Leaving dog at home while at the yard

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gcnfx

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Hi All, a query for those with horses (or who spend a lot of time out of the house)... to cut a long story short we have had to move my horse onto a yard where dogs aren't allowed. Our dog used to be with us every second we were down the yard, and now he won't be able to come we are worried and think we may have made the wrong decision... for those who don't have the option of bringing your dogs with you anywhere for a couple of hours how do you get on? Not sure if I'm just being a baby but he is only 3 and don't want him upset and / or destroying the house while we are away 3 hours max. Sorry for the long rant 🙄
 
My dogs are allowed on our yard but they zoom around and are a bit annoying so they stay at home. I only had one dog until recently and he stayed at home on his own and never destroyed anything. He’s quite used to spending a few hours on his own though, he just goes to sleep.

Is yours crate trained? If he is and you are worried about destruction you could keep him in his crate then house and dog are safe when you are out?
 
He isn't crate trained and he is 3 years old. Just worried about him being with us all the time after work to bring in his own again when we are at the yard - he is very much a people's dog. I'll look into crate training. Thank you :)
 
I'd recommend training him to stay alone as if he were a pup. He might take to it real easy, or maybe not! Mine are both trained to stay home alone and I don't have any howling or chewing. Would they rather be with me? One I'm not sure lol - the other, definitely! But it's actually really important that dogs can be safely left as you never know when you might need to (e.g. I broke my ankle while OH away on business trip). A friend took me to hospital but as you know it can take ages there so wasn't home for as good 5-6 hours. Thankfully dog is used to it and settles for a sleep until we get home.
 
MissTyc said:
I'd recommend training him to stay alone as if he were a pup. He might take to it real easy, or maybe not! Mine are both trained to stay home alone and I don't have any howling or chewing. Would they rather be with me? One I'm not sure lol - the other, definitely! But it's actually really important that dogs can be safely left as you never know when you might need to (e.g. I broke my ankle while OH away on business trip). A friend took me to hospital but as you know it can take ages there so wasn't home for as good 5-6 hours. Thankfully dog is used to it and settles for a sleep until we get home.
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This. I broke my collar bone whilst husband was away and dog ended up on his own for about 7 hours by the time I got back. He was desperate for a wee but we found him asleep on the sofa. Current rescue puppy has NEVER been alone so we’re having to wean him off us and the other dog, I think it’s important that they can cope with being on their own for the very reason that the unexpected can happen when you can’t get home as soon as you had hoped.
 
Does he chew when you are at work? If not I can't see the problem, tbh. I would make sure that he gets a good walk as soon as you get home from work, then leave him wherever you usually leave him and go to the yard. Ours are crate trained and often sleep in there, with the door open, from choice, .
 
I have two dogs, both are under 2 years old. They can come to the yard with me, but have to be on leads at all times, so it is very hard when I have two horses to deal with and exercise and two dogs on leads. I sometimes take them to change up their day, but equally can leave them at home without any problems. They are not kept in crates, one has never been crate trained. They have never damaged a single thing in our house, or toileted and have been left up to 9 hours in the worst situation. This is very very few and far between as I work from home.

Like others have said, I think it is important that they get used to being left indoors alone from time to time. I know a family with three dogs and they cannot ever leave them in the house alone, so have to go in the car everywhere. But they restrict the person's life hugely because of it.
 
I've never been allowed on a yard that allowed dogs.

Surely, though, your dog can manage a couple of hours alone at home?
 
Hi All thanks for the replies!

In all fairness this probably just me worrying as myself and the dog are in our little routine of me coming home from work, getting changed and grabbing the dog as he is left alone for a couple hours in the day some days but not for hours on end as my husband works from home.

I will have to see how we go, it's not asif he is never alone asin if we go shopping 6-9pm (as a time frame) he is fine but I think chews out of boredome as he is greyhound x whippet x collie. He has to spend time alone as I'm not one of those people who brings the dog everywhere with me, it's just the routine he is in to be with me at the yard every night so far. I'm sure he will adjust, thanks for the reassurance :)
 
You can retrain him to chew more appropriate things than human possessions. Neither of mine (GSD X and terrier X so both hardy chewers) is interested in chewing things that don't have flavour - frozen kongs, bones, etc ... If I have to disrupt our routine, they get a special frozen kong. They're both pretty quick at emptying them out but it's a distraction while the door is closing, the car pulling off the drive, etc. Then they forget I was ever home and go back to sleep. Mine are kept separately during the day so they don't have each other's company either.
 
Dogs are allowed at my yard, but I choose not to bring my two labs for several reasons. The routine is the same as if OH and I are popping out for a few hrs, they go to bed (which is the office, with a crate for the 11mo pup as he went through a chewing the door frame and carpet phase!). I think it is really important they are able to be left on their own for several hours in case of emergencies (e.g. unexpected hospital visits as happened to OH in Jan) or lateness due to traffic etc. Mine just sleep judging by the stretching and yawning that goes on when I let them out again!
 
I'm sure they will get used to it but I can see your concern. I am lazy (well not really, my life is manic!) and often the dogs exercise is at the yard, I don't always take them on a separate walk, so not bringing them to the yard would be a pain for me. Or at least having them on the yard out of the way: we had sheep everywhere for a few months so my collie had to be kept on lead as she cannot be trusted and you never knew where they had escaped to next! so she had to get used to waiting in the car rather than her usual of following me to and from the field. they mostly get to mooch around as they are pretty well behaved and it's not a big busy livery yard. but I do keep them out of the way when needed and then they go for a walk directly from the yard as there is a lovely canal path and a common.

to be honest they probably would get more quality time/walks if they couldn't come to the yard and I can see why yards do ban dogs as a few I have visited can become chaotic with multiple dogs.
 
gcnfx said:
Hi All, a query for those with horses (or who spend a lot of time out of the house)... to cut a long story short we have had to move my horse onto a yard where dogs aren't allowed. Our dog used to be with us every second we were down the yard, and now he won't be able to come we are worried and think we may have made the wrong decision... for those who don't have the option of bringing your dogs with you anywhere for a couple of hours how do you get on? Not sure if I'm just being a baby but he is only 3 and don't want him upset and / or destroying the house while we are away 3 hours max. Sorry for the long rant 🙄
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I think with most things new, introduce leaving home alone gradually and build it up. How long have you left him for in the past? If possible a good walk before you leave him alone for any length of time might be an idea. If he’s a chewy dog, then a kong filled with treats will occupy him for a while. I always leave radio 4 on when I go out. I don’t know if the dogs appreciate the intellectual discussion but they’ve never complained😀!
 
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