Many dog owners can’t sacrifice their careers for the sake of their dogs. They must be at the office for a solid eight-hour day. Even if work isn’t calling to you, you may still eventually have to leave your home to run to the grocery store. If you have an Aussiedoodle at home, you might find yourself wondering whether this breed can safely be left home alone.
The Aussiedoodle bonds intensely to one person and does tend to have separation anxiety. They should not be left alone for more than four to five hours at a time. If you leave them alone, keep them confined to one area and provide puzzle toys to occupy them and prevent destructive behaviors.
If you are thinking about teaching your Aussiedoodle to spend time on their own, here are a few things you should know about the breed first.
Do Aussiedoodles Have Bad Separation Anxiety?
The truth is that Aussiedoodles are highly social animals. They love their people and want to be close to them as often as possible. It has left many to coin them with the term “Velcro dog.” The chances are that your new Aussiedoodle is not going to be a fan of being left at home alone while you go out and do fun things without them.
An adult Aussiedoodle can typically be left home alone for about four to five hours at a time. This is only if you leave them with enough activities to keep them occupied in your absence.
Under certain circumstances, you may be able to work up to leaving your Aussiedoodle for extended periods up to eight hours. Their alone time should never exceed eight hours. It is too hard for them to hold their bladder and keep themselves occupied for a long time. They may get into trouble if you aren’t careful about keeping them entertained.
The other risk with separation anxiety is that your dog may injure itself trying to get out the door to get to you. They don’t know that you aren’t simply waiting on the opposite side of the door. If your dog is destructive or causes harm to himself, you may need to work with a trainer and your local veterinarian to minimize his discomfort at being left home alone.
How Long Can a Mini Aussiedoodle Be Left Alone?
Mini Aussiedoodles and puppies cannot be left alone for as long as their standard or fully-grown counterparts. They cannot hold their small bladders as long because of their smaller size. As a result, you will want to make sure that you do not leave your dog for more than two to three hours at a time.
The key to leaving your Aussiedoodle home alone is to set them up for success. Never ask them to go longer than usual without a bathroom break. This is more likely to lead to accidents in the house or their crate, creating a massive mess for you to clean up immediately upon getting home.
If you must be away from the house for longer than two to three hours, then you should try to see if you can have someone stop in and relieve your Aussiedoodle midday. This could be a friend, a neighbor, or a professional dog walker.
What Does Your Aussiedoodle Do While Alone?
You might be wondering what would happen if you left your Aussiedoodle home alone for a while when you need to run to the store. If your dog suffers from separation anxiety, they may have a hard time with you leaving them behind for any reason.
As a result, you can often see some destructive behaviors surface:
- Tearing apart the home or furniture
- Housebreaking accidents
- Incessant nuisance barking
- Destructive chewing
While leaving your dog alone sometimes may be necessary, it is a good idea to be mindful of what you may be walking into when you arrive home again. Always provide your dog with an acceptable choice of toys or chew things to try to prevent them from destroying your house in your absence.
Should I Crate My Aussiedoodle While Home Alone?
Many pet parents assume that crating their dog while they are out and about is the solution to some of these destructive behaviors. Unfortunately, leaving your Aussiedoodle in their crate for an extended time is often a bad idea. You should resort to using the crate only when you need to contain your dog for a short period.
If you need to leave them for four hours or more, it is best to find another solution that will give your Aussiedoodle a bit more freedom. You could put up a playpen or secure them in one room that does not give them free rein of the entire home.
Why is Crating Your Aussiedoodle for Long Periods a Bad Idea?
First, the crate is often seen as a safe space for your dog. They view it very similar to their den’s in the wild. As a result, they tend to like spending time here, but that can turn into a bad thing when they are forced to spend so much time in the crate.
Particularly if your Aussiedoodle is prone to housebreaking accidents, you might have quite a mess on your hands if they are confined to a crate. They will do their best not to dirty their own space, but it is pretty hard if they have terrible bathroom habits due to their separation anxiety. Not only is this a mess for you to clean up from their crate, but your dog may end up needing an immediate bath as well.
The second reason you may want to avoid crating them for long periods is their propensity to develop hip and elbow dysplasia. A lack of exercise and movement can worsen these conditions. Because your dog cannot move around freely in its crate, you may inadvertently be contributing to these conditions.
How to Occupy An Aussiedoodle While Alone
An Aussiedoodle is an intelligent breed which means they can manufacture new ways to get in trouble when you aren’t around. When you do eventually have to leave your dog on its own at home, you need to have a few tricks up your sleeve to keep them occupied and happy in your absence.
Dog Walking or Pet Sitting
The truth is that no dog should be left alone for extended periods. Usually, this means that they need to be tended at least once every four hours. See if there is a way to work this into your lunch break at work.
However, this is not possible for most people who work a traditional 9-to-5 job in an office. If this describes you, then you may want to explore the possibility of hiring a dog walker or a pet sitter to visit your furry friend during the day. They could take them on a short walk, play a rousing game of fetch, or give your dog a break from being in their crate for a little while.
Puzzle Toys
Does your dog love a good snack? Keep them from chewing on your shoes and furniture by giving them a couple of puzzle toys to choose from. Puzzle toys can be stuffed with dog kibble or other delectable treats. Your dog must spend time working on how to get those food items out of their toys, keeping their mind and body busy in your absence.
One fun tip for puzzle toys is to purchase a Kong ball on Amazon. This can be stuffed with peanut butter or cream cheese that your dog must lick out of it. To keep them busy even longer, prepare their Kong the night before and place it in the freezer. Just before you have to leave, pull it out of the freezer and let your Aussiedoodle enjoy!
Exercise
Aussiedoodles are a high-energy breed, and they will require more exercise than the average dog. To keep their separation anxiety in check, make sure that your dog is tired before you leave the house. This might mean that you have to get up a few hours earlier to walk your dog before you leave for work. A long walk will wear your dog out, and a tired dog is a happy dog!
Leaving Your Aussiedoodle Alone
Are you determined to leave your Aussiedoodle home alone from time to time? Most people will find that this is necessary for their dog’s training. Consider what you can do to put your dog at ease in your absence, whether that means hiring a dog walker to check in on them or supplying them with tasty treats. Always try to limit your time away from your dog to four or five hours (less if they are a puppy or a mini Aussiedoodle)!
More on Aussiedoodles
If you’re simply in love with Aussiedoodles and can’t get enough, then check out our other posts below:
