Suffer from Separation Guilt: Why Leaving Your Dog is a Good Thing

Key in door

Everyone always talks about dogs suffering with separation anxiety but no one talks about the guilt of leaving yours at home. You know you are affected from it if you think about cancelling your plans so you can stay at home with them (wholesome but shouldn't be a regular occurrence!) or your mind tends to wonder how they are doing whilst you are away.

It's always good to be concerned and to think about your pet's wellbeing but don't let it impact your life. There are benefits* of leaving your dog at home.

Suffering from separation guilt? Here are reasons as why leaving your dog is a good thing:

1# Safe space to relax and reset

Dogs can quickly become overstimulated and excitable, they also feel like they need to be our guardians whilst we wander around the terrains of our home.

I'm sure it goes like this: You go to the toilet, who's following you? your dog's at your feet.

You take the bins out, who's following you? your dog is waiting at the window.

You clean the house, who's following you? your dog, possibly from a distance if you are vacuuming.

However, when you leave the house, dogs are forced to relax and to entertain themselves. This encourages them to nap whilst you are away as there's nothing else to do.

2# Trust forming

Nothing screams trust forming like leaving your dog unattended in your house. This is a great way to continue practicing your training of separation anxiety or any behaviour you have been working on e.g. destruction-related, barking*.

3# Engagement

Leaving your dog is a GOOD thing because it encourages you to think about their wellbeing whilst you are gone. Typically, if you are at home with them, the engagement might involve a few treats here and there, dog walks or short play sessions but mostly involves a lot of strokes and "who's a good boy?". It's naturally to drop the engagement in the home as it's a formed habit but when you leave, you think about their loneliness and under-stimulation. This thought process develops into creating frozen bananas, hiding treats and filling treat bowls with their kibble to keep them happy.

4# Your own wellbeing

As much as owning a pet is wonderful, you do need to think about your wellbeing. You do need to leave the house, to meet up with friends and to love life - even if it means going on a long solo walk without your dog or getting a coffee without a puppuchino (why does that feel like cheating!)

So... off you pop!

Furthermore, it's been advised to only leave your dog up to 4 - 6 hours but you know your dog best. Please ensure your dog is left sufficient food and water whilst you are gone. If you are worried about the duration, we offer day visits and drop in visits that are perfect for these situations.

*we recognise that all dogs are different and most dogs are working at their separation anxiety so whether it's 5 mins, 30 mins to hours, this is still for you.

**If your dog is excessive barking, it may be due to boredom, loneliness, in pain or something else, if this becomes a regular thing, please see a certificated dog trainer in your area.