Can I leave my Labrador alone for 8 hours

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

Contributions sourced from

Home Alone Canine Style Lets Talk About Leaving Dogs On Their Own

The problem of leaving a dog home alone has become an increasingly common topic for discussion and debate because lifestyles have changed immensely in the last few decades. When I was a child, many women gave up work when their first child arrived. And many never returned to work, even when the children were grown up.

Dogs grew up as part of domestic life. They were often free to wander the street and visit neighbours during the day, returning home as intervals. But it was unusual to find dogs home alone for long periods of time. Things are very different now. Yet, the urge to bring a beautiful puppy into our lives is just as strong as ever.

Can Labradors be left alone?

Almost all dogs can be left alone for a while. The tricky question is, how long is too long? And theres no straightforward answer to that. It depends on the age and temperament of your dog, and on the dogs health and previous history. How well your dog copes with being left also depends on how you prepare your dog for time alone, and the conditions you provide for them while you are away. Ill talk about those factors below

If you already have a new puppy in your home and are about to return to work, do check out our guide for working puppy parents: Can You Raise A Puppy If You Work Full Time Its full of tips and information.

Leaving a dog home alone while you work

In most modern families, all the adults work full-time. Both up to and after the births of their children.

Many ordinary family homes are quiet, and empty, from around eight in the morning, until after four in the afternoon when children start trickling home from school.

In residential areas whole streets may be eerily empty during the working week.

Yet in many of these streets, behind each front door, lies a dog. If you listen carefully outside the window, you may hear him snoring quietly, or pacing up and down.

Of course, not all dogs accept their solitude in relative silence. Some home alone dogs can be heard howling from several streets away. But are these noisy dogs, or indeed the quiet ones, suffering?

Is it wrong to get a dog and then leave it alone all day?

Your social friend

We know that dogs are very social animals. They prefer to live, eat and sleep alongside members of their family.

Their ancestors, wolves, live in family units. It only makes sense that not being around the people who raised them might make them anxious. Arguably there are fewbreeds is more sociable than the Labrador Retriever.

Bred for generations to have a close relationship with his human family, there is no doubt that some Labradors become very distressed when left alone for long periods of time.

They may bark and howl. They may chew up the fixtures and fittings in their home. And they may make a mess in the house within minutes of the owners departure.

These behaviors have been filmed and recorded in homes where dogs are left alone by their owners. So if leaving dogs alone can cause this kind of stress and upset, is dog ownership a pleasure that should be restricted to the unemployed? Or to the few people that are supported financially by a partner so that they can stay at home?

Some people certainly think so.

Or are there ways to combine a full-time job, with the ownership of a healthy and contented Labrador Well, it would seem that up and down the country, lots of people are doing just that. It is clear that some dogs belonging to full time workers, are happy and contented dogs.

What makes a contented home alone dog?

Some dogs, left home alone, sleep contentedly until the owner returns

By contrast dogs with separation anxiety will have a bad time of it. Not only this, theyre also prone to making a lot of noise.

Dogs suffering in this way might destroy your furniture out of frustration.

What are those with happy home alone dogs doing, to make it work for them?

Well it seems that contentment in dogs left home alone is partly down to the temperament of the dog and partly down to the way that the dog is raised.

Are there dog breeds that can be left home alone?

Studies have shown that some dogs are naturally more prone to seperation anxiety. These dogs have a pessimistic outlook on life. Theyre just more likely to worry about whether youre coming back.

While this isnt necessarily breed specific, some very sociable dog breeds, and Labs are one of them, are more prone to being distressed by separation.

Some of the hound breeds are less dependent on human company than sporting or herding type dogs which form very intense bonds with people.

So how do we raise a Lab that is contented to be left alone for a while, without feeling lonely, and without tearing his home apart or leaving unpleasant mess to greet the returning family?

Helping dogs to grow up without separation anxiety

We can reduce the likelihood of a dog suffering from separation anxiety by introducing short periods of separation into a dogs life at an early age.

And by increasing the length of time that a dog is isolated in small increments. And of course, by ensuring that a dog is never left for unreasonably long periods of time on a regular basis

So does that prohibit working couples becoming pet parents?

The answer is no, you can still have a dog if you work. Lets find out how!

Advice from working pet parents

There is no doubt that some working men and women seem to be making a success of raising a dog that is happy, whilst holding down a full-time job.

