Training your Dog To Be Left Alone

training my dog to be left alone

You get a new puppy. Unfortunately you are not going to be able to be with him all day long every day. You are going to have to train him to be left alone. You may want to use a crate or keep him confined to one room in the house. Or you may want him to stay outside in the yard. Whatever you decide - you want him to learn early that being alone is not a bad thing and that you are going to come back.

You also want to be sure that while you are gone, your dog is behaving in an appropriate manner. You do not want him, barking, digging, chewing or destroying things while you are gone. Many dogs exhibit these behaviours because they are bored, and not out of spite as many owners believe. They also might be nervous about being alone so it is up to you to teach or train your pet to understand that that alone time can be fun time.

The first thing to work on is leaving him alone in the spot you have chosen for a short period of time. Try not to leave him for more than five or ten minutes. As he becomes adjusted to your absence increase the length of time to half an hour.

Each time you go out there are certain things that you can do to make certain that puppy is happy while you are away. Try filling up a Kong with peanut butter. Give him a couple of chew toys that he does not get to play with unless you are gone. Try hiding a few things around the room, hide his Kong in a spot that is not right out in the open but will be easy for him to find. If you are putting him in his crate put it there for him to play with. You might also want to provide him with a special treat that he can chew while you are away. Pig’s ears or rawhide bones are great.

Take him for a walk before you go out to make certain that he does not have to go to the bathroom while you are gone. This will also help to tire him out so that he might sleep while you are away. And be sure that if he is going to go in his crate he has had a drink. You do not want him to be uncomfortable while you are not there. You might also consider turning a radio on so that he has some noise in the background, or leave the TV on so that he can hear it. Many dogs find the noise comforting.

By doing all these things your are training your puppy on how to be alone. And, you are teaching him that your being gone can be a fun time, if he has new things to chew on and does not feel uncomfortable. By gradually working up the length of time that you are gone, you are also letting him know , that you are coming back and there is no need to worry.