What To Do Before Leaving A Puppy Alone At Home For The First Time

Leaving a puppy alone at home for the first time can be a stressful experience, both for you and for them.

While most of us would like nothing more than to spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with our pets, life tends to get in the way. Sooner or later, we all need to leave our pups and head out into the world.

But even though we know it’s necessary, and our puppy will survive the experience, it doesn’t stop us from worrying. If the pup’s not yet been housetrained, those worries can increase tenfold.

What if they have an accident when you’re away? What if the accident involves something more than making a puddle on your carpet?

They could get hurt, chew an electric wire, lock themselves in a cupboard, eat something they shouldn’t… the list goes on.

The worry is natural. After all, welcoming a puppy into your home is like welcoming a baby. It’s joyful, sure, but it’s also fraught with challenges and anxieties.

Fortunately, there’s plenty of things you can do to lessen those worries and make the prospect of leaving your puppy alone far less daunting.

The first step? Take control. Worrying won’t get you anywhere. Acting will.

Before we start looking at some of the things you can do to make the process easier, take a moment to check out the puppy coach program from the Online Dog Trainer, Doggy Dan.

In essence, it’s a step-by-step instruction manual that will guide you through the challenges of being a new puppy owner.

Raising a dog should be a happy, rewarding experience – by following the tips and tricks in the course, you can make sure it’s exactly that.

Here’s the link again to take a look: Puppy Coach – The Online Dog Trainer

How Old Should A Puppy Be Before Leaving Them Alone?

Even if your puppy is happy enough to be left alone for several hours at a stretch, it’s unlikely that their bladders will be.

Leaving a puppy alone for too long isn’t just detrimental to their mental and physical well-being. It can set back any progress you’ve made in potty training.

Although it varies depending on size, breed, and even temperament, most puppies can hold it for the number of hours that corresponds to their age in months, plus one.

For example, a 4-month-old puppy can hold it for a maximum of 5 hours.

To avoid suffering any setbacks on your potty training journey, don’t leave them alone for longer than their bladders can tolerate.

Bladders aside, it’s also worth remembering that pups are going to take some time to adjust to being alone. As a general guideline, it’s best to start out with very brief absences and gradually increase them over time.

What To Do Before Leaving a Puppy Alone At Home For The First Time

Leaving a puppy alone for the first time can be daunting. And although it’s hard to get rid of the worry completely, there’s plenty of things you can do to lessen the stress. Things such as…

Put The Fundamentals in Place

Before you start getting into the habit of leaving your pup home alone, make sure you have all the fundamentals in place.

If you’re not sure what those are, take some time to catch up on the puppy coach program I introduced to you earlier.

The course will help you build a solid foundation to work off. Once that’s in place, you’re going to feel a lot less overwhelmed by all those little challenges you come across.. including leaving your little chum alone for the first time.

Spend Time with Them

There’s one vital thing you need to do before leaving your puppy alone for the first time: spend time with them.

Don’t plan on leaving your pup for any length of time the first day you bring them home. Or even the second day, for that matter.

The first few days in a new home can be incredibly daunting for a young pup. Some are going to be anxious. Others are going to be outright terrified.

Leaving them to cope with their anxieties on their own is a bad idea. Stick around. Show them around, let them get used to their new home, and get comfortable with where everything is.

Only once they’ve started to settle down should you consider leaving them.

Keep it Short and Sweet

Once your pup’s feeling at home, you can start leaving them alone for brief periods. But by brief, I really do mean brief.

Don’t start by leaving them to their own devices for 8 straight hours. Not only will you return home to find your carpets much darker and wetter than you left them. You’ll probably find your pup in a state of some distress.

Start small and gradually work up. Go into another room for a few minutes or take the trash out.

As your pup gets accustomed to being alone, start increasing the length of time you spend away. Work up in ten-minute increments until you can spend an hour away without your pup reacting.

Wear Them Out

Before you leave your puppy alone for an extended stretch, make sure they’re good and pooped first.

Take them for a brisk walk or wear them out with a game.

The more pent up energy they release, the less likely they are to engage in destructive behaviors while you’re away.

With any luck, they’ll be tired enough to sleep through your entire absence.

While you’re walking them, make sure they have a chance to use the bathroom – if they’re empty when you leave, they’re less likely to have an accident.

Set Up a Confinement Area

Giving your puppy the free reign of the house while your away is asking for trouble.

Not only could it have consequences from a housetraining perspective, but there’s also the safety aspect to consider. Household chemicals, electrical wires, and other dangerous things are all weirdly compelling to pups.

For their safety (and your peace of mind), it’s wise to confine them to a particular area.

Dog playpens and crates are both excellent options, as are pet gates. Although if you opt for the latter, be sure it’s high enough that your pup can’t jump over it.

