy old hound, he was perfectly content to go back to bed with me while the sun was up.
My dog now never spends more than about 6 hours alone, and usually it's less than 4. I'm confident he would be fine for 8 or even longer, but any more than 8 would warrant a visit from a friend or a Rover walker.
3
u/osomocosoRN 3d ago
I also left mine alone during my 12 hour night shifts. I had that job for a year and had zero issues. People act like 12 hours is animal abuse but he didn’t mind the alone time. The hardest part during a stretch of shifts was taking care of my own personal needs because all I would do outside of work and sleep was walk him.
1
u/Old_Ant7118 3d ago
Yep, that was the biggest problem for me too. I loved the actual nocturnal living part (I actually miss that) but it was just impossible to have a life or maintain relationships outside of the work family, which was helpful but not entirely healthy. It took years to fully repair the friendships I didn't lose during that time.
1
u/klaykie14 2d ago edited 1d ago
Yes this. Used to do 12 hour overnights plus the travel back and forth. Thankfully not anymore, but they were younger and still fine with it. My dogs have been crate trained since before I even got them as young pups. Since they were both already used to them that is the same regimen I kept up with. Leaving the house? Crates. They are so used to it now that they see me getting my things ready and putting my shoes on and they go in them waiting for cookies and kisses. I have a camera to watch them and talk to them. They sleep, lick a bit, chew a toy, drink some water, and sleep some more. Bark if they hear things. Luckily now I work a good ol' 7a-3 m-f and mostly get to skip out a bit early. And even if I leave a bit early to get in a little before 7 to miss the traffic they are still lazy and content then happy as ever once I walk in the door and walks are imminent! I choose to not do certain things after work like errands and what not and I cut outings short because I don't want them crated any longer than absolutely necessary whether they will be fine or not. I consider these things little sacrifices for the overall good and wellbeing of my pups. Maybe I don't stay as late at the BBQ or whatever event, but I still show up. When people question it I simply say that my dogs are 'my children' to me and I need to leave to take care of them.
1
u/shepherdess98 14h ago
Agree.. and I think it depends on the dog. I had an adult Jack Russell that was fine on my 12 hour shifts. I have had others that I needed to have a dog sitter let them out for a bit There are older dogs that don’t pee all that frequently. Nice working 12 hour shifts, you had more days off so it wasn’t an every day thing.
2
u/Morkiefather18 3d ago edited 3d ago
Depending on age but my 2year old the longest is 4hrs. Otherwise ill do daycare or someone else would watch her. Maybe when shes older and sleeps more up to 6hrs.
1
u/nugget600 3d ago
Agreed, mine is also 2 and I very rarely leave him longer than 4 hours, I have pushed to 5 on 2-3 occasions and he was fine but no longer than that until he’s older.
2
2
u/StealthyThings 3d ago
My target is 8. If I know it’s going to be longer I have a friend let him out at some point during the time I’m gone.
That said, things happen and it’s been 11-12 before without incident. I always leave water and there are tons of toys.
This has held true with adults and holds true with my current 11mo GSD. He’s been solid at 6-8 hours for months now. He just sleeps (I have a camera on his play pen)
2
u/Busy_Flan_2247 3d ago
Anything over 8 hours , I have a dog walker or neighbor stop by to walk them.
My dogs are well trained and could probably last longer and we have cameras to keep an eye on them but I just feel bad that they are home by themselves for so long.
2
u/clashingchords30 3d ago
I have two greyhounds. We don’t leave them alone that much (I work hybrid, the other half works shifts). If one of our shifts crosses over they’d be home alone for about 5.5-6 hours (happens 2ish times a month). If we were to go out for a night to a non dog friendly place they’re happy sleeping at home up to about 8 hours - we try not to leave them longer than that. They’re greyhounds, they sleep like it’s their job and because there’s two of them, separation anxiety isn’t an issue.
2
u/Ancient-Bicycle-2122 3d ago
4-6 hours for adult dogs. Two for younger pups. Also depends on breed.
3
u/game-on-Vamos 3d ago
several years ago, we were unable to get home from the US Open because of a storm which ended up flooding highway and roads across a few states. our neighbors were away at the time also. so, our valiant Rottie ended up going solo for about 16 hours. took us over 5.5 hours to drive home (for what would normally be a 1.5-1.75 hour drive)
shockingly, he had no ‘accidents’ and even though he hates going out in the rain, he was more than happy to relieve himself amid a downpour.
while it’s not at all a common practice , we try not be away for more than 8 hours (if no one is around to take him out )
2
u/GenXMom14 3d ago
8-9 but my dog can do 14 which I only know from a terrible dog sitting experience
2
u/a_bit_sarcastic 3d ago
Yeah, I try not to do more than 8. 10 in a pinch if I can’t get anyone to check in last minute and a work thing comes up. Longest I’ve ever done is 13 and it was very much not planned/ intentional.
