Leaving our dog alone at homeshould not be a problem if we have prepared our departure well beforehand and have provided him with everything he needs. he needs. However, in some cases, it may happen that the dog must adapt to a new schedule, that forces him to remain alone for many hours, or that he begins to show behavior problemsrelated to separation, such as barking, crying, or destructive behavior.
If this is your case and you don't know how to get an adult dog used to being alone, in this article on our site we will guide you so that you learn to properly prepare the home and know how to act in the face of different unwanted behaviors that may appear. Keep reading!
A suitable environment for our dog
Many owners are not aware that the environment plays a fundamental role in the well-being of the dog, as well as in the way it manages loneliness. An impoverished environment or, on the contrary, an environment with excessive stimuli, can generate stress and anxiety in the dog, which will notably favor the appearance of behavior problems.
In a suitable environment, the dog should be able to enjoy free access to all rooms in the home, fresh, clean water throughout time, a bed or nest, as well as having different types of toys within reach. It is also important that you enjoy a stable temperature and that you are away from excessive noise and dangerous objects.
However, do you think that's enough to spend six or eight hours a day alone? Absolutely not. Unlike us, the dog cannot enjoy a good book, listen to his favorite radio program or watch a movie. Dogs need to smell, nibble and listen.
There are different tools that we can use to entertain a dog alone at home, such as scent games, long-lasting bones, food-dispensing toys and we can even create a pleasant atmosphere with classical music. Choosing the type of entertainment will depend on the tastes and needs of the can.
Walks and physical exercise
In addition to preparing an enriched environment, before leaving our dog alone at home we must make sure that it has satisfied all his needs We do not speak solely from stools, a quality walk in which we allow our dog to sniff, discover new stimuli or perform physical activities is essential for it to tire both physically and mentally.
When you get home after your walk, it can also be interesting to do a relaxation exercise that encourages the necessary rest time and also avoids the overexcitement and stress that your departure may entail.
Getting the dog used to being alone step by step
Getting a dog used to being home alone is not always easy and can sometimes be a process that takes days, or even weeks. It will depend on the specific case, the needs of the dog, the possible behavioral problems that may appear and our availability and predisposition when working.
Remember that consistency and the use of positive reinforcement are key to solving any problem. Here we show you how to teach a dog to stay home alone step by step:
- Some dogs show high levels of stress when they understand that their owners are leaving home and that is because, unintentionally, we carry out certain routines that give us away: putting on makeup, changing our clothes, taking the keys, putting on a jacket… For this reason it may be interesting that we carry out these same actions without leaving the house, in this way, the dog will not negatively associate these routines and will not be anxious whenever we are going to leave. We will make "false starts" throughout the process.
- We will start by making very short trips from home, between 2 and 5 minutes. Do not forget that during this time the dog must be entertained, so doing a quick seeding can be a good idea. Don't forget to calculate the time with a clock and keep track of your progress in a small tracking diary.
- If upon arrival we observe that everything is in its place and that the animal appears calm and stable, we will congratulate him. On the contrary, if he shows an excessively euphoric attitude or has broken an object, we will ignore him completely. Remember that, in a negative situation, punishment increases stress levels and generally worsens the evolution of work.
- Gradually increase the time out so that your dog learns to manage his loneliness. It may be interesting to record it to later observe its behavior when you are not there and thus adapt the pace of work, toys or times.
Behavior problems that appear when the dog is alone
During this process it may happen that our dog begins to manifest certain behavior problems, directly related to our walking. We then talk about behavioral problems related to the separation. However, it should be noted that they should only appear in the absence of the ownerand never in his presence
The symptoms of separation-related disorders are:
- Barks
- Crying
- Howling
- Destructiveness
- Urine
- Stool
Behavior problems related to separation are caused by the stress suffered by the animal upon losing its reference or guide, that is say, to us. Even so, it can also be aggravated or caused by a poor environment or a lack of positive habits in the dog's routine.
In the event of a serious behavior problem that is not resolved with the aforementioned guidelines, it may be interesting to go to a specialist, such as a ethologist, canine educator or trainer specialized in behavior modification to make a correct diagnosis and receive the guidelines to apply according to the case.
