Have you/would you leave your dog overnight alone?

ash.flea · August 2010

We leave our dogs alone on the weekends all the time. They are a lot happier at home than being boarded. My neighbor comes over to feed them and let them out a couple of times per day, and my mom comes once/day to walk them and play with them for a while.

lmdbww · August 2010

I dont know specifically why but I am not a fan of this at all...

The only way that I would personally even consider it is if the dogs are not crated in the house.

But even then, i'm not a fan....

jilybeans4 · August 2010

lmdbww:

I dont know specifically why but I am not a fan of this at all...

The only way that I would personally even consider it is if the dogs are not crated in the house.

But even then, i'm not a fan....

Oh, I didn't even think of that part. Our dogs are NOT crated. Never have been.

If they were, I wouldn't even be comfortable leaving them 8 hours a day while we're at work. We'd have to have someone come over and let them stretch out.

Our dogs are spoiled rotten and have the run of the house.

cookiemonster03 · August 2010

I've never done it, but I guess we could. He's home alone 10 hrs during the day usually and is fine. We'd def need someone to let him out to pee at 10 pm and a long walk or a short run (plus potty business) at 7 am. He'd LOVE having the bed to himself.

ETA: we've stopped crating him unless there's storms (or he hasn't had enough exercise, b/c then he's destructive) and he's fine. But we have always boarded him for overnights, and I think we'll continue to do so...i don't see us finding a dog walker/player soon.

amanjay · August 2010

We do it on the occasions that I'm out of town and DH works. DH leaves for work at 6pm after feeding the dog. Then, a friend comes over to let him out around 10-11pm right before bed. DH feeds the dog again when he gets home at 7:30am.

We don't like doing it (we're overprotective dog parents) but, quite frankly, the dog doesn't seem to mind. Our friend says that when he comes over the dog is usually asleep in one of his "spots" (on our bed or in DH's dirty laundry.)

layla1704 · August 2010

Depends on which dog. My older dog who has the run of the house and would just sleep the whole time? Yes. My manic Boston Terrier that has separation anxiety and has to be crated? No. Totally depends on the dog.

greenbean951 · August 2010

Wow I am really surprised by the needs of some of the aforementioned pups. I've always had dogs that were really easy and laid back. We have no problem leaving our 1YO dog overnight, he never chews anything or has accidents. I'm pretty sure he just sleeps the whole time we're gone. During the day when we're at work he's alone, but he has a doggy door and a fenced in yard so he lets himself out when he feels like it. If we are gone for more than a night we just have a family member come over to feed and play with him a couple times a day, but he's fine on his own. If we are gone for a whole weekend he gets to go to Grandma's house which he LOVES. He's crate trained but he has the run of the house now at all times, we only crate him for special circumstances. I am so glad I have an easy dog and don't have all the worry that everyone else seems to have, sheesh.

Angel037 · August 2010

I think you are over thinking this. If they are used to be alone 8-10 hours during the day, what is the difference if it is at night instead?

AGirlinWonderland · August 2010

MrsZP2B:
Wow, I never really thought twice about leaving the dog at home alone overnight. I had no idea that people were really worried about this? There is a girl who lives 2 houses down who comes and checks on her last thing before she goes to bed and first thing in the morning. I don't really imagine my dog would be any happier with a stranger in the house then just being left alone.

This.

jilybeans4 · August 2010

Angel037:
I think you are over thinking this. If they are used to be alone 8-10 hours during the day, what is the difference if it is at night instead?

Well, they are alone 8-10 hours during the day some days, and then we are generally home in the evenings and sleep there. So the dogs are alone for one long stretch, but then NOT alone the rest of the time.

I'm thinking if someone comes over for 15 minutes a few times a day, it isn't the same as having time with people for 16 hours a day like usual. Even when we are sleeping, they are near us and know we are there.

I'm just not sure 48-72 hours of being almost totally alone is comparable to being gone all day at work. Their basic needs would be met, but they also are used to getting attention a lot of the rest of the time.

megan888 · August 2010

I have a dog sitter come over 3x a day when I'm gone, but she doesn't stay overnight. My dogs won't go into crates, and I think they'd go crazy at a kennel (I've never tried). They're always a little crazy when I get back home, but then they're totally fine. For some reason, this doesn't worry me too much, but a few times when I stayed at my BF's house and left them alone at my apt, it made me nervous like a nutcase. Go figure.

Mom4life11 · May 2015

I've always had pets, both dogs and cats. We have left our cat at home for a few days, but never our dog. Recently we've moved to a new neighborhood, and leaving dogs alone for weekends seems to be common. Here's the problem. Some of these dogs bark and bark while their owners are away! They bark for the first few hours almost non stop. Then they bark at every noise, like the trash truck, a bicycle riding by, or perhaps out of boredom. The houses have outside access for ther dogs, so they are outside barking at 11 PM at night, 4 AM in the morning! At one point, we could hear the dog barking so much. It was hoarse! We checked in their yard to make sure it wasn't caught on anything in the yard, but no, it was just either scared of something or barking at something it had seen.
So dog lovers, some pets are happy at home for a while but when it becomes days, be sure your dog is not crying or barking while you re away. The barking disturbs everyone. And makes us so sad to hear..like listening to a baby cry wanting to be picked up...