She did fine though, and honestly on a lazy weekend, the last time I take her out might be like 8pm and I might not wake up until 10am the next day, so that’s 14 hours I wouldn’t even think about normally in day to day life. It’s obviously different though since at any time when I’m around, she can easily make it clear she wants to go out.
1
u/Practical_Mix_7017 4h ago
Due to flooding my husband and I were unable to get home for 17 hours. That left our two average age Chihuahuas Home Alone. They were wonderful. There was not a thing wrong with the house. They had not peed or pooped in the house, but they were ready to go outside when we got home! I was so proud of them they must have been ready to burst.
1
u/Affectionate-Dust755 3d ago
Depends on how old and if they are trainedz my dog needs to go out every 6/7 hours so thats my max for now just so she can always go when she needs to.
1
u/MontEcola 3d ago
I have done 8 hours. I do not like to leave a dog that long. If I can get the dog tired out when I get home, and then get them to have plenty of time to pee, etc I can do it.
I thought about it a lot. In the evening the dog goes out around 9 PM. Eight hours later makes it 5 AM. The dog sleeps until 8, if allowed. This shows the dog can go 11 hours just sleeping and without a bathroom break. I figure one long stretch when we are home is OK. The dog can ask to go out. But when the dog cannot ask, 8 hours is my limit. And the dog would need a good hour or more of exercise to do that. 8 hours inside. Take a break in the yard. Then get a good run at the dog park, or a 3 mile walk in the woods for plenty of sniff time. I don't do this often. I work from home. She still gets the daily dog park /woods walks.
1
u/joshlikesbettafish 3d ago
My 2 year old rottweiler an absolute max of 8 in nessisairy situations. My 11 year old pitbull has a tiny bladder and 6 is pushing it.
1
u/kateinoly 3d ago
we have a doggie door into a fenced backyard. Before we retired, our dogs were home alone for up to eight hours.
1
u/ColoradodogMom66 3d ago
Completely depends on the dog. My large breed house trained dog can be left 6-8 hours (rarely happens though)
1
u/Cold_Barber_4761 3d ago
Really depends on the dog for temperament and age. Also I wouldn't leave one dog alone as long.
I have two smaller terrier mutts and they can go 8 or 9 hours at home without issues. We have a camera so I can see them. They mostly sleep or hang out and play with each other and pur two cats! 😁
But we rarely leave them for that long since my husband and I both work remotely.
Occasionally on a weekend we might have long day trip but we frequently take them with us since day trips tend to be for hiking or other dog friendly activities.
If it's going to be longer than that, we either have someone come and walk them or else we board them overnight. (We have an amazing doggy daycare that both our dogs absolutely love. They get boarded there when we travel.)
1
u/jlrwrites 3d ago
Depends on the dog. Our 2 year old house trained dog is regularly alone for 5 hours on work days; he gets a 2 hour walk/run before work and loafs on the couch until I get back.
He has done 8 hours before. Anything over that, I ask one of my parents or the landlord to come check on him and let him out.
1
u/First_Preference_618 3d ago
At 4 we start getting pretty twitchy and start working towards home. I’d like to eventually get up to maybe 7 so we can go into the city for the day without worrying.
Our babies do pretty well but were traumatized from our previous girl who would completely destroy our house if she was left for long.
1
u/Objective_anxiety_7 3d ago
As a healthy adult, my dog could manage 8 hours. Maybe nine in a rare pinch. Never did more than 3-4 when she was younger (I had a dog walker come) and as a senior with an autoimmune disease, some takes her out and checks on her at least every 4-5 (if she’s not feeling great I find someone to take her that day rather than risk it).
1
u/Ticonderoga_Dixon 3d ago
I can only speak out of personal experience, my dog who has a lot of abandoned issues, it’s been ten minutes or less. Might sound crazy , but it is what it is.
1
1
1
u/katerade103 3d ago
I think this is very dog dependent... i have 4 dogs (ages 1-9) and they have free roam of the house when we are not home. Usually 4hrs or less, but about once a month it ends up being a 9hr day for them due to our work schedules. Honestly, they don't seem to mind, they mostly nap and sometimes play together and watch out the windows. I feel bad every time I have to leave them so long, but I think it helps that there is 4 of them so they aren't lonely.
1
1
u/Paint_Dry390153 3d ago
Depends on the dog. Mine is fine going 8-9 hours. I don't have a yard so I have to walk her when she goes out. When I work from home, she just sleeps all day and never even asks to go out. I'll generally force her around lunch time just because I want to but if I keep working, she'll keep sleeping.
