We have a two-month-old little ball of fluff who arrived a week ago; things are going pretty well so far, with just a few accidents but nothing major. I've read that Aussies don't handle being left alone very well, but when we’re at work, he obviously has to be on his own. We’re heading to some friends' house this Saturday lunchtime, so he'll be staying home (with our two guinea pigs). I don't want to bring him along because the friends we're visiting have kids, and he's still a bit too small to be constantly fussed over.
Is this what people mean by 'being alone', or is that more for dogs who are left by themselves all the time? We just can't take him everywhere with us.
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We have two GSDs who stay home alone during the day! And yes, we do work ;)
To get them settled, we took some time off work to get them used to being on their own, slowly but surely!
The result? No issues at all, they aren’t destructive in the slightest. However, when you get home, you really have to take them for at least an hour’s walk, otherwise the dog will definitely let you know they’re not happy!
As for your friends, I can understand that, but it’s up to you to find a balance between your friends and your dog. You can’t really force your dogs on your friends, but you also can’t expect your dog to be constantly left alone just for the sake of your friends.
Whatever you do, you mustn't punish your dog if you find they’ve caused some damage while you were out. If you scold them, the dog will simply associate the punishment with you coming home, rather than the mess they actually made.
Ignore the dog and tidy everything up while they’re out of the room.
If there’s a mess, just give them the cold shoulder...
If there isn't any damage, give them plenty of praise, but only after a short "settling-in" period (once you've calmly put your things away). This helps the dog link the praise to their good behaviour rather than just the fact that you've walked through the door.
Use this reward-based method after very short absences so they start to make the connection between being well-behaved and getting a treat; it’s all about conditioning...
That's the gist of it. If you want to keep the "naughtiness" to a minimum, make sure to clear anything valuable out of the room where you're leaving them and make sure they have plenty of toys to keep them occupied.
Australian Shepherds are real "velcro dogs" and get attached to their owners very quickly. Because of this, you need to teach them how to settle and be left alone as early as possible, making sure to do it very gradually.
If you get a puppy during your holidays, you need to get them used to being alone quickly: don't wait until the day before you head back to work to teach them how to cope on their own!
THE OWNER DEPARTING.
What you must absolutely avoid is making a ritual out of your departure. This means giving obvious and repeated signals every time you’re about to leave the dog alone: putting on your coat, making a massive fuss over Fido (this is the best way to increase their anxiety)... You need to plan your exit and avoid starting a game just before you leave, for example; the easiest thing is to ignore the dog for about 15 minutes before you head out.
The dog shouldn't sense the signs of an impending absence. If the owner feels guilty about leaving the dog alone, the dog will start showing signs of anxiety before they’ve even gone.
The owner leaving should be seen as something completely natural by the dog.
To start with, you should leave the dog alone for short periods so they understand that you always come back. To help the dog pass the time, leave them a chew or some toys to keep them occupied. You can also give them a "mission": leave an object for them to look after (like a jumper or a bag)...
Avoid shutting the dog in an unfamiliar room just to limit potential damage: they will see this as a punishment. You shouldn't leave doors and windows wide open to give them more space, either!!!
THE OWNER RETURNING.
You’re happy to see the dog, and they’re just as happy to see you!
However, your return shouldn’t turn into an over-the-top reunion: you need to keep the dog calm and let them settle down, even ignoring them if necessary. Once they are calm again, you can give them a fuss. Keep in mind that the dog winds themselves up and gets ready to give you a huge welcome: if you’re late getting back, they might start making a mess...
Once they’ve properly mastered being home alone, you can afford to be more demonstrative.
You’ll need to teach this little one how to be on their own bit by bit. Here’s an article that should help shed some light on it:
"Some owners don’t see the point in teaching their dog how to be alone; however, what owner is actually at home 24/7?
Besides, a dog needs to be able to stay home alone without starting to howl their head off or causing damage the moment you've left... Just because you’ve got your ear to the front door for five minutes and don't hear a peep, it doesn't mean the dog isn't capable of barking for the rest of the day—it’s the quickest way to end up in trouble with the neighbours.
Furthermore, if a dog can't cope with being left alone, their anxiety will impact their behaviour, and certain issues can arise (self-harming, destruction...)"
Hi everyone,
I'm the proud owner of a lovely 10-month-old female Australian Shepherd, and being left alone has never been an issue for her. Within reason, of course! She stays on her own for a maximum of 3 to 4 hours every day during the week, and it goes really well. As soon as we brought her home, we gradually taught her how to be by herself. We’d pop out for five minutes—sometimes just the kids or me, sometimes all of us—and we just did it naturally, without any heartbreaking goodbyes or making a massive fuss when we got back. We built up the time gradually and never had any problems. Of course, when we are around, she gets plenty of good walks, playtime, and so on... which means that when she is alone, she just snoozes!!
All this to say that, in my opinion, if the amount of time a dog is left alone stays reasonable, it’s completely manageable. Unfortunately, we can’t take our fur babies everywhere with us...
However, it might be a good idea if you could take your pup with you to your friends' house this Saturday. It would be a great way for him to experience new places, different people, and children...
Liubow, whenever you post, it’s either to say "I don't know, my dog doesn't do that, I’ll let the others answer" or just to get worked up...
Anyway, it’s perfectly normal to have a life "separate" from your pets too, Sandra; unfortunately, we can’t share everything with them. But it’s better to build up to it gradually rather than leaving him on his own for three hours right from the start.
Every dog has a different definition of being alone. Out of my two, I’ve got one who couldn't care less about being surrounded by humans, dogs, cats or toys when I’m out (she just curls up in her bed in my bedroom and sleeps the whole time I’m away). The other one handles it much better if there are other dogs or people around and if I leave him something to keep him occupied, because he hasn't quite learnt how to "settle" as soon as I head out yet.
Yeah, but he’s only just turned two months old... She’s not going to leave him for 3 hours, is she? When you’ve got a puppy, you take things slowly, not all at once.
Anyway, that’s just my opinion; if I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t have left him alone like that without any prep...
Personally, if I have a puppy, I look after it until it’s ready to be left alone. My aunt used to take her puppy everywhere and gradually taught him how to be on his own. If people didn’t want the puppy there, then tough luck, she just wouldn’t go ;).
She says, "I’ve got a pet, I look after it, and that involves sacrifices too, but I knew that when I got him." And now he can be left by himself, so they can go out without him ^^
I’ve got an Aussie; I work, and he stays at home on his own for a maximum of 7 hours. He isn’t destructive and is very well-adjusted. BUT—and this is vital, especially for this breed—they ABSOLUTELY need to burn off a lot of energy; they’re very high-energy.
If you give him enough physical and mental stimulation, it’ll be fine... about 4 miles of walking a day, obedience training, or whatever.
It’s true that, given the choice, he’d prefer us to be around, but he knows how to be left alone as long as you train them from when they're a tiny puppy, and very gradually... leave him for 5 minutes, then 10, then 15, and so on.
