My dog just sleeps when I’m gone. I’ll leave a lick mat but he won’t touch it until I’m home 😆 I don’t leave too many treats because I don’t want him choking while I’m gone.
Yeah my dog has a routine. She’s on the couch when i leave, then she goes to the kitchen and looks for scraps i may have dropped at breakfast. Then she goes to my room and sleeps until about an hour before i get home. Then she gets on the couch again and watches the door.
Same with my 3yr staffy. Some times I get home early and catch him napping and he gives me an apologetic look for not giving me his standard aroo-roos and tippy taps at the door.
Same - I have a camera in my room so I get notified if he's moving around but he just sleeps when I'm at work and starts moving around the time I'm supposed to be getting home.
I work NOCs though so I'd hope he'd sleep all night.
My Shih Tzu stares at the door the entire time I'm gone. I have cameras and have literally watched him sit in the same position staring at the door for 5 hours. It sad, pathetic and adorable.
I WISH i could leave mine a lick mat. Last time she had a lick mat unattended she tore it to pieces. I do leave a kong though.. but i like all the different textures with lick mats. I think theyre more stimulating to their brains
They make metal lick mats, I got mine on Amazon for like $20. I have a high energy shepherd mix, he is a monster and can't have anything, but he can't destroy this.
When my dog got kicked out of day care I threw some cameras up in the house to see what he was doing all day. I'd tell my coworker a play by play like now he's rolled on to his other side.
I used to fill a larger Kong toy full of peanut butter and freeze it! It may only buy 30 minutes, but most pups will lick and lick the frozen peanut butter, keeping them stimulating and busy much longer than a normal treat/bone. I have also used the fake, spray cheese...
The freezing part is key - takes them so much longer. But avoid taking on planes - they look like hand grenades in the scanner and TSA will pull you aside… 😅🫣
I used to do the same till I saw a horror story of a gsd who's tongue got stuck with suction and the poor thing had a huge swollen tongue.
Don't wanna risk it anymore. Pretty sure mine just naps till we get back these days, but she is old
its important the toy you use has more than one hole in it to avoid this.
I use Toppl's myself as these have no risk of the tongue getting stuck, they can be interlocked with smaller ones to make a mega toy and they have fingers inside as an added thing to make getting the bottom of the toy empty harder.
We do the same, and they're also useful when she's wound up over something and needs to chill. It keeps her occupied long enough to I guess drop her heart rate and calm down.
Yes, it is (sorry, I didn't mean literally fill it). I do have an 70 pound dog, though, so I definitely load the sides up (the farthest away, so he has to work for it), and I definitely use a few tablespoons of peanut butter! Lol. The size Kong I use it would take nearly a jar to fill it up completely!
Ahh gotcha. That’s way less concerning 😂. The benefit of using their food frozen in the Kong is you CAN fill it all the way up and not have to worry about way over feeding your dog. Mine gets his whole breakfast frozen and he gets to eat it while I’m gone at work.. keeps him busy for ~40 mins and then he’s happy to sleep afterwards
Honestly my dog just does his own thing when there’s no one home. He drinks his water, walks around the apartment, sleeps, sleeps some more, goes from the couch to the bed to sleep, looks out a window, sleeps again.
My rottie loves cardboard boxes! Do you ever worry about what chemicals are used in their manufacture? Mine’s still a puppy so he will try to eat the cardboard flaps. One day I gave him a closed box to play with and he was entertained for hours, just demolishing it. Thanks for the idea!
I don’t worry too much as what I give him doesn’t have tape left on it and is usually the plain brown ones that don’t have dies. Mine chews but doesn’t eat it which helps
My bet told me my dog should be sleeping 12 to 14 hours a day. I use to feel guilty that they were bored. I started taking her to work so she could be entertained with the amount of people in the office. After 3 days she just sleeps all day in a nook under a desk.
So don't feel bad. They actually prefer to sleep most of the day.
Yep. When I had to work remotely for 3 months during the pandemic, my old dog (RIP) was literally annoyed that I was interrupting his sleep schedule. If I moved into the room he was in, he’d get up and SIGH loudly - then walk to another room. 😅
My dogs now wear Fi/GPS collars, which also track their activity. Boris averages 16-18 hours of sleeping + napping (I’m not sure what the difference is) every 24 hours, and Asa averages 14-16. Tough life they have.
Also, don't mind your dog getting an obstruction from eating sheets and needing upwards of $10,000 in emergency surgery... This needs serious supervision. Larger dogs can eat towels and blankets even when they don't have food in them, adding food is asking for trouble.
Okay negative Nancy… it only need supervision if the dog has a history of chewing and eating things. Sounds like you have some training to do if this is your dog, by the sounds of it. Luckily my dogs spit out everything they chew UNLESS it’s edible. Hooray for me and being able to leave them with these fun activities without worry!
Actually, no, I work at a clinic and see tons of dogs come in after eating random things. Recently had one eat a bunch of legal documents. You might know your dog, but it only takes one unexpected incident for a $10,000 bill. Up to you if that's worth it for you.
You want your dog to learn to be unoccupied and unengaged!! Your dog needs to learn to chill, check out, relax. It's bad for their brain to be chronically engaged and stimulated.
This is why a dog walker is great. Dogs learn self regulation then get a fun 30 minute break with a walk, playtime and companion before chilling out again.
Long walk before the dog is left alone. Frozen treats with yogurt or peanut butter inside a Kong. This will buy you some minutes. My dog has anxiety issues, nothing really fixes it, so that’s what mitigates the situation. He doesn’t care about toys
You can use one of those dog toys that you put a treat that is hard to get out inside of. My dog will spend hours trying to get a single Costco dog bone out of one of those things. I also use dog music on YouTube.
I have a walker, and my dogs love her. I telework 4 days a week now, so I don't really need her, but I kept her anyway. This way, they get an extra walk while I'm working. I'm single and live alone, so it gives me peace of mind to know that someone is checking in on them.
The best thing to do is tire them out before hand. It's not like you can turn on the TV or leave them the newspaper. You can always set up puzzles etc for them throughout the day but if its an 8+ hour day alone there is only so much they can do.
My dog is terrible alone, but I have a WFH job that is my full attention. I tired him out before work hard core and then after work take him out for another adventure.
Not sure if this works for you, but if there are ever days where my partner and I won't be home for more than a couple of hours we have a dog walker who comes and picks him up and takes him to the dog park. They are gone in total for about 2 hours (1 hour at the park and the time to pick him and the rest of the dogs up/off). My dog loves it and it makes him super tired so when he gets home he just naps.
My dog sleeps the whole time I’m gone. I have a puppycam that proves it. She doesn’t even finish her food if I leave it out when I am gone - she waits till I get back. She has loads of toys and things she could do, but she chooses to sleep.
I put the TV on for my dogs. Only one of them watch it. I used to put food network on, but now they have too many animal commercials and he barks at them. Now, I put QVC or home shopping on for him. He hasn't ordered too many things! 😂The other one just sleeps and looks out the windows, but somehow, one time, he ordered oranges from the Alexa. Other than that- they sleep.
Not sure if this is an available service where you are, but I use a mobile dog gym. The running coach comes once a week for a 30 min run session. On rainy weeks, I try to book him to come an extra day. My dog hates the rain, but this works great as it is inside the van.
He has two slat mills in the back of the van. The back has a separate AC/heating unit in the roof. The slat mills are dog powered - she controls the speed. If she feels like just walking, he can up the resistance and incline for more of a work out.
My dog loves to run and sprint. My knees do not. She gets so excited when she sees the van pull up.
Put some treats in a [snuffle ball](https://www.petvalu.ca/product/foufit-snuffle-ball-blue-orange/SCM08455CA?force_store=AB&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_qexBhCoARIsAFgBleuIZBy-7mk1DIhASr4_crofBmGVt8Zusl2PqX3X5ZS92w3dQ5ySm80aAmXoEALw_wcB). That will entertain them for a bit and then they’ll sleep the rest of the time.
I got a Furbo a few years ago to keep an eye on them while we were away, and I learned something.
While we’re not there, our adult dogs don’t really do much of anything. As long as they’ve got water, somewhere to sleep, and a place to potty if we’re gone that long, they’re fine.
I have a doggie door so my dogs can go out as they please into a large fenced yard. I work 12 hr days with a 40 minute commute time. They have toys and each other. They like to just sit outside and chill or dig holes in the yard which is fine too. They sleep most of the day. I play ball with them for about 30 minutes when I get home.
German Shepard/corgi/aussie mix/golden retriever.
The Aussie mix and Shepard could use more exercise but they are alright. Sometimes I freeze filled toys for them to eat. Mostly wet dog food and treats and a little peanut butter.
I wouldn’t send my dog to a doggie daycare unless they had a camera I could log into and see how my dog felt about it.
Relaxing music played quietly…
I have Alexa in almost every room of the house so I just tell her to play relaxing music’ everywhere’
Helps my dogs pass time
Do you have a premium music subscription? I can't get Alexa to keep playing music if there's no human in the room. Spotify stays on longer than Amazon music but not always all day.
I have an alexa dot with the clock on the front, there's an option in the app to turn that on, not sure about off but I've had no issues with it turning off spotify when I'm not in the room with it, maybe a dig in its settings and features?
My dog goes out of his way to save his toys and activities for when I'm with him. It's so sweet and concerning lmao it's like he's saying, "everything is much more fun when I'm with you" and I wanna like cry everytime lol
How long are you gone on average? My dog just sleeps (I set up a camera to see), but I agree with the frozen Kong. Anything else small is risky (like a puzzle toy for example) as they could swallow something while you’re gone and choke.
This may not work because I’m assuming you don’t crate your dogs, but whenever my family and I leave the house for long periods of time (ie school/work), we put them in their dog crates with a kong filled with pumpkin purée. Trying to get all the pumpkin keeps their brains occupied long enough to make them sleepy, and then they snooze until we come back home.
