Leaving More Than 1 Dog At Home Alone

[chichihuahua]

My dog is pretty good when I leave because I crate-trained him from a puppy and also did a lot of brief walk out/walk in type exercises when he was small. Normally I just grab my bags and say: "Bye Cory!" when I leave. He does anticipate me going though, normally I get dresses, get bag and keys etc etc so he does know. On occasion I might stuff a kong up with some peanut butter to distract him but not always and I'm very pedantic about walking him beforehand so he'd be too tired out to care. I definitely make sure that he KNOWS or sees me leaving though, otherwise he'll spend the day looking for me and get anxious. If see sees that I'm leaving he's fine.

[kittikat]

My lads have no food issues with any dog for this I know I am lucky :D& continue to train

food tolerance every day.

They have learnt it from other dogs so for me it has been easy :D

My last girl was so nasty with food so I really concentrated on this behaviour with these two.

I walk my boys in the morning @30 mins ...breakfast...they play outside for @ 45 minutes

I scatter food treats,put a handful of dry in each bowl for them - then leave for work as others have

posted no fuss - just go....

My boys are inside all day (being frenchys) they have learnt 'to share' if not I am not there

I have no major dramas (besides the odd destruction :D which has :D diminished)

I feel it is all about routine :p

I leave same door etc...this way they know I am actually going for a while ie more than 3 hours.

They are nearly 12 months old and going really well

Good Luck if thinking of another additon maybe go for an older pup ...I did ,actually same age worked

really well mainly because they can play the same (as weigh @ the same etc ) and you need less time

to supervise activity.....

Best thing I ever did & have 2 happy boys to prove it!!!

[kiesha09]

I hide 6 kongs and 2 treat balls around the house and just leave. They have never fought over food so I'm not worried about it at all. I don't even say goodbye, just walk straight out. They are too busy searching to even notice me leaving.

If I don't leave the kongs etc. my girl will cry for about 5 minutes and it breaks my heart!! So best to continue with the kongs :D

[poochmad]

When we leave we have to follow a routine - walk the dogs, put toys out, remove the cushions (this is more so for the young pup), fill up the water bowls, turn and loungeroom light on, give frozen kong to each dog and leave.

This may seem crazy to a lot of you, but we had to work really hard to get through Henschke's separation anxiety. If we follow this routine all is well, if we don't, then we will come home to a stressed dog. He is very much a dog of routine.

ETA: both dogs have access to parts of the house and the yard while we're away. We like the fact the dogs can go inside when it's cool/hot and have somewhere safe to go if someone is about.

Edited January 30, 2010 by poochmad

[Monah]

Depends on the dog, in the past I've not given food, have had 4 dogs inside etc.

When we got our current dogs I put the spin with the acd and the viz on her own. Acd passed so now both are in separate places, one may be in the 'dog' room and the other has the run of the house and either can be in either place.

I give a bickie when I go out.

Mine are in such a routine, that if I'm wearing certain clothes/shoes, they go out for wees (on cue), come in and go to their respective spots for their treat and I go out, no fuss, goodbyes, pats etc.

They look forward to me going out :D and get excited about it ('cause they get a treat )

If i forget something or have to come back in and go out etc., I ignore them completely and they know (how?) that I'm not back to stay as they don't move and when I do come home they are 'pleased' to see me, so there is a difference.

I don't leave them together, I think they would be OK, but I'm not really comfortable with it. However, they do both have cats for company if needed.

[Guest Clover]

I either leave without saying or doing anything or chuck them a bone each and leave. No special routines here.

[KritalJay]

We just leave, half the time Lola just goes back to sleep without even bothering to get up to say goodbye.

[IngeK]

They get a biscuit / treat and when I close the door I say "you stay there" and thats it. They are inside as well with access everywhere.

[Bodie]

I rescued mine and they came a week apart. The first a 3yr old timid female followed by a 9mth old boisterous male. I had no choice really, i would have loved for us to all have bonded at the start but didn't have that luxury. To add to the whole affair, the male came down from interstate and was straight to the vet to be desexed. So it was scary for all of us, but it has worked out so well. Oh, they also were not toilet trained!!!

They have full run of the house and outside (doggy door) and that too was scary for me... what damage would they do, toilet surprises, but i had to trust them to see what would happen and they have completely surprised me, they are wonderful together. I throw down a few liver treats on the kitchen floor and make them sit for a special treat then grab my bag and say 'Be Good Kids' or something like that. I have also succeeded now with their toilet training, i never thought that would happen.

Having 2 dogs can sometimes be trying with training and all that, but i believe that it's positives far outweigh the negatives.