Why can’t my dog ​​be alone? – Dog behaviour explained

I am working on a blog series in which I will have Google complete sentences. The resulting question will be answered in the article. Frequently Searched Questions – FSQ!

Today: Why can’t my dog ​​be alone?

This is a question that is certainly being asked a lot from dog trainers and behaviourists at the moment. In the vast majority of cases, if your dog cannot be left alone, it is absolutely best to seek the help of a professional! So don’t mess around with it yourself, there’s a good chance you’ll do more damage than good.

In this article I will try to give you a little more insight into the problem of ‘not being able to be alone’.

Why can’t my dog ​​be alone?

To better understand why your dog has problems being alone, we need to look at the underlying emotion that drives your dog’s behavior. In most cases this emotion is Fear. Your dog is literally afraid of being alone. This could for instance be because he never learned to be alone properly. This is something we can of course imagine after the past years of lockdowns and working from home. Puppies born during that period often grew up in households where someone was always home. And although it is preferable to leave your dog alone as little as possible, it is extremely important to teach him to be able to, in case of an emergency.

It may also be that your dog cannot be alone, because something happened in the past that frightened him enormously when he was home alone. He may linked that event to ‘being alone’. For example, a heavy thunderstorm when your dog was home alone, or fireworks that were set off near the house. Fear also plays a major role here.

Sometimes we also see that dogs that left their mother too early as puppies cannot be left alone later in life. This does not necessarily have to be the ‘fault’ of the breeder or owners, of course. Something could also have happened to the mother. Legally (in Holland at least), a puppy may not leave the nest until it is at least seven weeks old, but it is better to wait until at least eight weeks.

What can I do about it?

This is often the next question, and in most cases I recommend as a first step:

Get the help of a professional!

This can help you (re)teach your dog to be alone in a good way. He or she can also help you find out the exact reasons. This is of course important in the approach, because if your dog cannot be alone because a traumatic event has occurred, you will also have to work on changing the emotion associated with it (for example noise phobia).

Furthermore, it can help to provide a nice, safe place in the house where your dog is not or hardly disturbed, and where he has full control over what happens to him. For example, place a nice soft pillow here. A stuffed Kong or tasty chew snack can also help when you start learning to be alone!

Approach learning to be alone step by step, and think in seconds, not hours. Start when your puppy is still young, from about twelve weeks of age, and slowly increase the time he or she is alone.

Do you need help? I can help you too! Please feel free to contact me to discuss how I can help.

Also read this blog that I wrote earlier about this subject.

Good luck!