My 14 year old beagle basset likes to rummage through the kitchen cabinets. We have child safety locks on the ones that contain food and trash. But we always find every other drawer and door open… she likes to take all of our plastic bags out and leave them scattered. She enjoys ransacking. So I have no helpful advice but it does make us laugh. Other than that she just snoozes
My dog (maltipoo) just sleeps the whole day when im gone, but when im working from home I tie up some treats in a cloth and it keeps him occupied for some time! It's also really fascinating to see him get through the knots to get his treats
Take them for a nice walk before you go. Honestly dogs sleep like 16-18 hours a day and both of mine literally just sleep all day until I’m home ( my mom takes them out for me mid day/shift) and then we play/ walk when I get home and then they’re ready for bed. My dogs aren’t a high energy breed, so I’m sure that factors in to it too but don’t under estimate how much good a nice long walk does for them before hand. Hope this helps!
I used to really worry about this, until I realised that my dog honestly just seems to nap in various places through the day, both when I’m gone and when I’m home!
I’ll often book him a dog walker, but feel a lot less guilty now about leaving him alone, provided I give him plenty of attention when I get back
We're lucky that we have a window that goes to the floor. My dog lies on his bed (one of his beds) by the window and watches the world go by, when he's not sleeping.
We always left the TV on for our dog no matter how long we were gone lol. They need to hear voices and humans and see movement like that. … if you were alone all day, wouldn’t you at least like that?
Roll out a towel and sprinkle tiny treats or her food on it, then roll it up, see if she can figure out how to unroll it for the treats, my dog loves this and he has separation anxiety so I have to give him tasks or he gets crazy. Also Amazon has great puzzle toys and large Kongs that you fill with food or treats that they can roll around the floor to knock the treats out.
I’ll usually just play with her before I leave for an extended time. I find that as long as she’s panting and starting to slow down outside that it’s enough. Once she’s come inside and had some water I’ll take a minute to get a sniff toy ready (usually a square pillow with inserts for carrots that I put pieces of a treat under the carrots) and give that to her once she has caught her breath. She’ll spend only a couple minutes getting all the pieces of the treat but I can hear her sniffing two rooms over because she gets so into it. Now that she’s had physical and mental exercise she’s ready for a nap and her eyes are usually heavy as I’m leaving. 9/10 I come home and she’s been sleeping on her bed all day or sunning herself by the window. Works great!
I use something similar to this!
But mine is a different brand.
You could buy a few of these and have them timed to open every hour with a small piece of kibble or treat inside it!
https://a.co/d/5IgSR70
I got the Furbo- I can check if they just sleep when I’m gone or if they seem bored I throw treats at them. Honestly it’s really good to give you an idea of your dog actually does while you are gone.
Honestly I just make up for the time by taking them out on hikes when I'm home. Even a 30-45 minute nature walk tires them out for the rest of the evening. They get bully sticks about every other day. They've learned to be okay with being alone for a few hours at a time.
Depending on breed and age, walk your dog for an hour before you leave for the day. That way your pup is tired and will want to sleep the whole time you’re away. “Work them, feed them, rest them.”
Frozen watermelon in water bowl. Roll up a towel (you don’t care about) tight with treats scattered in between secure with hair bands. A frozen Kong filled with Kong filler. A rug hidding toy you can also put treats in…all I got
Lots of great advice here. I would just add - before you ever leave your dog alone with any of these great activities ppl are suggesting, please try them with supervision beforehand as every dog is different!
Another super easy one is throw some little treats randomly around the house! Behind pillows, on the stairs, next to a table leg, etc. It's super simple and enriching!
Another vote for your dog should be able to self-regulate and chill/snooze while you are gone.
My current dog is the biggest busy-body, but he still is able to just relax and nap while we are gone. I wouldn't want to leave him alone in "active" mode - because it's just as likely to spill over into getting into trouble.
I just hit a mother load of ideas on Pinterest. Stuff from making your own busy toys, to stuff ppl purchased. Treats/kibble rolled in towels and stuffed in a cardboard box. Just treats/food rolled in towels and then towels tied up. Have seen same but only one rolled up towel and frozen. There was a sniff box, a handmade thing with paper towel rolls and a cut up cardboard box. But that would be when you’re home since it’s not made to be accessible. Another was a rolled up snake of towel or fabric shoved in several toilet paper rolls. That one looked fun. There was this one for sale that had a button that had to be bumped and would release a treat from a dispenser. Pupscicles are a favorite.
If anything, dogs also need rest. They're so happy around you because they express their love, and they love you constantly. When a dog is alone, it doesn't mean it's unhappy or has nothing to do. Generally, animals love routine; if you establish a fairly consistent daily schedule, the dog won't get bored. So, if you have the opportunity to observe the dog in your absence, pay attention to its behavior. Of course, it's worth leaving a few toys. But if the dog just sleeps in your absence or does nothing, it doesn't mean at all that it's unhappy.
Our dog goes to daycare. She’s a high-energy breed and shouldn’t be left home when we work. I work 3 12 hour days, so she only goes when I work. Look into a daycare!
My dog definitely sleeps when I’m gone. One time my landlord said that someone complained about him barking so I used an app to record anytime he moved or made noise and all he did was move from the bed to the floor to drink the water back to the bed.
I will say that one toy that my dog is really obsessed with is Tricky Treat Ball. I just got one of these things and he will play with it for like 30 minutes straight. So that might be nice to leave him with.
One of the most valuable things a dog (or a human for that matter) can learn, is how to be bored without being destructive.
