Earlier you could read here how long your dog can be home alone. Of course this differs per dog, but in any case it always stays with a limited number of hours. After that he really needs to pee, poop, walk and of course be petted. They are social animals after all. And sleeping all day and staring in front of you, that doesn’t make anyone happy, not even a dog! But how do you actually make sure that your dog feels less lonely when you are away from home? So!
1. Make him tired
Some dogs may riot if they get bored. They can chew on things or even break them. In short: complete chaos when you get home. If you notice that your dog suffers from separation anxiety, there are a number of things you can do to reduce this. Veterinarian Jennifer Freeman tells Elite Daily, “Do your best to take a brisk walk before you have to leave.” This way your dog gets tired and he will sleep better and longer when he is alone.
2. Make sure he has distractions
In addition, if he is alone at home, you can also keep him busy with a toy that contains dog treats or something else tasty. It takes a while for him to finally get his treat, but at least he has a tasty target.
3. Don’t make a drama of it
It is also very important not to make a big drama out of it when you leave or come home. “Don’t send any sweet goodbye signals and don’t get too excited when you get home,” says Jennifer. As tempting as it may be, don’t talk to your dog like it’s a baby. A dog that is already scared will only experience more drama because of this. Do talk to your dog, as you always do, and reward him when he is relaxed.
4. Provide the same conditions
One last general tip: make sure to keep the environment where your dog is alone as much as possible as if you were just at home. For example, if you always have the TV or radio on, you can also turn it on when you leave the house. A dog can become very attached to certain sounds and this can be very reassuring when he is home alone.