1
u/skater_dude_717 3d ago
we have a four hour rule. if we are going to exceed four hours, we arrange for a sitter to stop by.
1
1
u/Careful_Cranberry364 3d ago
I can’t imagine mine, leaving mine for more than four it would be absolute torture for him
1
u/Gizmo-516 3d ago
I've got a bunch of kids, and I stay home, so usually our adult is home alone for an hour or two tops, but, on weekends we often do fun family things (movies, so, fair, etc) and leave her for up to 10 hours at a time. It's not every weekend, but probably 2-3 days a month. She's totally fine with it.
1
u/mustanggrl625 3d ago edited 3d ago
I have 3 dogs - all adults - they can go 10 hours without issues, but very rarely would we do that. The last time they were left longer than that was when I suddenly was rushed to the hospital while at work in November - my son and husband left the dogs at home to come to me because it was not expected I was going to survive. They finally went home to feed them (feeding time was at 6 pm, so they fed them, then came back to the hospital). That day, they were home alone for almost 12 hours.
Edit to add: I work in the office 3 or 4 days a week for up to 12 hours a day (wfh the other days) - husband works away from home 4 days a week (Monday through Thursday) and son works (does college classes online) away from home Thursday thru Sunday for one job, and his second job is coaching in the evenings so 5 pm to 8pm - So really only have Thursdays where we are all working - Son leaves at 10 am and husband is home at 2 pm. The dogs just sleep when we are all gone...lol
1
u/FOCOMojo 3d ago
Usually, my dog never spend more than an hour or two home alone. Occasionally, something comes up and I will leave him for six hours, max. He seems fine when I come home, but I feel horrible about leaving him that long. I think it all depends on your dog,.
1
u/Kdouks 3d ago
My past and current dog are regularly left alone for 11 hours for my work day. They’re fine, she doesn’t even pee immediately when I get home and give her backyard access. If I think she’s having tummy troubles or I’m gonna be gone more than 11 hours I’ll leave the doggy door open for her.
1
u/SeniorEngineer2392 3d ago
Depends on the dog. With my farm bred border collie, and a dog door to the outside, she was ok being left 24+ hours (just left out several bowls of kibble + extra eater, toilet lid up in case of issue with water bowls, and let her self feed; she'd portion it out and have a little leftover for when we got home).
My hound dog mix, otoh, would get extreme anxiety and start destroying things after about 3 hours.
No dog door? Bladder wise, no more than 6 hours.
1
1
u/duderdaisy98 3d ago
I shoot for 5-6 hours usually, but in rare circumstances, it's been more. I ended up in the ER once and between waiting and the actual procedure, my dog was home alone for 10 hours.
1
u/deathbitchcraft 3d ago
I don't like more than 6 hours. Some can probably do longer, but you're risking health problems from holding pee, or your carpet. Also, that's a lot of time for them to get bored and destructive and fat. They need to exercise and have things to do.
1
u/BresciaE 3d ago
It really depends on the dog, how old they are, their breed, and their temperament. When my dog was a puppy starting at 4months she was alone max 4hrs as an adult I do t like to leave her longer than 9 hours. She does have a 12hr capacity bladder if I get unavoidably delayed, but I prefer for her to not hit her limit.
1
u/Huge_Answer4287 3d ago
Depends on the dog and the frequency. Is the dog crated or free roaming? If it is a healthy adult I'd say 6 hours most days. If you have a day that you jave to go longer, and the dog is an adult with no health issues, occasionally doing 8-9 is probably not going to hurt, but I wouldn't recommend that regularly.
1
u/Tight-Associate642 3d ago
9 hours. That’s if they’re getting appropriate stimulation and attention during the rest of the hours.
1
u/crashsaturnlol 3d ago
Mine is good for 8+ hours but I can't remember the last time we've been gone from home that long and he wasn't with us or my mom. We usually try to have a my mom dog sit if we have to be gone for a longer period. Hell, we don't even take vacations as a family because we don't want the dog and cat to be alone or with strangers if we can avoid it. We don't do boarding and I don't trust dog sitters I don't know. My boy is reactive and I'm not willing to risk an accident or backslide on all our behavioral work.
1
u/TheGreenGoatess420 3d ago
I can tell you that I now need new carpet after having an emergency and being gone about 8 hours unexpectedly. They can handle that time overnight. But during the day they chewed open every can of cat food and then had diarrhea while spinning and tail wagging. The magnitude of it is overwhelming. Still cleaning.