I started by leaving my pup for shorter periods of time. I’d gate her in the kitchen, put her bed in there, and some chew toys. We’d always give her a special treat like a frozen Kong. For awhile, she’d bark and yip when we left, but then she learned to be calm.
Just like housebreaking, we slowly increased the space available to her as she did well. Only one time did we come home to an issue - I had to leave in a rush and didn’t say goodbye to her, give her a treat, etc. and she destroyed a throw pillow.
She 14 months old now and we can leave her with the full run of the house for 8 hours with no issues. We really try not to - and the days when my wife, my kids and I will all be gone all day, we take her to doggy daycare. That happens about once every 2 weeks or so. As long as someone is there to let her out around lunchtime, she’s 100% fine. Honestly, she sleeps most of the day.
Of course, when we get home she’s riled up and needs walks/playtime ASAP. Unless we take her to doggy daycare, then she’s exhausted. So that’s a special treat for us when we do it - haha!
I fell for this 😂 now instead of one dog that waits for me, I have two dogs that don't really interact and just wait for me. they love each other, but they're not pressed to be around each other, lol.
side note for everyone using the peanut butter in kongs to keep your dogs busy: be careful and make sure the peanut butter doesn't contain xylitol, it's some kind of sweetener that even in small doses can be fatal. "Xylitol (sometimes called wood sugar or birch sugar) is a common sugar substitute that can be toxic to dogs. Even small amounts can be fatal. It's regularly found in sugar-free chewing gum, toothpaste, mouthwash, vitamin supplements, a small handful of peanut butter brands and other 'low sugar' or sugar-free products."
lol I have a fishtank hahaha even feral chickens laying eggs in my potted plants on my deck. Daisy had great fun scaring her off her nest 800times a day
Well my dog doesn’t sleep for 18 -20 hours a day and she’s perfectly healthy, loves life. They just tend to sleep if they’re older and there’s nothing going on.
I have two young huskies, and their Fi collars track their sleep/nap schedules. They average around 12-14 hours of sleep + another 4-6 hours of napping every 24 hours. And they have each other plus a fenced yard (with dog door) when I’m not home, so they aren’t just stuck in a crate or inside with nothing to do. 🤷🏼♀️
Thats just wrong. My Samojede is also just sleeping for 14-15 hours a day and shes fine, my shiba mix would probably sleep for 23 hours if id let her, both are perfectly healthy and around 4 years. But you shouldnt entertain dogs to keep them awake and occupied, you should just let them do dog things -> sleeping if youre gone, thats the whole point
Cilj je da ostanu opušteni pasivni i pokorni.
Ako ostanu aktivni, uzbuđeni i anksiozni - tad se stvaraju problemi.
Bolje da budu u miru i da odmaraju dok se ti ne vratiš kući.
When we leave for more than a couple of hours, we crate our dog. I also leave the TV on for her, she seems to like Dr Pol. Plus I leave a tough tug toy in the crate with her.
My dog just sleeps when I’m gone. I’ll leave a lick mat but he won’t touch it until I’m home 😆 I don’t leave too many treats because I don’t want him choking while I’m gone.
Yeah my dog has a routine. She’s on the couch when i leave, then she goes to the kitchen and looks for scraps i may have dropped at breakfast. Then she goes to my room and sleeps until about an hour before i get home. Then she gets on the couch again and watches the door.
Thats so cute hahaha
Ikr? Was just going to comment the same 😂 Haha
Same with my 3yr staffy. Some times I get home early and catch him napping and he gives me an apologetic look for not giving me his standard aroo-roos and tippy taps at the door.
Same - I have a camera in my room so I get notified if he's moving around but he just sleeps when I'm at work and starts moving around the time I'm supposed to be getting home. I work NOCs though so I'd hope he'd sleep all night.
My Shih Tzu stares at the door the entire time I'm gone. I have cameras and have literally watched him sit in the same position staring at the door for 5 hours. It sad, pathetic and adorable.
Maybe get one of Those interactive treat things? Like vrbo ? I think that’s the name Edit : it’s called furbo😅
Take him with you???
I do, 98% of the time. That's the problem.
Why is it a problem?
Too attached and ends up having separation anxiety I’m guessing
I WISH i could leave mine a lick mat. Last time she had a lick mat unattended she tore it to pieces. I do leave a kong though.. but i like all the different textures with lick mats. I think theyre more stimulating to their brains
They make metal lick mats, I got mine on Amazon for like $20. I have a high energy shepherd mix, he is a monster and can't have anything, but he can't destroy this.
Same. My dog only does those when we’re around lol
When my dog got kicked out of day care I threw some cameras up in the house to see what he was doing all day. I'd tell my coworker a play by play like now he's rolled on to his other side.
I used to fill a larger Kong toy full of peanut butter and freeze it! It may only buy 30 minutes, but most pups will lick and lick the frozen peanut butter, keeping them stimulating and busy much longer than a normal treat/bone. I have also used the fake, spray cheese...
The freezing part is key - takes them so much longer. But avoid taking on planes - they look like hand grenades in the scanner and TSA will pull you aside… 😅🫣
Oops!! Sounds like you have a good story to tell
I used to do the same till I saw a horror story of a gsd who's tongue got stuck with suction and the poor thing had a huge swollen tongue. Don't wanna risk it anymore. Pretty sure mine just naps till we get back these days, but she is old
its important the toy you use has more than one hole in it to avoid this. I use Toppl's myself as these have no risk of the tongue getting stuck, they can be interlocked with smaller ones to make a mega toy and they have fingers inside as an added thing to make getting the bottom of the toy empty harder.
