Can you leave your Aussie dog home alone without worrying? Even with safety checks and toys for dogs home alone, most of us still don’t like the idea. For good reason – anything can happen.
Despite this, leaving a dog home alone for six hours or 12 hours or even more is inevitable. You might have to work at the office or have a family emergency, or might simply be going somewhere they can’t come.
If pup does need to fly solo for a bit, there are plenty of things you can do to ease the situation. Like picking the right toys for dogs home alone, puppy-proofing the space they’ll inhabit, and trying to make their me-time enjoyable.
Aussie dog home alone as pandemic eases
It’s true that dogs love company. Especially from their human family. And if you happen to have a dog you adopted around the time the pandemic started, they’re likely pretty used to you being around almost all of the time. For many of us though, a return to “normal life” means a bit of time away from the furkids. Boo!
And even if you’re still working from home, your dog might need to stay home if you head out to a social outing, have a doctor’s appointment, or simply need to go and run some errands! How do we make it easier and avoid the risk of separation anxiety in pets?
Here are some tips to make your pup’s stay alone at home a little easier.
The alternatives
Before you jump head-first into preparation to make leaving your dog home alone (for six hours, half a day or overnight) safe and easy, be sure you’ve explored all options.
Of course, you’ll still need to leave them alone occasionally. But if it’s a case of leaving them alone Monday to Friday for the whole day, you may want to consider alternatives too.
Doggy day cares are always a worthwhile option if you choose a reputable one. It’s a service pet parents have needed for a long time and these days they’re very popular. A good doggy daycare offers pup somewhere to play, explore, socialise, and grow in confidence while you’re away from home. A bonus is that plenty of them offer boarding kennels as a service too, so your dog can go somewhere they love and are familiar with if you go on holiday.
They don’t need to go every day either. Two or three times a week would be sufficient for most people-needy pooches.
If a dog daycare is out of the question, you could consider asking a pet sitter, friend, or neighbour to check in on them for an hour a day or so. If there’s a local dog walking service (or willing teenager!), perhaps they could even go for a stroll around the neighbourhood to break up the day and give them some exercise?
Safely leaving your dog alone for six hours (or more)
Sometimes, there’s no other alternative to leaving your dog home alone for a bit. Here’s what you can do to keep them safe:
- Some dogs are real Houdinis. If they’re by themselves, they’re more likely to escape your house or garden. Make sure everything is safely fenced and contained, and that your dog can’t get over, under, or through the boundary walls.
- If your dog is alone at home and has access to a pool, safely securing it should be your number one priority. Ideally, the pool should be completely fenced or have a dog-safe cover. If that’s not possible, you should restrict their access to the pool when you’re out. Lastly, if your pup will have access to a pool for the foreseeable future, learn about teaching them to safely swim in and exit the pool.
- Make sure anything potentially harmful or poisonous is out of reach. That means your leftover lasagne, those aromatherapy oils, and all your socks should be put away where your dog can’t access them.
Leaving Aussie dogs vs cats home alone
You really shouldn’t leave dogs home overnight alone, but you can leave cats alone for a bit longer. Dogs are different to cats – they thrive on companionship and shouldn’t be by themselves if you go away for a weekend, for example.
Plus, dogs are also more likely than cats to get bored or frustrated and break into the stash of chocolate or something else toxic. Read about things that can poison your pet and our guide to toxic plants to avoid. Then check out our guide on pet proofing your home for more tips.
All these steps should help keep your dog safe. However, you want them safe AND happy, not safe and bored. So here’s how to help them enjoy their alone time at home without their humans bugging them every second.
Make being home alone fun for your dog
If your dog associates being home alone with a good time, they’re likely to be less stressed out and frustrated by the process. Boredom and anxiety are the main reasons dogs misbehave when home alone.
To avoid barking, whining, digging, and destructive behaviours, you’ll need to try and help them enjoy their me-time.
Here’s how.
Create a comfortable space
When you head out for the day, make sure your dog at home alone has a safe and comfortable space they know well. For most dogs this is their bed or similar. If you’re keeping them outside, make sure there’s an area protected from the elements, somewhere they can sleep or lie down comfortably.
You can also consider crate training. If your dog loves the crate, they should see it as a safe space and look forward to their time there. It’s important to know their limits though. If you’re leaving your dog home alone for an hour, they could stay in their crate. If you’re leaving your dog home for six hours, it wouldn’t be fair to keep them in the crate for that length of time.
That said, you can leave the crate open for them to go in and out as they please, just like a bed.
Tired = happy
Is there anything better than a sneaky, quiet nap while everyone else is out of the house? Nobody needs to know! And you wake up refreshed and ready for when they’re all back.
Treat your pup to the same luxury. If you’re leaving your dog at home alone for six to eight hours (or even just for half an hour) they can kill a lot of that time with a good snooze.
A long walk, play, or doggy daycare trip the day before will tire your dog out. Without pent up energy, they’re more likely to spend the day sleeping and relaxing, just watching the world go by.
Actually, can we trade places with them? That kind of sounds like the dream life.
Toys for dogs home alone
A good way to make your dog see being home alone as fun is to bring out the toys and treats for them. A special few treats or toys which only come out when they’re by themselves is always a great idea. And of course, these should be the best, tastiest ones you can find!
You know your dog best, so will be able to find something they really enjoy. Chew toys are a popular choice, because it helps tempt pup away from chewing on your furniture or shoes. You can stuff these full of treats and pellets, freeze it, and get creative about the fillings so they last a long time.
Some people love edible, natural chews like kangaroo tails, ostrich bones, or beef tendons. Just make sure you choose something size-appropriate to limit the risk of your dog choking.
Music and TV
It isn’t just humans who like music. Research has found music can influence a pup’s behaviour. Heavy metal fans, sorry, but this type of music was found to increase anxiety in dogs. Calming music like classical increased the time they spent sleeping. So some Beethoven while you’re out might be just the ticket.
Anecdotally, a lot of owners mention that their dogs find the sound of the TV or radio comforting. Just at a low volume, of course. It’s also useful to mask sounds like thunder, cars, or passing people and dogs which might upset your dog. Or give them reason to indulge in the urge to bark!
Check out our list of the best dog movies around. That way your dog can enjoy their favourite TV while you’re out.
Insurance for any accident
We’ve all wondered half an hour after leaving the house if we accidentally left the pantry door open. Or properly locked the front door. With dogs home alone, that concern is tenfold.
We can’t tell you whether you’ve accidentally given Rover access to a week’s worth of food while you’re out. But we can give you peace of mind. If they’re covered by one of our dog insurance plans, you know your pup can see a vet.