Tips for Leaving Your Dog Home Alone Post-Covid

Many pet owners wonder if you can leave your dog home alone all day and how long you can leave your dog in the house unattended. Whether you’re slowly returning to the office and feel guilty about leaving your pet at home post-Covid or your dog developed separation anxiety during quarantine, Invisible Fence^®  Brand is here to help you get your dog into a routine! In this blog, we provide four of our best tips for leaving your dog home alone post-Covid (and maybe even prepare yourself) as you start to teach your dog a new schedule.

1. Keep Your Pet Away from Unsafe Areas While You Are At Work

Are you worried your pet may get into unsafe areas when you're gone? As funny as dog shaming can be, it can also be dangerous if you don’t keep your pet away from unsafe areas while you are out. Mischievous behavior like dogs chewing lamp cords, getting into the trash, swallowing shoe laces or eating the cat food can turn “playing” into an unwanted vet visit.
 
So as you start returning to the office post-Covid or going back to school, we recommend finding a way to train your pet to stay away from certain areas. Using an Indoor Shields® Solutions when you leave your pet home alone is one way to keep your pet away from off-limit areas. Indoor Shields allow you to set avoidance boundaries to help your pet stay safe while you're at work. This indoor pet barrier allows your pet access to roam areas of the house that you deem safe and creates Invisible^® boundaries around those areas you prefer to be off-limits. People often use Shields to keep pets off furniture, out of the trash or away from their closet.

>>> Learn how Invisible Fence Indoor Shields can keep your pet away from unsafe areas

2. Keep Your Pet Entertained While You Are At the Office

Does your dog freak out when you leave? If so, you may be dealing with dog separation anxiety or boredom. After spending so much time with your pets during quarantine, this isn't as unusual as you may think. Dog separation anxiety can be displayed through many different behaviors and range in severity. If you think your pet is showing signs of separation anxiety, we recommend speaking to your vet. 

However, according the ASPCA, if your pet has mild separation anxiety then there are more effortless things you can do to help your pet! One option is to explore counterconditioning, a process that helps change a dog's feelings toward a person, object or situation - such as being left home alone. One way to do this is by offering high rewards while you're gone and keeping them mentally stimulated to show them that being home alone really isn't all that bad.
 
So, how can you keep your dog stimulated when you're away? Also, what kind of high rewards can you use to keep them busy? We’re glad you asked! Toys, puzzle games and treat dispensers are great ways to mentally stimulate your dog while you’re away. Whether your dog is a heavy chewer, problem solver or nervous Nellie, the perfect option is out there!
 
Treat dispensers like the PetSafe^® Busy Buddy^® Chamomile-Scented Calming Toys dispense food or treats to keep your dog busy playing and help distract your dog from exhibiting bad behavior or feeling extreme anxiety. Other options include puzzle games that make the dog work for the treats or even their favorite toy that they love to play with. Either way, the key here is to take away the item when you're with the dog. This will help them associate that when you leave, they get something they really like.

>>> Shop pet toys to keep your dog entertained while you are at the office

3. Give Your Dog Access to Outside While You Are Away

How long can your pet stay indoors when you're not home? Many people have this question because there are different ideas on how long you can leave your dog inside for. Some people say dogs can hold it for 6-8 hours. Others say crate-trained dogs can hold it for 10-12 hours. The truth is that it depends on the dog!

If you are worried about how long is too long to leave a dog inside as you start returning back to work, we recommend looking into an automatic pet door. For example, the Doorman™ Electronic Pet Door lets you program rules for your pets to come and go as they please into your yard, so you never have to worry about coming home to accidents. Plus, it is equipped with advanced safety technology that locks automatically, so only your pet has access.

>>> Learn how Doorman can give your dog access to outside

4. Use Apps to Check on Your Pet While You Are Out

Do you think or worry about your pet being home alone when you go back to work? You're not the only one - returning back to work can be just as nerve-wracking for us humans as it is for our pets! One way to combat this is to download an app that will allow you to check in on your pet. There are many different devices and containment solutions that have apps you can use to check in on your pet and see how they're doing.

Products like the Boundary Plus Smart™ System and SmartShields™ Solution connect to a Smart App which allow you and your local dealer the ability to remotely check the status of your system. With our team of experts helping to monitor your system and keep your pet secure, you can be confident in their safety. Should your pet somehow leave their boundaries, you will be notified immediately and are able to return them to safety.

>>> Learn more about our Smart technology

As our lives slowly return to normal, it can be difficult for pets to understand but with a little help they will be back in the groove in no time. For over 45 years, Invisible Fence^® Brand’s innovative solutions, industry-leading training and expertise have given more than 3 million pets newfound independence and security - while also instilling confidence in their owners.

Schedule your FREE in-home consultation today to learn how fencing solutions, Indoor and Outdoor Shields^® Units and automatic pet doors can provide safe boundaries for many scenarios.