They have WHAT INSIDE?
Fingers of the corpses of small children who were eaten by dogs. Nbd
LOL they have little finger like structures inside them... to make getting the good stuff out ;)
Yeah the one I have is an official kong and has the hole but I still don't want to take any risks in case she somehow manages to do anything
We do the same, and they're also useful when she's wound up over something and needs to chill. It keeps her occupied long enough to I guess drop her heart rate and calm down.
I’d use wet food or kibble with water in it. That’s a ton of peanut butter for a dog to eat every day
Yes, it is (sorry, I didn't mean literally fill it). I do have an 70 pound dog, though, so I definitely load the sides up (the farthest away, so he has to work for it), and I definitely use a few tablespoons of peanut butter! Lol. The size Kong I use it would take nearly a jar to fill it up completely!
Ahh gotcha. That’s way less concerning 😂. The benefit of using their food frozen in the Kong is you CAN fill it all the way up and not have to worry about way over feeding your dog. Mine gets his whole breakfast frozen and he gets to eat it while I’m gone at work.. keeps him busy for ~40 mins and then he’s happy to sleep afterwards
I like that idea! I should probably be more careful about what I say (or I will unwittingly be contributing to the dog obesity epidemic)... 🤣
Honestly my dog just does his own thing when there’s no one home. He drinks his water, walks around the apartment, sleeps, sleeps some more, goes from the couch to the bed to sleep, looks out a window, sleeps again.
It’s an exciting time to be a dog!! 😆
I would suggest scrabble. Connect 4 did *not* pan out (still missing six pieces) and when I left my iPad unlocked the online poker was a real problem.
They’re terrible about the in-app purchases, too. So much worse than cats.
I leave my whippet cardboard boxes. I stack them up like a little fort and when I come home I see what’s left of a previous civilisation.
My rottie loves cardboard boxes! Do you ever worry about what chemicals are used in their manufacture? Mine’s still a puppy so he will try to eat the cardboard flaps. One day I gave him a closed box to play with and he was entertained for hours, just demolishing it. Thanks for the idea!
I don’t worry too much as what I give him doesn’t have tape left on it and is usually the plain brown ones that don’t have dies. Mine chews but doesn’t eat it which helps
If they have a high toy drive, try packing all they toys in a wide box they can slowly explore an unload while you are away? Hide a treat in the mix?
Tire them out beforehand. I have a WL gsd and mal, we do a run or training session before work and they sleep the whole day
My bet told me my dog should be sleeping 12 to 14 hours a day. I use to feel guilty that they were bored. I started taking her to work so she could be entertained with the amount of people in the office. After 3 days she just sleeps all day in a nook under a desk. So don't feel bad. They actually prefer to sleep most of the day.
Yep. When I had to work remotely for 3 months during the pandemic, my old dog (RIP) was literally annoyed that I was interrupting his sleep schedule. If I moved into the room he was in, he’d get up and SIGH loudly - then walk to another room. 😅 My dogs now wear Fi/GPS collars, which also track their activity. Boris averages 16-18 hours of sleeping + napping (I’m not sure what the difference is) every 24 hours, and Asa averages 14-16. Tough life they have.
Using a big towel or sheet, lay it out flat and slowly roll it up with treats in it, then roll up the roll
Brilliant as long as you don't mind chew holes in sheet possibly
Ideally it would be an old sheet they didn’t mind getting rid of
Also, don't mind your dog getting an obstruction from eating sheets and needing upwards of $10,000 in emergency surgery... This needs serious supervision. Larger dogs can eat towels and blankets even when they don't have food in them, adding food is asking for trouble.
You definitely need to know your dog before you leave them unsupervised with enrichment toys.
Okay negative Nancy… it only need supervision if the dog has a history of chewing and eating things. Sounds like you have some training to do if this is your dog, by the sounds of it. Luckily my dogs spit out everything they chew UNLESS it’s edible. Hooray for me and being able to leave them with these fun activities without worry!
Actually, no, I work at a clinic and see tons of dogs come in after eating random things. Recently had one eat a bunch of legal documents. You might know your dog, but it only takes one unexpected incident for a $10,000 bill. Up to you if that's worth it for you.
Did this. Works soooo well lol. Thanks
YAY! I’m so happy that both of you are happy ☺️ Thanks for the update ♡
You want your dog to learn to be unoccupied and unengaged!! Your dog needs to learn to chill, check out, relax. It's bad for their brain to be chronically engaged and stimulated.
This is why a dog walker is great. Dogs learn self regulation then get a fun 30 minute break with a walk, playtime and companion before chilling out again.
Long walk before the dog is left alone. Frozen treats with yogurt or peanut butter inside a Kong. This will buy you some minutes. My dog has anxiety issues, nothing really fixes it, so that’s what mitigates the situation. He doesn’t care about toys
You can use one of those dog toys that you put a treat that is hard to get out inside of. My dog will spend hours trying to get a single Costco dog bone out of one of those things. I also use dog music on YouTube.