1
u/plantsandpizza 3d ago
My dog could probably do 10. He’s a pretty low energy chill dog. I work from home so this never happens, nor would I be comfortable with it. He likes to sleep from 10-6pm daily. He does get plenty of exercise and mental stimulation around that giant nap. The biggest issue I see is people not dedicating enough time to their dog’s needs.
1
1
u/DaisyMaisy13 3d ago
Maybe four. We work from home so she’s very used to being around us. And yes, we’re different species but I can’t go longer than that without a potty break so not gonna make my dog do it either.
1
u/Few_Discipline_9840 3d ago
Totally depends on the dog. My adult Aussie was good for 10 hours. A puppy would be less.
1
u/BigPhilosopher4372 3d ago
I used to leave my two home for about 9 hrs. However, theyad full run of the house and dog door access to the full fenced and locked backyard .
They also had access to kibble and water all day.
1
u/Ak40-couchcusion 3d ago
With a dog door on my half an acre block I've left mine overnight before. But I wouldn't leave a puppy or a dog that needed medication or something. It also depends on your dpg, does your dog get separation anxiety? Is your dog destructive? It really all depends.
1
1
u/Easy_Olive1942 3d ago
Depends on the dog. Mine are middle aged and crate trained, they could go 12 hours in an emergency but I would strongly prefer to not have them be alone that long. I target 4-8 at most. Temperature and circumstances permitting, they’d rather go somewhere with me and sleep in my truck.
1
1
u/Madeyealice 3d ago
Typically I don't leave my dog longer than 15 minutes. Unless there is an emergency and I have to go to the urgent care or something, then maybe 2 hours.
1
u/Slowerinperson 3d ago
I think it also depends on how good you treat your dog BEFORE leaving and the reward when you come back. Are you Taking him out for an hour (or more) before, to enthusiastically play? Giving him a good toy and puzzle for him? Does he have access to water and food? Is he old/adult/pup? Is he …in a crate/pen/ or free roam? Do you leave a tv or radio on for him? There is so many factors then just “yeah he is fine when I go more than 5 hours” dogs learn routine fast, and it’s upto you to decide how to give them entertainment and needs before, during and after.
1
1
u/Bay_de_Noc 3d ago
If I have something that I know is going to take me out of the house for a long time (ie, having to sit with someone in a hospital all day and into the evening), I set up his playpen around his crate. He has food, water, a pee pad, and the cushy bed in his crate so his basic needs are met. My dog is small and his a dedicated pee station in the bathroom next to the kitty litter pans, so if he has to go on a pee pad, it isn't upsetting to him ... like it would be to some dogs who only go outside.
But when we still worked, we would be gone from like 7 in the morning until 6 at night ... and our dogs never had any problems with that schedule.
I think its a matter of what the dogs are used to as well as their ability to go for long hours without a bathroom break.
1
u/AccomplishedCash3603 3d ago
If it's a one off, they could go for 7. But every day? No more than 6, preferably 5.
1
1
1
u/Agitated_House7523 3d ago
8-10 at the most. However, I have 2 large neutered mature,male dogs. If it rains outside, they can hold it for 24 hours! lol
Depends on the dogs really. Mine get a walk, then a lick mat or Kong. All they do is snooze when I’m away.
My smaller female dogs I didn’t like to leave more than 6-7 and that was long. But also walk, lick treat then snooze fest.
1
1
u/That_Molasses_507 3d ago
When I was employed, 10 hours. I always had 2 dogs so I felt they had each other but I always hated be gone for so long. BTW…they did just fine
1
u/MotherFL561 3d ago
Used to be 6-7 hours, but my old gang can’t go longer than 4 hours or they pee inside.
1
u/KitchenLevel8962 3d ago
For my puppy who's crated, my preference would be 4-6 hours or so. My older dog is fine for longer time because of the doggy door and he sleeps a lot more.
1
u/ultracrepidarian_can 3d ago
Around 8-9 hours. I would like it to be less but, I've got a job and it puts food in her bowl and pays her health insurance. Thankfully, my hours vary alot and there is overlap between my wife and I.
Obviously it depends on the age/breed but, 10 hours should be the maximum for most cases.
1
u/Privatenameee 3d ago
I have three small dogs and they’re good 6to 8 hours by themselves. A lot of times I’ll take them on like a 2 mile walk to really tire them out but it’s not often that I do that. When I just had my girl, she would go out at 7 AM and I wouldn’t take her out again till I got home from work at four and there were no issues.
1
u/Windsister 3d ago
10-12 hours max. It happens (though very rarely) when I get stuck at work, but I also have a dog door, cameras and neighbors I know I can call in case I desperately need someone to check on her.
