“Can I Leave Alone My German Shepherd During The Day?”
The answer is no, at least, not completely. It is not advisable to leave our German Shepherd alone for more than 4 hours up to a maximum of 8 locked up, as the chances of it becoming violent and anxious increase enormously.
It is possible to find ways to prevent this from happening or at least to reduce these behaviors to their minimum expression.
The moment a German Shepherd arrives at our home we take great responsibility.
We must make sure that we can cover all its basic needs.
At some point, our German Shepherds are left alone at home, because we work or have activities outside the home and cannot include them in them.
The objective of learning to leave our German Shepherd alone is to reduce the level of anxiety this may cause to it, both in a positive and negative way.
To be clear, we are going to prevent our furry friend from doing damage to itself or having behaviors that it does not regularly have, and that show an altered emotional state.
We must teach our German Shepherd to remain calm, to recognize that there will be times when they must stay home alone and that this does not represent a bad thing.
Sounds simple, but, how can we do this?
It’s relatively easy, we just have to teach our German Shepherd certain situations that lead them to understand the process of staying alone, alongside with some practices that must be constant.
The purpose of the exercises is to reduce the possibility of your furry friend experiencing anxiety when it is alone in the house.
Starting slowly, but surely.
When you are 15 minutes away from home, be aware of your movements. Try to act in a neutral way, without rushing and calmly.
During the fifteen minutes before your departure, it’s best not to interact with your German Shepherd.
Try to leave water and toys available before 15 minutes.
When you get back, don’t make a fuss, just keep acting calm and slow, and wait 15 minutes to greet your furry friend again in a relaxed manner with some treats if you like.
Controlling the way you go in and out of the house can help your German Shepherd get some peace of mind before these events (departures and welcomes).
Its own special place.
This can be a special space for it where you can include a foam house or something that looks like a burrow.
Make sure you have its personal space well defined, there should be its bed and some toys, but most of all, it should give it a sense of tranquility so it can rest and relax in its space.
Also, space limitation.
There are areas within the house that need to be marked off, for the safety and well being of you and your German Shepherd, such as:
- The bathroom: where there are toilet paper and fun stuff.
- The kitchen: where there is food and more food.
- The balcony: dangerous for our jumpy German Shepherd.
Before you leave the house, be sure to lock the doors to these three areas. And if you don’t want your furry friend to climb on the bed when you’re not there, the best tip to avoid this is to leave the door closed.
Help yourself with interactive toys in your absence!
If your dog is already familiar with these types of toys (those that have cavities to fill with snacks or treats) it’s an excellent option to use them for when you go to work.
On the contrary, if your German Shepherd doesn’t have experience with stuffed toys it may not be easy for it to get the treats out, especially if you’re not there to guide it.
Improper use of interactive toys can lead your German Shepherd to be angry and, far from stimulating its mind, will frustrate it.
It may even break the toy, hurt itself, or choke.
Beware!
Everyone should be responsible for their decisions and be realistic about their lifestyle.
If you are a super busy person or one who always works a thousand hours a day outside the home, you may need to rethink your idea of having your own German Shepherd.
If you give your furry friend less than 3 hours of attention a day, you’re definitely not giving it the time it needs.
For the coexistence between a dog and a human to go well, it is necessary to invest a lot of time in them.
We are not saying that you should never have a German Shepherd, but maybe you should wait until you have more availability and time for it.
Also, make sure that we will give it all the attention it needs to be a healthy and happy partner among us for many years to come. Think that a dog is like a son, who will always be a child, totally dependent on you.