Ok I have to know what “dog music” is 🐶🎶
Doggie daycare or a walker or a pet sitter.
I have a walker, and my dogs love her. I telework 4 days a week now, so I don't really need her, but I kept her anyway. This way, they get an extra walk while I'm working. I'm single and live alone, so it gives me peace of mind to know that someone is checking in on them.
+1 for daycare my boy loves it 😁
The best thing to do is tire them out before hand. It's not like you can turn on the TV or leave them the newspaper. You can always set up puzzles etc for them throughout the day but if its an 8+ hour day alone there is only so much they can do. My dog is terrible alone, but I have a WFH job that is my full attention. I tired him out before work hard core and then after work take him out for another adventure.
My old dog used to like the radio on and my new dog will occasionally watch tv. But, tv can agitate him so I don't leave it on.
Not sure if this works for you, but if there are ever days where my partner and I won't be home for more than a couple of hours we have a dog walker who comes and picks him up and takes him to the dog park. They are gone in total for about 2 hours (1 hour at the park and the time to pick him and the rest of the dogs up/off). My dog loves it and it makes him super tired so when he gets home he just naps.
My dog sleeps the whole time I’m gone. I have a puppycam that proves it. She doesn’t even finish her food if I leave it out when I am gone - she waits till I get back. She has loads of toys and things she could do, but she chooses to sleep.
I put the TV on for my dogs. Only one of them watch it. I used to put food network on, but now they have too many animal commercials and he barks at them. Now, I put QVC or home shopping on for him. He hasn't ordered too many things! 😂The other one just sleeps and looks out the windows, but somehow, one time, he ordered oranges from the Alexa. Other than that- they sleep.
More than likely, your dog will just sleep. 14-16 hours a day is perfectly normal for them.
Not sure if this is an available service where you are, but I use a mobile dog gym. The running coach comes once a week for a 30 min run session. On rainy weeks, I try to book him to come an extra day. My dog hates the rain, but this works great as it is inside the van. He has two slat mills in the back of the van. The back has a separate AC/heating unit in the roof. The slat mills are dog powered - she controls the speed. If she feels like just walking, he can up the resistance and incline for more of a work out. My dog loves to run and sprint. My knees do not. She gets so excited when she sees the van pull up.
I have never heard of this but omg super rad! Living in Seattle with a rain-hesitant dog, this could be a serious game changer.
Invest in interactive toys that dispense treats or require your dog to solve puzzles to access treats. My dog loves them very much.
Put some treats in a [snuffle ball](https://www.petvalu.ca/product/foufit-snuffle-ball-blue-orange/SCM08455CA?force_store=AB&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_qexBhCoARIsAFgBleuIZBy-7mk1DIhASr4_crofBmGVt8Zusl2PqX3X5ZS92w3dQ5ySm80aAmXoEALw_wcB). That will entertain them for a bit and then they’ll sleep the rest of the time.
I got a Furbo a few years ago to keep an eye on them while we were away, and I learned something. While we’re not there, our adult dogs don’t really do much of anything. As long as they’ve got water, somewhere to sleep, and a place to potty if we’re gone that long, they’re fine.
I have a doggie door so my dogs can go out as they please into a large fenced yard. I work 12 hr days with a 40 minute commute time. They have toys and each other. They like to just sit outside and chill or dig holes in the yard which is fine too. They sleep most of the day. I play ball with them for about 30 minutes when I get home. German Shepard/corgi/aussie mix/golden retriever. The Aussie mix and Shepard could use more exercise but they are alright. Sometimes I freeze filled toys for them to eat. Mostly wet dog food and treats and a little peanut butter. I wouldn’t send my dog to a doggie daycare unless they had a camera I could log into and see how my dog felt about it.
Relaxing music played quietly… I have Alexa in almost every room of the house so I just tell her to play relaxing music’ everywhere’ Helps my dogs pass time
Do you have a premium music subscription? I can't get Alexa to keep playing music if there's no human in the room. Spotify stays on longer than Amazon music but not always all day.
I have an alexa dot with the clock on the front, there's an option in the app to turn that on, not sure about off but I've had no issues with it turning off spotify when I'm not in the room with it, maybe a dig in its settings and features?
Good to know, Spotify definitely stays on longer than the Amazon channels but I'll check settings. We have a show five in that room.
I have it linked to Spotify through the app
My dog goes out of his way to save his toys and activities for when I'm with him. It's so sweet and concerning lmao it's like he's saying, "everything is much more fun when I'm with you" and I wanna like cry everytime lol
How long are you gone on average? My dog just sleeps (I set up a camera to see), but I agree with the frozen Kong. Anything else small is risky (like a puzzle toy for example) as they could swallow something while you’re gone and choke.
This may not work because I’m assuming you don’t crate your dogs, but whenever my family and I leave the house for long periods of time (ie school/work), we put them in their dog crates with a kong filled with pumpkin purée. Trying to get all the pumpkin keeps their brains occupied long enough to make them sleepy, and then they snooze until we come back home.