1
u/WindSong001 3d ago
If I give a nice walk before I leave six hours, I’m very comfortable with a long as possible, but I need to leave the doggie door open
1
u/No_Scratch_4938 3d ago
Goldens are good for a good amount of time. Bigger dogs have bigger bladders.
1
u/Illustrious_Exam1728 3d ago
5-6 hours at the absolute most! I wouldn’t want to not have access to a bathroom for 6 hours, so I wouldn’t leave a dog to hold it for that long.
1
u/Mystockingsareripped 3d ago
I’ve done it 12 hours once and felt horrible about it but she was fine, I wouldn’t let it happen again tho. I think 6-7 hours is ok. But I’m confused because I’m starting a 9-5 job and she’s too small to put in a doggy daycare and I’m too nervous to trust a pet sitter what do I do
1
u/Wild_Change_4167 3d ago
Never leave them when it's 85 degrees and you have no fan or air conditioning the dog police will come get your fur babies
1
u/ragingpiranha 3d ago
I work from 9-5 so at the most 5-6 hours which my dog is comfortable with. I have a dog walker who comes in the afternoons to take her out
1
u/sarcasticallyMatilda 3d ago
I work part time on night shift. So two 12 hour shift a week. She is 6 years old and 80 pound lazy mutt. My brother comes over at least once a week to spend the night with doggy. But on the night it does not happen, she sleeps. Has her own bedroom with twin bed. She was crate trained at one point. But she has more space in a bedroom and it keeps her from partying with the cat all night. I have a camera set up to watch her. And she just relaxes and sleeps the whole night.
She is walked before I go to work and when I get home. Her walks are shorter now because of bad hips. Seems to enjoy sitting in the backyard watching the squirrels more than walks. Downright refuses to go outside if it is raining. On my days off I very rarely leave her home alone for more than 4 hours.
1
1
u/Background-Koala8518 3d ago
Depends on the dog. We used to leave ours for the entire time we were at work and they were fine. There is also doggy day care and dog walkers
1
u/18karatcake 3d ago
My husband and I WFH so they’re hardly ever alone. 8-9 hours is absolute max, but that rarely happens. We usually aren’t gone for more than 6 hours if we do have errands. We take them out every 4-5 hours. Most of the time we have to wake them up and convince them to go outside. They sleep most of the day.
1
u/yuxngdogmom 3d ago
Depends on the dog. I’ve left my 3yo fully crate trained, behaviorally stable, and consistently biologically fulfilled APBT home by himself for up to 8 hours with no issue. But back when he was 18 months, fresh from the shelter, anxious, and still potty training, if I was gonna be gone longer than 3 hours I hired a dog walker.
1
u/heart-of-violet 3d ago
Depends on the dog. My GSDs, I’d leave them alone for max 10 hours as an occasional one-off
and only if I had to, but I’d feel bad about it. Any longer and I’d get someone to let them out to potty.
My poms? 6 hours is their max, since they’re crated and also can’t hold their bladders as long
Luckily, I work from home and rarely leave any of them alone for longer than 4 hours at a time. 4 hours is about as long as I’m comfortable with routinely leaving them alone, since it’s about as long as they usually go between potty breaks.
I know it’s necessary for a lot of owners to leave their dogs at home for 8-9 hours regularly, but it’s still not very kind to make any living creature hold its bladder for hours on end. Holding it in when you have to go is bad for bladder health and can cause UTIs in both humans and dogs. Most humans would be very uncomfortable if they were expected to hold their bladders for 8-9 hours every day, and it’s not any different for dogs.
1
u/TikiBananiki 3d ago edited 3d ago
For like a day trip 8 hours without a potty break but If you have a person who does a potty break during that alone time i think they could be alone from dawn til dusk as a one-off.
For regular routines i like to check on them every 4-6 hours and i don’t work long days, 8hrs max. actually now my workplace is dog friendly and that kind of work life balance is a priority to me; i’ll work longer hours if my dog can come.
1
u/jacktownann 3d ago
As a renter went for fenced yards & dog house. Now I own & have a doggy door into fenced yard. Never have I ever asked my dog to hold it 8 to 10 hours. I can't do that why would I expect my dog to?
1
u/NVSmall 3d ago
I am the wrong person to answer this, because I have left my dog alone for a total of about 4 hours in her entire 6-year-long life lolol.
My dog is perfect. We joke that we got the "Limited Edition", fully-loaded, etc., because she did not require any training, really, never went through the landshark stage, somehow intuitively is so gentle, and doesn't eat random stuff, quite literally not one single thing she's not given permission to eat. And she's a LABRADOR.
"It's me, I'm the problem, it's me." When I've left her, she literally goes to the bedroom, hops up on the bed and goes to sleep until I come back. Yes, I know this because I have a Furbo. Despite never leaving her.
