Home alone

Unfortunately, next week after months of doing nothing but looking after the pup, I'm going to have to go back to uni. This means that for 2 days a week, Violet is going to be left on her own for 4 hours. She's just over 4 months old. The times that I'll be out, she would normally be having a nap, but I was just wondering if anyone had any tips or advice for leaving her on her own? She has a massive crate, or we could leave her in a room - but I'm not sure how safe that would be as our most recent rules are 'no dogs on tables', 'no chewing cables' and 'no eating the walls'. She goes for about 5 hours without sitting at the door to go out, and she lasts through the night from about 10:30 till 6:30 (and even then it's a difficulty to get her to go out!).

When we leave Sophie on her own it's always in her crate with a kong loaded with titbits and covered in peanut butter.
We feel she is safer in her crate than left to roam the house where she could get up to mischief.

She'll be fine for 4 hours. I don't use a crate, I'm lucky she doesn't chew, although recently I have come home to all the sofa cushions strewn over the floor where she digs the sofa!! They just sleep I guess, I work 9-5.30 and have a dog walker who takes her out mid afternoon. Wouldn't worry, you'll miss her more than she'll miss you lol Xx Good luck for start of term

I think for now then, until she has stopped teething (this seems to be when her chewing started), I'll leave her in her crate, and definitely grab her a jar of peanut butter next time I'm at the shops.

Janey, I think you're right about them sleeping! I've been leaving her at home in her crate for a wee bit whilst I nip out to the supermarket etc, and when I come back, she's all bleary eyed - if I'm lucky she might come out to say hello, but mainly she just flops back to sleep again!

She should be fine, but I would prefer to use a crate just so you know she is safe at all times that you are out. We are very lucky that Tink doesn't chew anything, she just sleeps all day long even when we are home lol. But we do leave her in the kitchen just incase she does decide to chew anything or have a mooch about when we are out.

Just out of curiosity what are you studying at uni?

We leave Suki with the run of the house. We started off at 10 minutes alone and worked up from there to see how she would react. Of course yours is still pretty young. If you can take her for a nice long walk right before you go out it should be okay.

I think thats what I really like about a crate - I know she can't get into any trouble because she has her collar off so can't strangle herself, there's nothing she can chew or choke on and nothing she can fall off of.

I'm studying digital art - going into 4th year. I still think it's mad that I got a degree by making an animation of a shark wearing a wig, doing the hoovering whilst some people have to do loads of reading and exams (and actually knowing stuff!)to get the same qualification. Though, we still have to do a 10,000 word dissertation, but luckily we did 3,000 words of it last year.

jstaff wrote:We leave Suki with the run of the house. We started off at 10 minutes alone and worked up from there to see how she would react. Of course yours is still pretty young. If you can take her for a nice long walk right before you go out it should be okay.

I've been leaving her for short periods at a time to get her eased into being left on her own whilst I'm at classes. So far, she seems fine, and I've spoken to the neighbours who haven't heard anything from her. I got her a nice new extending lead so she can have a good bit of exercise before I go in the morning, and hopefully that will tire her out

4 1/2 hours isn't too long so she should sleep through most of it if she is fed and exercised. I'm sure you are still very nervous though. Good luck both with Violet and the university.

When I'm out my little guy is put in his room with food, water and toys. I have in the past just left him in the house for an hour or 2....but that has led to him chewing up wooden legs on my chairs, shoes, toilet paper (look at my avatar lol)

Aw, I don't even want to think about what she would chew up if she was left to the whole house - there's just so many things that are exciting to her (and her alone) - we'd come home to carnage!

linzy wrote:I think thats what I really like about a crate - I know she can't get into any trouble because she has her collar off so can't strangle herself, there's nothing she can chew or choke on and nothing she can fall off of.

I'm studying digital art - going into 4th year. I still think it's mad that I got a degree by making an animation of a shark wearing a wig, doing the hoovering whilst some people have to do loads of reading and exams (and actually knowing stuff!)to get the same qualification. Though, we still have to do a 10,000 word dissertation, but luckily we did 3,000 words of it last year.

Oh sounds interesting, good luck with it. Won't be long before you finish the degree then. I am just starting out at uni, doing medical sciences and humanities. Not looking forward to 3rd years dissertation though. Best of luck with your course!

Do you do your dissertation in 3rd year where you are? Here you have a degree at 3rd year, then if you want to, you can do honours in 4th year and that's when you do a dissertation. I know that Scottish college &end of high school things differ from the rest of the UK though.

Your course is the kind of thing I would never be able to do - too many sciencey facts and correct answers instead of just blagging and arguing my way through an art course

I have the same problem of leaving Summer now I am back at uni, she got left today 3.5 hours and I was so worried, luckily she was fine, tomorrow is going to be a bit longer, but my wonderful neighbour over the road is coming in to sit with her and keep a check on her thank god.

It's a worry leaving them, isn't it? Glad to hear your pup was ok on her own though

I did a trial run today of taking Violet out a long walk first thing, so I could see what she would do after that. She's eaten her breakfast, and hasn't woken up since, so I feel a bit better about leaving her - she won't even notice I'm gone!

I am lucky that Ian will still be here with the children so apart from leaving her to do the school run in the morning, and possibly outings with the children in the afternoon she will be with someone most of the day. She is a little bit older though, but because we have only had her 5 weeks or so, we aren't sure how much she has been left.

Lol, yes it will be a right or wrong answer course. Yes down here the degrees are 3 years and dissertation and honours is the last year of all. 6 years ago I did 3 years of a veterinary nursing degree, and that was the same as yours a 4 year course with the dissertation in 4th year. I left though to have a child, wish I had stuck it out now though if only for the experience of doing a dissertation before I have to do this one in 3 years time!

She will be fine, the OH and myself both work Monday to Friday 9-5. Well normally 1 of us goes in early to do 8-4 so they are on they own a little less, an our 2 are fine.

We do have my mum pop in couple of days a week to see them and break up the day a little for them. An my other half will pop in for a bit during the day if she is passing when out and about for work. We also plan on moving soon and my work will be literally 5 mins from work so I will be able to pop home every lunch too.

We go out every morning for a walk and play fetch to wear Molly out (Duke still to young). An the same every evening go out for a walk and play.

They both stop in there create for safty purposes while we are at work an just sleep they are normally so tired from walks/fetch and also training.