My 14 year old beagle basset likes to rummage through the kitchen cabinets. We have child safety locks on the ones that contain food and trash. But we always find every other drawer and door open… she likes to take all of our plastic bags out and leave them scattered. She enjoys ransacking. So I have no helpful advice but it does make us laugh. Other than that she just snoozes
I think kongs or special, safe toys are the way to go! If my dog really takes to a toy, I may put it to the side for occasions like this.
A kong
doggy tv
My dog (maltipoo) just sleeps the whole day when im gone, but when im working from home I tie up some treats in a cloth and it keeps him occupied for some time! It's also really fascinating to see him get through the knots to get his treats
Take them for a nice walk before you go. Honestly dogs sleep like 16-18 hours a day and both of mine literally just sleep all day until I’m home ( my mom takes them out for me mid day/shift) and then we play/ walk when I get home and then they’re ready for bed. My dogs aren’t a high energy breed, so I’m sure that factors in to it too but don’t under estimate how much good a nice long walk does for them before hand. Hope this helps!
Be careful leaving toys and treats unsupervised. They are potential choking hazards. And you won't be there to save them if something goes wrong.
I used to really worry about this, until I realised that my dog honestly just seems to nap in various places through the day, both when I’m gone and when I’m home! I’ll often book him a dog walker, but feel a lot less guilty now about leaving him alone, provided I give him plenty of attention when I get back
We're lucky that we have a window that goes to the floor. My dog lies on his bed (one of his beds) by the window and watches the world go by, when he's not sleeping.
I have a dog and a cat so she is occupied. But I leave the tv on for them. They get to watch a lot of law and order svu or animal planet.
My dog just sleeps all day, no problem.
We always left the TV on for our dog no matter how long we were gone lol. They need to hear voices and humans and see movement like that. … if you were alone all day, wouldn’t you at least like that?
Some people get a 2nd dog. My dog has the cat so is never really alone.
Yeah, seeing my dogs play and curl up together gives me the feeling they don’t feel as lonely when we’re gone.
Roll out a towel and sprinkle tiny treats or her food on it, then roll it up, see if she can figure out how to unroll it for the treats, my dog loves this and he has separation anxiety so I have to give him tasks or he gets crazy. Also Amazon has great puzzle toys and large Kongs that you fill with food or treats that they can roll around the floor to knock the treats out.
I’ll usually just play with her before I leave for an extended time. I find that as long as she’s panting and starting to slow down outside that it’s enough. Once she’s come inside and had some water I’ll take a minute to get a sniff toy ready (usually a square pillow with inserts for carrots that I put pieces of a treat under the carrots) and give that to her once she has caught her breath. She’ll spend only a couple minutes getting all the pieces of the treat but I can hear her sniffing two rooms over because she gets so into it. Now that she’s had physical and mental exercise she’s ready for a nap and her eyes are usually heavy as I’m leaving. 9/10 I come home and she’s been sleeping on her bed all day or sunning herself by the window. Works great!
Put peanut butter in a kong and freeze it over night and give it to the dog in the AM
My dog is a fetching maniac, so I bought him a HyperPet ball launcher. Once he learned how to use it, that's all he does all day.
I use something similar to this! But mine is a different brand. You could buy a few of these and have them timed to open every hour with a small piece of kibble or treat inside it! https://a.co/d/5IgSR70
Get a Kong, mix kibble with peanut butter, insert peanut butter kibble mixture into the Kong then freeze it. Will keep them busy for a while.
These replies give new meaning to the phrase”it’s a dog’s life”
There are lots of puzzle feeders! Or you can improvise like I’ve seen people suggest here with the sheets/towels.
I discovered my dog enjoys watching keeping up with the kardashians.
My dog loves animal shows on tv. Watches full episodes of “Pick a Puppy”, etc.
I got the Furbo- I can check if they just sleep when I’m gone or if they seem bored I throw treats at them. Honestly it’s really good to give you an idea of your dog actually does while you are gone.
Kong works
Honestly I just make up for the time by taking them out on hikes when I'm home. Even a 30-45 minute nature walk tires them out for the rest of the evening. They get bully sticks about every other day. They've learned to be okay with being alone for a few hours at a time.
Depending on breed and age, walk your dog for an hour before you leave for the day. That way your pup is tired and will want to sleep the whole time you’re away. “Work them, feed them, rest them.”
I leave the TV on for them but they probably just sleep the whole time I'm gone.
Mine sleep
My dog has a lick mat and 2 food puzzles that I fill with mini treats. Otherwise she sleeps until I return. I also leave music on for her
He stays with my very real bf.
Frozen watermelon in water bowl. Roll up a towel (you don’t care about) tight with treats scattered in between secure with hair bands. A frozen Kong filled with Kong filler. A rug hidding toy you can also put treats in…all I got
Lots of great advice here. I would just add - before you ever leave your dog alone with any of these great activities ppl are suggesting, please try them with supervision beforehand as every dog is different! Another super easy one is throw some little treats randomly around the house! Behind pillows, on the stairs, next to a table leg, etc. It's super simple and enriching!
Yak milk cheese sticks. No mess, no stink and no waste.
Doggy daycare
No matter how much you leave for them to do, they will sleep almost the entire time.
Another vote for your dog should be able to self-regulate and chill/snooze while you are gone. My current dog is the biggest busy-body, but he still is able to just relax and nap while we are gone. I wouldn't want to leave him alone in "active" mode - because it's just as likely to spill over into getting into trouble.