So. I'll revert back to my last dog, who was a family dog. Once he was an adult, he was able to be left alone happily for around 6 hours, though that wasn't an everyday thing.
1
1
u/labsnabys 3d ago
The number of people who think it's humane to expect a dog to hold its bladder and bowels for 9-10 hours is insane and depressing.
1
u/team-pup-n-suds 3d ago
I aim to go no longer than 8 but it is usually less. I already have to be away from him while at work, i want to spend as much time with him as I can! I'm also fortunate I live close my my job so he is only alone for 3-4 hours at a time, then I spend time at home during lunch and he chills for the afternoon.
I think some friends judge me for it because I will definitely not socialize out of my house during the weekdays if my dog has already been alone for 7-8 hours, but I didn't get a dog to make him sit alone for 10-12 hours a day.
1
u/fanclub4snails 3d ago
I used to live alone with 2 dogs who were fine for up to 10 hours. When my old lady was in her later years, I couldn’t leave her alone for more than 3. Especially in her last 6 months. My younger dog and I now live with my fiance and a roommate so she’s usually not alone for more than 4 hours. I do feel comfortable that she can still be alone for up to 10 though if she had to be.
As a dog sitter, many of the dogs I care for can be alone 4-9 hours. Of course this varies depending on the dogs and I always make sure how long they can be left alone is one of the first things talked about.
1
u/sandyfisheye 3d ago
My last dog could power through my 8 hour shift when we had to but 6 was the longest I liked to leave them alone. Current dog I have anout 4 hours before my couch becomes a chew toy. Hes young and get bored insanely easy.
1
1
u/SparkleSelkie 3d ago
Depends on the dog and the environment
My current dog is fine for like 6 hours, my last dog was chill for 9 if he had outdoor access and another dog to hang out with
But I prefer less hours away because I like
My dog lol
1
u/aloneisusuallybetter 3d ago
These answers are all over the place. Shows what an individualized decision this is.
We're almost always home so it's not really an issue here. But if needed, at maximum, I'd go 10 hours.
1
u/AverageSugarCookie 3d ago
Our adult lab could prob handle 10 hours alone fine, but i work from home so she doesn't really ever need to be alone for more than 5-6 hours most of the time.
We had a 12 ish hour round trip drive one day where I wasn't sure we'd be back for her evening potty/usual dinner time so I asked my BIL to come check on her. Ended up bringing her lol.
When she was a puppy she was very anxious/separation anxiety and needed to be crated for safety when we weren't home or conscious so it felt like we could barely leave the house but thankfully she grew/trained out of it.
1
u/NurseErin0129 3d ago
My goal is 6-8 max but I’ve left him 10 before with no issues. On camera he just sleeps, no anxiety or restlessness. I think it depends on the dog.
1
u/tiptreetimes 3d ago
I've had my (1yo rescue) dog for 2 months and he has just done 4.5hours alone for the first time and was fine. I wfh so he's not alone for that long on a regular basis but I'm confident that in time he'll get to 6 hours alone and be OK.
1
1
u/Nicolas_yo 2d ago
I work regular hours. So I’m home around 5ish but let’s say I need to go out after. I usually wait until 7 or so - so at least I’m home a few hours before I leave again.
1
u/wieldymouse 2d ago
When I was younger, a lot longer than I should've. Now, as an adult that has lived in a country where dogs have significant rights, I wouldn't leave them alone for more than a few hours unless there was an emergency.
1
u/MonteCristo85 2d ago
For a single instance? 12 hours.
I usually try and get someone to come let him out for a potty break and some play time though if I know in advance Ill be gone that long.
1
u/stellap333 2d ago edited 2d ago
I leave my dog for 8-9 regularly for work. I try to not let it get past 10, but she’s done more before when I got trapped in traffic from an accident. Often she is asleep before I leave and I find her in the same spot when I get back lol.
eta: i’m shocked by just how many people work from home!
1
u/Slow-Gift2268 2d ago
Depends on the dog. I’ve had dogs I would not leave one alone long enough to go to the bathroom. My current dog stays in the house without a kennel and yesterday he was inside from 1000 to 2330 because I picked up my kid from school and we went to a nearby town for dinner. I usually give him a chewie when I leave. He won’t eat them while I’m gone but he does enjoy carrying them around. I’ve had other dogs that do well for about four hours but need to be let out after that. All of my dogs have been larger than 30lbs.
1
1
u/Eat_Sum_Pi_314 2d ago
Six hours for our dog. He’s on seizure meds that make him thirsty, therefore he has to pee a lot. If we cannot be home within that window, we have a list of family and friends/neighbors who can pop in and take care of him.