And I wanted to find out what it is that these people do, to keep their dogs happy. What makes it a success for them. So I started a thread in the forum, asking for peoples thoughts on this often contentious topic.

I wanted to find out what how pet parents with happy dogs managed their days

And how long they actually left their dogs alone.

It seems that the answer lies partly in the way in which the dog is introduced to being alone, and partly in the length of the unbroken stretch of time that he is left alone for on a regular basis

Breaking up your dogs day

It soon became clear that the happy dogs of working owners were not actually being left completely alone for very long periods of time at all.

Most of their owners had gone to some lengths to ensure that doggy day care arrangements were in place.

These dogs had company, and a chance to use a toileting area, at least once, and usually more, during the working day.

These home alone dogs werent actually home alone all day. They were being regularly visited, walked and interacted with, at intervals throughout the day.

It was obvious that the owners of these dogs had gone to a lot of effort and in many cases financial cost, to ensure their dogs comfort and happiness whilst they worked.

Some were using professional dog care services such as day care centres, and dog walkers. Others had support systems in place involving family members, neighbours or friends.

How long is too long?

So lets some back to the question of how long can you leave a dog alone.

No-one can tell you what you should do with your dog, but it seems reasonable to state that leaving a dog entirely alone for a full working day, is not at all ideal. Unless your dog has access to a secure and dog proof outdoor enclosure you need to think about his bladder capacity.

In an emergency some adult dogs will cope with being left for six to eight hours occasionally.This doesnt mean this is nice for the dog, though.

And dogs that are repeatedly left for this long may develop behavioral issues such as soiling in the house, destroying flooring or furniture, or barking incessantly.

The people I meet who work full-time and have happy dogs all seem to have some kind of arrangement in place to ensure that their dog is never alone for more than four or five hours.

Of course this wont be possible for all of us. And if it isnt possible for you, then it may be that this isnt the right point in your life for you to get a dog.

Advice for those with young pups

Perhaps the part of this issue that is most contentious, is that of small puppies.

I often get questions in the comments section on this website, from new puppy owners that are leaving a puppy alone for 8 hours whilst they are at work, and are not happy with the outcome.

It seems that they have purchased a puppy without arranging any kind of day care at all. They cant understand why the puppy is destructive or noisy whilst they are out.

Some people are successful in raising a puppy to cope with the working day. They all seemed to have made provision for a gradual introduction to the new routine. Many take several weeks off work when the puppy first arrives. This helps get house-training off to a good start. Some have relatives in to help for the first few weeks.

Leaving a puppy alone at home for the first time should only be very brief. You can gradually introduce the concept of being alone.

Dont forget, it isnt just a question of making sure puppies have constant company.

In fact, puppies need to be taught to cope with being left alone for short periods of time. This is best done at an early age, if they are to cope with spending time alone later. And this needs to be done in a gradual and structured way.

You can find more information on this topic in this article on combining a puppy with full-time work

Making a decision

Whether or not you should get a dog will depend on many factors

But your full-time job need not be an impregnable obstacle if you are willing and able to arrange care for your dog in your absence.

Working parents of young children have to make child care arrangements. Likewise, we need to take the responsibility of dog ownership seriously.

And fulfil our obligations to make sure he is looked after properly and his needs met.

If you can do this, there is no reason why you should not have a dog.

You may suffer and miss your dog terribly whilst you are at work. But, if he is regularly visited and exercised by a caring person whilst you toil at your office, he should come to no harm.

A Pet Monitor Can Help You To Supervise Your Dog When You Are Out

If you cannot afford day-care or a dog walker, and dont have anyone to help you, then right now might not be the best time for you to bring a Labrador into your life.

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Leaving a highly social dog alone day in and day out is asking for trouble.he comments on this website clearly demonstrate this.

It isnt an easy decision, but it needs to be the right one. Check out this article for more information Combining a Labrador puppy with full-time work

How about you?

Do you work full-time? How do you ensure your dog is cared for in your absence share your tips in the comments box below!

More information on puppies

For a complete guide to raising a healthy and happy puppy dont miss The Happy Puppy Handbook.

The Happy Puppy Handbook covers every aspect of life with a small puppy.

The book will help you prepare your home for the new arrival, and get your puppy off to a great start with potty training, socialisation and early obedience.

The Happy Puppy Handbook is available worldwide.