Can I Leave My Puppy Alone at Home?

When we get home with a newly adopted puppy, we usually see it as so small and vulnerable that it's common for us to have doubts about how to handle it. The most frequent ones tend to be about feeding and training, but there are others.

For example, the possibility of leaving it home alone and, if so, how much time alone would be acceptable. In this article we discuss everything you need to consider before leaving home and leaving our puppy alone.

The Puppy's First Day Alone at Home

The first question that comes up when we think about leaving the puppy alone at home is from what point it's possible to do so. First of all, puppies should be adopted once they've reached a minimum of eight weeks of age. Before that, they should be with their mother and siblings, learning essential lessons for their future balance.

So we'll end up with a roughly two-month-old puppy at home that, up until then, had never been alone. And maybe ideally it would stay that way, but it's usually not feasible. Normally we'll have to go out for hours to work or study. So, rather than asking ourselves when to leave it alone, we should focus on how.

In other words, we're going to be forced to leave it alone whether it's two or four months old. What we can control is its arrival. That is, we can adopt it on a Friday or during a vacation to have time to get it used to our home and its new routine, while also preparing it to be left alone.

How Long Can I Leave My Puppy Alone at Home?

The same thing happens here as with the age at which to leave the dog alone. That is, it usually doesn't depend on us, since our work schedules are imposed on us. Of course it would be ideal not to leave it alone for eight hours straight — we can't forget it's a social, sociable animal. But if that's how long the workday lasts, we'd have to adapt.

And at this point we need to consider a prior question: if we're not home all day, is it right for us to adopt a puppy? The truth is, no. If that's our situation and we want a canine companion, it's much better to adopt an already adult dog with little need for activity.

If we really do want a puppy, we'd need to look for alternatives. For example, paying someone to come check on it, leaving it at a friend's or family member's house, or looking for a good daycare that offers the option of caring for it during our absence. We always need to keep in mind that a dog isn't a cat that can be left alone all day.

Tips for Leaving the Puppy Alone at Home

In general, if we need to leave our puppy alone at home, it's best not to do it for a very long period of time. About 2 hours would be fine, and up to 4-6 it could handle, also depending on its age and personality. Anything more would be excessive. In any case, before leaving keep the following recommendations in mind:

1. Prepare a safe space. The puppy shouldn't have access to anything dangerous, such as cables, windows, trash, plants, or cleaning products.
2. Give it a den — that is, don't give it access to the whole house, since it could feel insecure. In a room with everything it needs, it will handle the stimuli better and be calmer. You can also leave it a carrier so it can feel more sheltered if it wants.
3. Tire it out before you leave by playing with it or, if it can go out, taking it for a good walk.
4. If you feed it, do so with enough time so it has time to relieve itself. Although get ready to clean up when you get back. Puppies are like babies and can't control their bladder or bowels.
5. Leave it toys to entertain itself with — ideally ones that pose a challenge, such as interactive games or a Kong.
6. Lastly, don't forget it should have permanent access to clean water. Make sure it can't tip over its water bowl.

Pros and Cons of Leaving a Puppy Alone

The dog would be happy with our constant presence. But our obligations usually don't make that possible. That's why it's beneficial for it to get used to our schedules and absences and, as a result, calmly tolerate staying home alone. The opposite could be harmful both for it and for living together.

Dogs can suffer from a disorder called separation anxiety. This happens as soon as they're left alone. The animals cry, bark, destroy any object within reach, urinate and defecate inside the home, etc. That's why it's important that we get it used to being alone from the moment it arrives home.

We can start gradually, for example, by leaving the house for ten minutes. If everything is fine when we get back, we'll try being away for fifteen, twenty minutes, and so on. If we notice problems, the best option is to contact a canine behavior professional or animal behaviorist to intervene as soon as possible.