If none of these is an option, try confining them to just one room in particular. If it’s a room with a tiled floor, so much the better (tiled floor = easy clean up in case of any little accidents).

Over time, you can gradually work on increasing their freedom.

Puppy-Proof the House

No matter how intelligent they are, your puppy has no idea what’s dangerous and what’s not.

To them, an electric cord is a plaything. A power outlet is always worth investigating, and that toxic houseplant is definitely worth a nibble.

Even if you plan on confining them to a particular area while you’re away, it pays to puppy proof your whole house just in case they escape.

So before you leave, make sure…

Any power outlets are covered
Exposed cords have cord protectors
Any toxic houseplants are out of reach
Any bathroom supplies, detergents, and medications are hidden away
No small objects are lying around that could pose a choking hazard
Your trash can is either dog-proof or out of harm’s way

Learn the Power of Toys

Toys are a great way of keeping your puppy entertained while you’re away.

Look for interactive toys that are simple enough for your dog to use alone, along with treat based toys like Kongs. A stash of soft toys is also good to have to hand.

If your dog’s teething, look for chew toys of various textures and materials that will help soothe their gums while keeping them nicely occupied.

A frozen dog treat is another great way to keep them entertained. Simply stuff a Kong with peanut butter, plain yogurt, or pureed pumpkin, pop it in the freezer for a few hours, and then offer it to them just as you leave.

Make them Comfortable

Before you leave the house, make it as comfortable as possible for your pet.

Make sure the temperature is neither too hot nor too cold. Leave some blankets for your pup to snuggle up in during winter, and consider investing in a dog cooling mat to keep them cool in summer.

As pups can be just as fearful of the dark as kids, leave a light on. Even if it’s still light when you leave, it might not be by the time you return. Keep your pup happy by flicking the switch before you go.

Drown Out Outside Noises

Honking horns, noisy neighbors, barking dogs, and other outside noises can all disturb or even scare a young puppy.

To minimize the risk, close all the windows before you go and look for ways to drown out any remaining outside noise.

A white noise machine is a great investment, but even something as simple as leaving the TV on or playing some relaxing music can be a huge help.

If your dog is used to the hustle and bustle of family life, those familiar sounds will help them feel more relaxed and less alone.

Leave a Little of You Behind

Dogs are ruled by their noses. Use it to your advantage.

Before you leave the house, line their bed with one of your old sweaters or t-shirts.

Your scent will act like a security blanket, making them feel like you’re still around even when you’re not.

Build Up a Support Network

Sometimes, life gets in the way of even the best-laid plans.

If something comes up and you need to spend longer away from the house than you thought, it helps to have a support network you can draw on.

Maybe this is a friend who lives close by. Maybe it’s a professional dog walker. Perhaps it’s your mom.

Whoever it is, just knowing you have someone you can call on if needed can do wonders for your peace of mind.

As puppies need a bit of time to adjust to a new face, schedule a meet and greet in advance. That way, they’ll be more comfortable when your friend/ dog walker/ whoever turns up when you’re not around.

Invest in a Pet-Cam

Setting up a pet camera can work wonders for your peace of mind while you’re away.

As well as letting you keep an eye on your pet, some cameras will even let you interact with them. Talk to them, soothe them…. even throw treats for them.

While a camera doesn’t replace genuine interaction, it’s a great option to have around when that’s not possible.

Separate Them From Other Pets

If you have other pets in the household, it’s wise to keep your new puppy away from them at first. Especially if they haven’t had time to get probably acquainted and adjusted to each other.

You could either try keeping them all in their own individual crates or simply separate them in different rooms of the house.

Once they’ve all become used to each other and you’re confident that there’s no underlying tension, you can allow them to interact.

Keep it Low Key

When you finally come to make your exit, don’t make a fuss.

Weeping, wailing, apologizing, or any other extravagant gesture will just make your pup tense.

Keep it low key.

Equally, don’t make a fuss when you return. If your pup starts jumping and getting excited, wait until they calm down before returning their affection.

The more routine and matter-of-fact you can make your exits and entrances, the better.

Keep Calm

Dogs aren’t psychic, but they’re more than capable of picking up on your emotions. If you feel tense or agitated about leaving your puppy alone, they’ll probably start feeling the same way.

It might be easier said than done, but try to keep a healthy sense of perspective.

Your dog’s safe, warm, and more than OK to be left alone for a short time. Nothing catastrophic is going to happen just because you leave the house.

If you can keep your emotions in check, your pup will be more inclined to do likewise.

Final Thoughts

Leaving your puppy alone for the first time can be stressful. But remember, it’s probably way more stressful for you than it is for them.

Providing you take all the necessary steps and precautions to ensure their safety, nothing awful is going to happen. They’re safe, they’re warm, and with a little bit of time, they’ll adjust to your absences easily enough.

Whether you’ll adjust to theirs is a question for another day…