Leaving a puppy alone for the first time can be a very nerve racking experience for both you and your puppy. Most likely, until this point you have been next to him/her every second of the day. Leaving them for the first time is like leaving your kid at daycare for this first time. You know you have to do it, but it still doesn’t make it any less stressful. There is also the chance that your puppy will have a panic attack or become very anxious. This can result in a wide range of behaviors, including vomiting, peeing, whining, and chewing on furniture. 

The key to leaving a puppy alone for the first time is preparation. In today’s article, we will go over all the steps you should take in order to successfully leave your puppy alone.

How to leave a puppy alone

The best way to leave a puppy alone for the first time is to do the following: create a safe place, exercise, potty train, and gradual freedom.

A safe place

The most important aspect of leaving a puppy alone is to create a safe place. This could be a dog crate, but we recommend cornering off a certain portion of a room so that your puppy can move around a little bit. While this area is cornered off from the rest of the room, you should still make it as comfortable as possible. You should put blankets, toys, and food in this area. Therefore, your puppy will have a positive association with this area. We recommend starting off by putting your puppy in this area while you are still at home. This will lead to an easier transition when you actually have to leave the house. It is very important that you don’t baby your puppy. If he starts whining when you put him/her in the safe place, do not immediately let him out. If you do, then your puppy will think that whenever he whines, he will be let out. This can lead to a lot of sleepless nights for both you and your puppy. 

Exercise

If possible, it is very beneficial if you can exercise with your puppy before you leave them alone. This could be a run, walk, or even quick game of fetch in the yard. This will tire your puppy out, so that during the day when you’re gone, he/she has less energy will will just rest. 

Potty trained

This is something that a lot of first time puppy owners overlook. They forget that they must properly potty train their puppy before they leave them alone. If you leave them alone for an 8 hour work day, you must make sure that they can go 8 hours without having to pee or poop. While you are still at the house with them, you should train them to see how long they can go without having to be let out to go to the bathroom. If your puppy can’t make it more than 6 hours, than he/she is not ready to be left alone. 

Open up rooms one at a time

It is no secret that puppies can get into mischief when you leave them alone. Therefore, we recommend only opening up one room at a time. If they maintain good behavior, then you can eventually open up the whole house to them. However, if they start chewing on furniture or peeing, then you should restrict their access and only keep them in one room.