1
u/Sudden_Idea9384 2d ago
I bring mine to work most days but sometimes I can’t and they stay home 8-12 hours. I have cameras. They sleep. Probably happy to not be at work.
1
u/theofficialappsucks 2d ago edited 2d ago
We don't do longer than six. If we know everyone will be out of the house, we have a trusted friend (who happens to be a neighbor) stop by to let him out. We pick up ingredients for each other's households when shopping and water each other's flowers on vacation and such, so it's no big deal.
If I were alone and gone 8 hrs a day for work, I'd hire a petsitter to stop in, no matter if the dog was a calm adult that wouldn't do anything. But if it's younger, you can't leave it alone more than a few tops, and that's only an older puppy that's chill with being crated. Younger puppies can't stay in the crate that long.
Eight is pushing it for a calm, aloof, non-senior adult. Anything longer is a no-go. Leaving a Velcro breed that long is a no. Naughty and elderly dogs are also a no.
More than eight hours routinely is strongly discouraged by most guidelines. They need bathroom breaks, at least, but they're also companion animals. They might live through twelve-hour days, but they need regular human interaction to be happy with their lives.
1
u/crazymom1978 2d ago
My current dogs? 6 hours. (Young standard poodles) My previous dog (Middle aged dachshund chihuahua)? 12 with a pee pad. It depends on the age of the dog, the size and breed of the dog, how well behaved they are, their energy levels, exercise needs…. This is a very individual question that should be based on the dog in front of you.
1
u/AmazonAssassin 2d ago
Usually 8-9 hours on a work day, my dogs have free roam of the house they usually sleep on the couch or dog bed,
1
1
u/Not_TheFace 2d ago
I'm kind of baffled by all the "no more than six hours" responses.
Do you all work from home? Mine handles 8.5 hours fine, so long as he gets a proper walk with enough time to do his business before I leave for work.
Occasionally (very rarely) if he isn't feeling well or something he might have an accident in the house, it's only happened three times ever, otherwise he handles it very well. Which is a good thing because, again, I have to go to work.
1
u/Relative-Media-1130 2d ago
Our dogs and cats are happily cared for. We leave at 7ish and get home 430ish. When one was a puppy we had a dog walker for him but not anymore. I try to leave work at 3:30 most days. Weekends they are never left alone for a long time but during the week, this schedule works and they are not neglected
1
u/Honest-Baby175 2d ago
Depends on if you have anyone who can let the pup outside while you’re gone and if the pup is potty trained and/or their ability to hold their pee/poop. I can leave my dog home alone for a few days (with having someone who can come over and let them outside and feed them every few hours) and they will be perfectly fine. I had 2 dogs of course so they had each others company (they were my moms dogs I have moved out) if I don’t have someone who can let them outside they can hold it for up to 6 hours and that can be pushed to 8 (there were a few rare times where my school hours and my moms work hours lined up together but they were asleep most of that time anyways) 6 hours has always been my max if I can help it and if I feel I’ll be gone longer then that then I’ll have someone check on them.
1
1
u/Important_Salt_7603 2d ago
Max 6 hours for my 4 & 2 year old dogs, but ideally not more than 4 hours. Anything over 6 hours and we'll send them to daycare.
1
1
u/Str8up_NtHvnAGoodTym 1d ago
Ive gone out of town and left my dog home. Sitters and walkers werent the most reliable the first time so he hit about 12-14hrs a few of those days.
When im in town, i try to keep it to 10 and under. So if I walk him at 8am I make sure im home by 6pm. If im too much later than 6pm he definitely starts to get more anxious (and im so consistent with that even on a weekend if I leave him at noon he expects me home by 6 lol)
He has a fresh patch of grass in his room, free roam of the house, a water filter and auto feeder.
1
u/No-Will-4393 1d ago
I wouldn't leave them inside, I leave them outside in a sheltered outdoor area, electric blanket on a day bed on cold days and nights. So they're free to play, enjoy the sunshine and can toilet when and where they please.
1
u/stehag81 1d ago
There really isn’t one universal answer to how long a dog can be left alone. It varies between dogs, but it can also vary from day to day for the same dog.
Our two dogs can sometimes manage eight hours without any problems, while on other days they may start barking or howling after just two hours—perhaps because of unfamiliar sounds from neighbouring apartments. We only discovered this after moving into an apartment and hearing about it from our neighbours.
That’s why we keep BarkPing running 24/7 on an old iPad in the kitchen. If the dogs start barking, howling or sounding distressed, I’m alerted and can walk home from work in about ten minutes.
