Our pets are precious. There’s no doubt about that. However, as badly as we’d like to, we can’t stay at home with our dogs 24/7. It’s just not possible. Most of the time, it’s fairly easy to leave a dog home alone if you’re just running to the store, grabbing dinner with friends, or you’ll just be gone for a little while. However, it’s a lot more difficult to leave your new dog home alone for the first time, when you know you’re going to be gone overnight, or even longer.
If you’re planning to leave your dog at home alone for a night or longer, you should take the time to prepare both your dog, and yourself, so that you don’t run into any major issues.
The following five tips should help any dog owner plan out their trip away from home and their best four legged friend, with minimal complications, no matter how long they’re planning to be gone.
1. An Automatic Feeder
Dog bowls are a big part of the feeding routine when it comes to taking care of your k9. However, when you aren’t home to feed them yourselves, you’re going to have to find other means of serving food. For this purpose, automatic feeders are perfect.
An automatic feeder sits above the dog bowl and releases a predetermined portion of food on a regular schedule. This way, your dog gets fed regularly when you’re away from home, but you don’t have to worry about them getting into the whole bag of food and gorging themselves.
There are plenty of different automatic feeders on the market, so it’s important to do your research and read the reviews before making your ultimate purchase decision.
2. Make Sure They’re Housebroken
A huge part of being able to leave your dog home alone for the first time is making sure that they’re already housebroken. If they aren’t housebroken, it’s going to be really difficult to let them stay home alone. That is unless you’re willing to clean up a mess each and every time you get back home.
Making sure your dog is housebroken should take a lot of the stress out of the equation, and give you the peace of mind you need to take your trip. Although, it’s important to note that depending on how long you’re going to be away, you may need to find an alternative way to let them get outside so they can go to the bathroom. This will especially be the case if you’re going to be gone overnight, or potentially even longer. In those cases, potty training simply isn’t going to be enough to keep your home clean and avoid messes. So make sure you plan accordingly and get a good idea of how long you’re actually going to be gone before you choose to leave your dog home alone. If you’re going to be gone more than a single night, you should make the appropriate accommodations for your puppy.
3. Pet Cams
Pet cams are a great way for you to keep an eye on your four legged friend throughout the day if you’re gone running errands, or if you’re taking a weekend trip down to a beach town somewhere.
Pet cams are great because they allow owners to not only watch over their furry little friends, but also video talk to them, and keep an eye on them in general. This is also helpful in monitoring how much they eat while you’re away.
4. Get a Sitter
If you’re going to be gone for more than a night, you should seriously consider looking for a dog-sitter. This is someone that will come into your home, let your dog out to use the bathroom, make sure they’re getting fed, and should also take a little bit of time to play with them and keep them company.
Pet sitting is a pretty popular gig, and it isn’t hard to find the right type of sitter for your situation. Some sitters will plan to hangout at your home, and even sleep there to keep your pets company, while others will simply come and go a few times a day to take care of your pet until you get back.
No matter what the nature of your trip is, make use of a trustworthy sitter so your puppy is taken care of.
5. Bring Back Treats and Toys
It can feel heartbreaking to leave your puppy alone at home for the first time. But that just makes it all the better when you get to see their smiling face upon your return.
Make getting home to your puppy even more exciting, by bringing them a variety of treats and toys to show them your love.
At the end of the day, that’s all they really need anyway.