7 Simple Tips to Keep Your Pet Safe When Left Home Alone

You rush home from work excited to meet your furry friend. However, it doesn’t take long for you to notice that you weren’t the only one with a long rough day. From tattered clothes, destroyed cushions to noise complaints from your neighbors – these are all signs of a stressed dog ruling your home.

Your furry friend could be suffering from separation anxiety or he simply hates it when you leave him alone. Since you can’t take him to work and you hate cleaning up your house every day, what can you do to ensure that your pup feels comfortable when you leave him at home alone?

By reading this article, you are going to discover seven proven tips that will keep your pet safe when you leave. Let’s get started!

1. Create some space

According to essay help Australia, your home should have a specific area where your dog feels safe and secure. For the majority of pups, their favorite spots are usually small, isolated and comfortable. It’s where he goes to escape the chaos of the external world.

This space can be used to help your pup feel calm and secure in moments of anxiety and stress. Even if you think your dog not nervous or anxious, there will be times when he will need to escape and relax. If your dog is not comfortable with unrestricted access to the entire house, consider confining him in his spacious safe place when you are gone.

2. Take a walk before leaving

Among the common reasons why dogs tear apart and destroy things while their masters are away having everything to do with pent up energy. Being left alone at home all day long means there are no people to play with.

Since dogs are social animals, this becomes a distressing situation. You can help your friend use up some energy by exercising him appropriately before leaving the house. All you have to do is set your alarm thirty minutes earlier than when you normally get up. Take him for a walk, jog or sporting activity. By the time you’ll leave the house for work, he’ll be tired and asleep.

3. Relax

As assignment help reports, dogs can perceive your physical and mental states. Your furry friend will know if you are irritated or disturbed by something. Remember, your dog looks up to you. You are his everything! He will be extremely concerned when you are breaking down. When you are about to leave the house, ensure that you are both calm and relaxed.

Hugging your dog and petting him might make you feel better but it makes your dog feel bad about being left alone all day long. Instead of holding and telling him how much you love him, It’s best to walk out without touching or talking to him. Ignoring him for a few minutes before you leave will be a relief to your dog because you won’t be worried. 

4. Take baby steps

Like all other lessons that your dog is going to learn, it will take some time before he becomes an expert in staying home alone. It takes practice and persistence for your dog to learn this new way of living. When you bring your furry friend home, consider starting this process by leaving him home alone for five minutes.

Walkout as if you are leaving for work and take a walk around the block for a few minutes. If he passes this test successfully, you should increase the time. Taking things slow will help you save a lot of time and energy in the long run. To avoid accidents and life-threatening situations, avoid leaving younger dogs alone at home. If you’ll not be at home most of the time, consider getting a mature dog.

5. Provide entertainment

According to assignment help uk, there are tons of things that you can leave in the open that will comfort and entertain your dog when you are away. Something like an old shirt that smells like you can be extremely comforting to him because he will think you are close by even when you are miles away. There are also toys that you can buy for this sole purpose.

You can also consider leaving your dog with treats that will keep him entertained and busy when he’s stressed out. For instance, Z bones are one of the best treats to give your dog because he can spend hours licking flavors from the inside without any supervision. Before leaving chew toys for your furry friend, ensure that they are 100% safe.

If he doesn’t enjoy playing with treat toys, you can leave the radio or TV on so that he feels like he’s not alone in the house. There are tons of audiobooks designed specifically for your dog when he’s left alone.

6. Avoid punishment

When you rush home excited to greet your furry friend and you find your favorite clothes and shoes destroyed or complaints from your neighbors about how your dog howled the entire day, your first instinct is to punish the dog. While it’s a natural response, it can make things worse.

Unlike human beings, dogs cannot connect their past behaviors to the present moment. Therefore, if you punish him for chewing the carpet or destroying your clothes, he’ll have no idea what is going on. All he knows is you are angry at him.

 Unpredictable punishments will make your dog scared and insecure in the long run. And this will lead to more problems the next time you leave him all alone. It’s a cycle that can’t be broken through punishment. Make use of positive reinforcements on days when you get back to a clean house with no complaints from the neighbors. Never punish your dog.

7. Relax when you get home

It’s always exciting when you reunite with your furry friend in the evening. However, your actions will determine whether your dog will get stressed the next time you leave him. Don’t be so enthusiastic to say hello to him when you get back so that he doesn’t feel upset when he’s left alone.

Final thoughts

While you’ll have to leave your dog at home alone, you should avoid staying away for prolonged periods. Mature dogs should be left alone for at most four hours especially if he loved peeing on grass. If your dog does things independently, the maximum time allowed is eight hours. Puppies not older than six months should not be left alone at home. If you are a busy person with a pup, consider hiring a pet sitter to stay home with him.

Leaving your dog all alone at home is not the easiest thing in the world. However, with the right actions and behaviors, you can make it easier for you and your furry friend to live in peace. Remember, your dog won’t learn how to stay alone in the house in a few days. It takes a lot of time and energy for this to happen.

There will be times when he’s going to frustrate you. Don’t punish him instead, use positive reinforcement as much as you can. Finally, don’t forget to exercise with him before leaving the house. Your time, attention and peace of mind is all your dog treasures.

Author Bio
Scott Matthews is a professional content writer and proofreader at college papers, paper writing service, essay writers and coursework writing service. He loves sharing his insightful tips on business, writing and technology. During his leisure time, you’ll find him traveling or mentoring college students.