Dog trainer says there's 'big thing to consider' when leaving pet home alone

A dog trainer has outlined one 'big thing to consider' when leaving your pet at home.

Going out and leaving your dog at home alone might make you feel nervous about how your pooch will react to being on its own. Dogs are social animals so it's not uncommon for them to feel worried when they are left alone, especially the first time.

Sometimes owners have no choice but to leave their dog at home, such as when they are going to work, so it's important to teach your pet to be comfortable with staying at home alone at times. Sarah Hodgson is a dog trainer, podcaster, pet behaviour consultant and author of a number of books, including Dog Anxiety for Dummies.

She provides dog training services in person and online and she shares advice on social media. In a recent video on TikTok Hodgson said: "When thinking about leaving your dogs home alone, here is a big thing to consider.

"When you leave the house you want them to be relaxed. You don't want them to feel agitated, anxious, aggressive."

She added that if you leave dogs in a room with wide open windows that face the hallway or the street they will "assume the role of border patrol" so every time there's something that passes by or they hear something, they will "react in a territorial fashion."

The dog trainer explained that it is in their nature to do this, especially protective dogs. Hodgson recommends creating a safe place instead when leaving your canines home alone, such as in a crate or enclosing them in a room but she advises to make sure the space is "comforting" for your pets.

She also suggests playing sound cancelling music or noise to drown out the sounds coming in from outside your home. The dog expert continued: "When you come in you want it to be a joyous occasion but keep your energy level calm and they'll mirror what you're modeling."

In the caption of her TikTok video, Hodgson shared that a "calmer home alone routine means a more relaxed dog throughout the day", such as when greeting visitors or walking outside.

Dogs Trust, the UK's largest dog welfare charity, has shared some tips on how to teach your dog to be alone. It states: "Before leaving your dog home alone, you need to teach them that it is alright and that they will be able to cope on their own.

"The more you do this before you actually need to leave the house, the easier it will be when you do." It recommends make sure your dog has a comfy bed or building it a doggy den, using baby gates across doorway to introduce time apart, teaching your dog to settle down calmly when you are busy, rather than giving them attention when they follow you around and slowly increasing the time you leave them alone while you're in the house, as well as building up how long you leave the house.