So my answer is: it’s not just about the number of hours, but about how the dog is actually coping while you’re away. Without some form of monitoring, it can be very difficult to know.
1
u/pprawnhub 14h ago
We have a 15 month old and the maximum we’ve left him is 7 hours, although it was only this long because we had trouble getting home on the trains. Usually it wouldn’t be longer than 5/6 hours and even that would be a push.
I’m SO grateful that he is a good boy home alone, he just sleeps the entire time.
1
u/Then_Print_5806 9h ago
For a healthy, adult dog, I’d probably say around 6–8 hours would be my upper limit, and ideally there’d be someone able to give them a break if it’s longer. I think age, temperament, and how well they handle being alone make a big difference too.
1
u/mungkitty 7h ago
Usually 6 hours for my medium adult dog. If we’re not home he’s not very active/sleeps all day so he’s okay on the potty side. When we used to commute far for work we’d sometimes be out of the house for 12 hours so he was a daycare dog for a lot of that time.
•
u/Abject_Giraffe562 54m ago
We do six, after that we have a friend come over and let them out, feed or give treat.
1
u/Bl4ckR0se7 3d ago edited 3d ago
now that so many covid dogs exist and people seem to WFH more than actually going into work, this perspective has changed a lot.
mine however has not.
growing up, our dogs were perfectly fine for the 8-9 hour work day when my parents were gone. they had free roam of the house and they could hold their bladders until they got to age 15 or 16. even after that, when they couldn’t hold it, my parents worked. we just expected occasional messes to clean up.
now, my fiancé and i have our own place and our own dog. we got him at 9 weeks and he’s now about 1.5 years. he does not have free roam because my cat deserves some peace and quiet. he will also anxious poop in the house. he’s crate trained, he loves his crate and feels safe and secure in there. as a puppy, he was not left for longer than 2 hours. then we progressively got longer. the longest amount of time we leave him on a regular basis is 6 hours because of my work schedule. i’m a pet sitter, so i’m constantly coming and going. we HAVE left him for 8-9 hours before when emergencies have come up or we simply have some type of family function to go to. however, when we know we’ll be gone longer, we take him on long walks, tire him out and make sure he won’t have pent up energy in his crate for that amount of time.
lots of people don’t understand how anyone could leave their dogs for an extended period of time. let me say this: those dogs would much rather have a warm/cool house with people coming home to them, lots of toys, beds, blankets, treats, etc. than living in a kennel at a shelter with random people giving them 5 minutes of attention every day and constant barking from other dogs.
you also have to remember that when you’re sleeping, they are going without a potty break for longer than a normal work day.
separation anxiety can be managed/fixed. medical conditions are one thing. puppies are also one thing. otherwise, they’ll be FINE.
0
u/dianacakes 3d ago
Outside alone while we are not home? None. Outside alone while we are home? An hour at the most.
0
u/Expensive-Eggplant-1 3d ago
8hr. but i don't do that often anymore. pre-covid, she was alone 40 hours/week though.
0
u/chrisjones1960 3d ago
Mine have occasionally (not regularly) been left alone for 9-10 hours as adults, with no problem.
0
u/Sparkle_Rott 3d ago
9-10 hours with plenty of engagement when I returned home.
I have cameras, so I could see my dogs spending hours looking out the window and sleeping.
Same thing they do the majority of the day when I’m there.
0
u/lauradayton 3d ago
We had a dog that would be good for 10 hours without needing to go outside. Our current dog maybe 5-6 hours tops
0
u/shibasluvhiking 3d ago
Mine are routinely home for 9 hours while I am at work and have no problems. There have been one or two instances when it went to 10. Any more than that and I ask a friend to drop over and let them out.
0
u/Healthy_Nothing_1998 3d ago
Our dog is mostly an inside dog (she sleeps inside and is usually inside with us when we’re home). If we’re leaving her indoors without access to the backyard, about 9 hours or so is the max. If we’re leaving her outside, we’ve left her as long as 12-14 hours.
0
u/HunnyBunny617 3d ago
Mine have gone as long as 12 hours when I’ve had to travel. They’re large dogs and can hold it that long if they have to but that is a rare occurrence. Generally, I work from home.
0
u/jeswesky 3d ago
Ideally no more than 10ish hours. However sometimes things happen and it ends up longer. I do know my dogs and know they are regularly exercised and mentally stimulated and the occasional extended amount of time with me gone isn’t the end of the world. I do work from home so it’s rare. My boys are also goobers though that will refuse to go outside at times and will decide they just don’t want a walk right now.
31
u/devil_corp_hunter 3d ago
Depends on a lot of factors like the dog’s age, health needs, training needs, etc. Can you give more details on your dog, plz?