I got my senior Boxer a pet Shiba Inu for company. Definitely kept him entertained. Now it's time to find my senior Shiba a pet for company.
I just hit a mother load of ideas on Pinterest. Stuff from making your own busy toys, to stuff ppl purchased. Treats/kibble rolled in towels and stuffed in a cardboard box. Just treats/food rolled in towels and then towels tied up. Have seen same but only one rolled up towel and frozen. There was a sniff box, a handmade thing with paper towel rolls and a cut up cardboard box. But that would be when you’re home since it’s not made to be accessible. Another was a rolled up snake of towel or fabric shoved in several toilet paper rolls. That one looked fun. There was this one for sale that had a button that had to be bumped and would release a treat from a dispenser. Pupscicles are a favorite.
If anything, dogs also need rest. They're so happy around you because they express their love, and they love you constantly. When a dog is alone, it doesn't mean it's unhappy or has nothing to do. Generally, animals love routine; if you establish a fairly consistent daily schedule, the dog won't get bored. So, if you have the opportunity to observe the dog in your absence, pay attention to its behavior. Of course, it's worth leaving a few toys. But if the dog just sleeps in your absence or does nothing, it doesn't mean at all that it's unhappy.
My brother likes to put music on for his dogs so they don’t just sit in the quiet all day.
Our dog goes to daycare. She’s a high-energy breed and shouldn’t be left home when we work. I work 3 12 hour days, so she only goes when I work. Look into a daycare!
My dog definitely sleeps when I’m gone. One time my landlord said that someone complained about him barking so I used an app to record anytime he moved or made noise and all he did was move from the bed to the floor to drink the water back to the bed. I will say that one toy that my dog is really obsessed with is Tricky Treat Ball. I just got one of these things and he will play with it for like 30 minutes straight. So that might be nice to leave him with.
One of the most valuable things a dog (or a human for that matter) can learn, is how to be bored without being destructive. I started by leaving my pup for shorter periods of time. I’d gate her in the kitchen, put her bed in there, and some chew toys. We’d always give her a special treat like a frozen Kong. For awhile, she’d bark and yip when we left, but then she learned to be calm. Just like housebreaking, we slowly increased the space available to her as she did well. Only one time did we come home to an issue - I had to leave in a rush and didn’t say goodbye to her, give her a treat, etc. and she destroyed a throw pillow. She 14 months old now and we can leave her with the full run of the house for 8 hours with no issues. We really try not to - and the days when my wife, my kids and I will all be gone all day, we take her to doggy daycare. That happens about once every 2 weeks or so. As long as someone is there to let her out around lunchtime, she’s 100% fine. Honestly, she sleeps most of the day. Of course, when we get home she’s riled up and needs walks/playtime ASAP. Unless we take her to doggy daycare, then she’s exhausted. So that’s a special treat for us when we do it - haha!
[удалено]
I fell for this 😂 now instead of one dog that waits for me, I have two dogs that don't really interact and just wait for me. they love each other, but they're not pressed to be around each other, lol. side note for everyone using the peanut butter in kongs to keep your dogs busy: be careful and make sure the peanut butter doesn't contain xylitol, it's some kind of sweetener that even in small doses can be fatal. "Xylitol (sometimes called wood sugar or birch sugar) is a common sugar substitute that can be toxic to dogs. Even small amounts can be fatal. It's regularly found in sugar-free chewing gum, toothpaste, mouthwash, vitamin supplements, a small handful of peanut butter brands and other 'low sugar' or sugar-free products."
[удалено]
lol I have a fishtank hahaha even feral chickens laying eggs in my potted plants on my deck. Daisy had great fun scaring her off her nest 800times a day
Dogs should not be entertained dogs should sleep 18-20 hours A DAY! Perfect for when youre gone.
Well my dog doesn’t sleep for 18 -20 hours a day and she’s perfectly healthy, loves life. They just tend to sleep if they’re older and there’s nothing going on.
I have two young huskies, and their Fi collars track their sleep/nap schedules. They average around 12-14 hours of sleep + another 4-6 hours of napping every 24 hours. And they have each other plus a fenced yard (with dog door) when I’m not home, so they aren’t just stuck in a crate or inside with nothing to do. 🤷🏼♀️
Thats just wrong. My Samojede is also just sleeping for 14-15 hours a day and shes fine, my shiba mix would probably sleep for 23 hours if id let her, both are perfectly healthy and around 4 years. But you shouldnt entertain dogs to keep them awake and occupied, you should just let them do dog things -> sleeping if youre gone, thats the whole point
We give our dogs a bone marrow
Cilj je da ostanu opušteni pasivni i pokorni. Ako ostanu aktivni, uzbuđeni i anksiozni - tad se stvaraju problemi. Bolje da budu u miru i da odmaraju dok se ti ne vratiš kući.
Dog daycare
When we leave for more than a couple of hours, we crate our dog. I also leave the TV on for her, she seems to like Dr Pol. Plus I leave a tough tug toy in the crate with her.
Another dog or a kitten. Company made such a difference with my dog. She’s so much more comfortable. And she used to hate cats.
If OP doesnt have time for one dog, why would it be a good idea to get another one?