Your pup will begin to adjust to being alone, as well as learn a valuable lesson: you always come back. We recommend you leave your dog in a safe place, either a roomy crate or puppy playroom, whenever you leave the house until they're about a year old, though some dogs may need a few extra months of training.
Teaching Alone Time
In the beginning, even one or two minutes might feel too long for your puppy, but over three or four days, you should be able to build up to fairly long periods.
Do puppies grow out of separation anxiety? Unfortunately, puppies don't just grow out of separation anxiety. If you leave it untreated, it will likely just get worse, and it certainly won't get any better! However, thankfully, it's not too difficult to treat and just takes a little TLC and training.
Young puppies under six months shouldn't really be left alone for more than two hours. And it's a good idea to build up the time they spend alone gradually to prevent separation anxiety from setting in. When you do leave your puppy alone, it's a good idea to crate train them, or leave them in a puppy-proofed room.
Since puppies are not used to being home alone, they are more likely to develop separation anxiety. Additionally, it is recommended to take them out to go to the bathroom every 2 hours. Adult dogs who are using to being home alone can be left longer – as they've probably learned to sleep while you are away.
Puppies need to learn how to be alone gradually, as their guardians leave them for increasing amounts of time. They learn that when left alone, nothing bad happens and that their guardians eventually return. They learn how to entertain themselves and thereby gain confidence.
teach your dog to settle down calmly when you are busy, rather than giving them attention when they follow you around. use baby gates across doorways to introduce time apart. leave them with a long-lasting treat or toy that releases food. slowly increase the time you leave them alone while you're in the house.
DON'T stay away too long.
Most experts agree you shouldn't leave your adult dog alone for more than eight to 10 hours, but some dogs (especially ones with small bladders) can't last that long.
Pooches with this type of personality are eager learners and don't rely on their owner to keep them company throughout the day. Dog breeds that can be left alone for long periods include Labrador and Golden Retriever, Beagle, Peekapoo, or Shiba Inu.
It often takes several weeks or months for dogs to completely get over separation issues. Crate training is an option, however, some dogs that are anxious when alone are more anxious in a crate.
Their young bodies and brains are still developing, and leaving them alone for too long can lead to behavioral issues and conditions like separation anxiety. No dog should be left alone for a full 8-hour workday.
How long you can leave a puppy alone for depends on their age. For 2 months old, this is an hour or less. However, at over 6 months old, they can be alone for about 6 hours. These timings matter as dogs can only hold their bladders for so long.
Gradually increase the time you leave your puppy alone in the house to about half an hour. Depending on your puppy, this can take a few days or longer but it's important you move at their pace. If your puppy shows any sign of worry, go back to leaving them for a time period where they were last comfortable.
It is not uncommon for a puppy to defecate 5-6 times per day. Some will eliminate even more frequently. The good news is that the pace of pooping will slow down as the dog matures. Although a 2-week-old puppy may defecate at every feeding, by 12 weeks, they may be down to only 4 times per day.
Keep to a regular routine of taking your puppy outside at least every two-to-four hours and after every change of activity. This is especially important during house training and will keep accidents to a minimum. Several short play sessions during the day are better for a puppy than one long one.
Most puppies start to calm down as they approach their maturity age, which is usually around 12 months, but for larger breeds it can be more likely to occur between 18 months and 2 years.
The dog breeds that are more likely to have this problem are the German Shepherd, Australian Shepherd, Border Collie, Jack Russell Terrier, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Bichon Frise, Toy Poodle, Labrador Retriever, Cocker Spaniel, and German Shorthaired Pointer.