Leaving A Young Cavalier Alone

[chextheshine]

We are looking at getting a young cavalier, nearly 1 year old from his breeder

he is being sold due to excessive flecking which makes him unsuitable as a showdog any more

His lifestyle currently is crated with 2 other male cavs inside with time a couple of times per day in a large exercise outdoor area

He has been show at dog shows and had a little training for same

He is one of about 12 Cavs at the kennels so hasn't had a huge amount of individual human contact

He is a very outgoing friendly little guy, came and had cuddles with all of us then went off exploring when we visited

Wondering how he might settle into a family home where he is the only dog

Would be for a gentle but active 9 year old boy

I am home most of the week but will be working at least 5 hours one day

We are a busy family, out and about alot, he could come to some but not all outings

We have horses so busy outside with them

we have about 1/2 acre securely fenced on a bigger lifestyle property

have read that Cav's should only be left alone for max 30 minutes, this won't be realsitic with our busy lifestyle

Any thoughts?

[oakway]

If this puppy has been shown it has had a huge ammount of contact.

All /most show dogs have to be lead trained, taught gait correctly, taught to stand and be used to other dogs around it.

Not only that it has to be used to strange judges examining it.

It will have been with it owners at the show all the time and exercised and should be a good traveller.

To me this would be a win, win situation.

Don't believe all read, plenty of Cavs have owners that leave for work in the morning and come home to a happy dog that spends it time with them till the next day.

Edited November 25, 2012 by oakway

[GoldenGirl85]

My mum has Cavs that are left alone daily while they're at work, it hasn't had any negative effect on them.....they just LOVE it when people come home to see them!!! While nobody is home, these guys mostly sleep all day (just like most dogs)

[julesluvscavs]

I personally prefer my cavs not to be left alone for too long, but that's my personal choice. They do tend to thrive on human company (from my own experiences of owning them)

Ive always had 2 dogs at a time, I always think its better imo that they have some form of company continuously if us humans aren't around all the time.. However mine were used to a fair bit of human and other cavy company when they were with the breeder. They are both ex show dogs, and were allowed inside and outside and only were crated when at shows. We have a crate also, but they can come and go in it throughout the day. Its in our loungeroom.

When i go out which is not often, it would be 3 or 4 hours at the max.

As other have said they do mostly sleep on and off all day, so they probably wouldn't notice you missing for some of those hours..

However young cavs might require more stimulation (ours are 8 and 10 now) ...

Edited November 25, 2012 by Jules♥Cavs

[Guest donatella]

Most dog owners need to work and that unfortunately means leaving pooch at home alone and they cope just fine.

I would love to be able to stay at home with my dogs all the time however I have bills to pay and a life to pay for and without a job there would be no dogs so its a double edged sword.

So long as you establish routine and provide after hours stimulation/exercise then there is no reason your dog won't thrive and love their new home, especially being number 1 dog with all the attention :D

[Liebhunde]

it seems to me this little dog is going into a great situation...Cvs can easily manage being left alone..certainly more than 30 minutes. Hes had a very varied life so far ...lots of different situations and sounds like he's a well rounded little dog. While Cavs are a very appealing breed..don't think they are so delicate as to be overly cosseted..they are feisty litte dogs! Your home sounds like a great place for a little spaniel...go for it!

[julesluvscavs]

I just wanted to add, all the best if you decided to get him chextheshine :) I have a friend who had 2, now just the one, and she lives on a horse property with her family and they have always enjoyed pottering around with her.

[Gretel]

Yes as the others have said he should be fine and Cavaliers can certainly be left longer than 30 minutes. He is used to being crated so if you are unsure about leaving him in the yard or house while you are not there he would be fine crated. Give him something to chew and a comfy bed and leave a radio on for some company. :) And you will need to come into the Cavalier thread :D

[Dame Aussie]

Most dog owners need to work and that unfortunately means leaving pooch at home alone and they cope just fine.

I would love to be able to stay at home with my dogs all the time however I have bills to pay and a life to pay for and without a job there would be no dogs so its a double edged sword.

So long as you establish routine and provide after hours stimulation/exercise then there is no reason your dog won't thrive and love their new home, especially being number 1 dog with all the attention :D

Exactly.

[mel_]

I'm pretty lucky because I'm still living with my parents and my dad no longer works, so he's able to be home with my cav for most of the day.

On most weekends though he'll be fine being left alone for 3-4 hours, as long as he's been for his walk and has toys. I've actually never left him longer than that because I start to freak out about whether he's okay or not haha!

[mita]

This is not my suggestion to you.... but just what I do.

We've always aimed to own 2 companion dog breeds at the same time. To be company for each other as dogs are social creatures.

I'm not saying that a single dog will always pine and fret when left alone. But I've had experience of 2 adult dogs (at separate times) that came from registered breeders in similar circumstances and they developed separation anxiety.

However, I learned a lot from those experiences on how to prepare and train a dog to be left alone. Now....even tho' we already have a resident dog... i always do the management/training with a new dog. There's no guarantee, just because there's already another dog for company, that an individual dog will not become seriously agitated when left alone. So best thing is preparation.

[megan_]

This is a new dog for the OP. I don't think most experienced people would suggest getting two new dogs at the same time?

To the OP - please don't fret! Most dogs just sleep and potter around when their owner isn't there. My boy cried for a few minutes when I first left, and then settled himself. He now doesn't even get up when I leave, and he is very owner focused.

[mita]

This is a new dog for the OP. I don't think most experienced people would suggest getting two new dogs at the same time?

I said in the first sentence that I was not giving the OP any suggestions of what she ought do... only saying what I've done & our experience.

I said that OUR aim to own 2 dogs (for company), proved to be no guarantee that one of those dogs would not develop serious fretting when the owner is away.

We had adopted 2 adult companion dogs, on separate occasions, that developed separation anxiety issues.. even though there already was a resident dog

I was pointing out that owning 2 dogs is not a built-in, ready-made solution to concerns about the effects of an owner leaving.

My emphasis was on what we learned, from our experience, about any dog. The necessity to provide preparation & training so a new dog is content when the owner leaves.

Edited November 26, 2012 by mita

[Cavstar]

I've got a one year old cav & she is at home on her own 3 days a week from 9am until 3pm & she is FINE! :) I've been having to pick up a few extra shifts at work lately so sometimes she is left on her own for longer & have still had no problems.

When I do have days off I'm in and out..most times she is sleeping in her crate anyways so I'll just close the door or sometimes I'll pop her out for a few hours.

As long as she gets to come inside when someone is home, I think she is happy :)