I wo n’t intromit how many times I ’ve strike down plans so my hot dog wo n’t be lonely .
Whenever I leave the house to go out with friends, I spend the first hour chatting, laughing, and genuinely enjoying the moment — until I randomly start to hear “In the Arms of the Angel” play in my head and I imagine my dog at home all alone, looking depressed and forgotten like the dogs in those commercials. Before I know it, I’m overcome with guilt and driving back home.
Even as I write this, my dog is curled up next to me. I’m lucky enough to work from home and have the blessing of hanging out with him all day, but I can’t take him with me everywhere I go when Idohave to leave. I always make sure he isn’t hungry or needs to go outside before I leave, but Istillfeel that dog owner guilt emotionally even though logically I know his needs are met.
I know I’m not the only one who goes through this. While I was recently scrolling through the r/dogs subreddit, I found a thread whereu/whitemamba24xxasked, “How do you leave your dog and not feel massive guilt?”
Some dog owners gave the advice to solve their lonely dog problem by adding another dog into the mix. It’s pretty solid advice because your dog is less likely to be ~lonely~ if they’re not ~alone~:
" I get my hound a dog . "
— u / cuter_than_thee
" I have two dogs , and they keep each other party . "
— u / FreetheVs
" Another frank ! It was a bit deplorable watching our girl catch some Z’s or cheat around while we were at work and perk up anytime anything happened alfresco . We let her pick out a sidekick , and they have such an amazing friendly relationship . When we ’re not home , they take on and do zoomies all over the situation , then they founder down and either nap snuggled up together or in their own space . They ’re like Bonnie and Clyde , and it ’s so fun to see … when they ’re not getting into difficulty . "
— uracil / blklab16
Getting another dog could be a helpful idea in the long term if you’re able to patiently put in all the time needed to get them acclimated to their new space before you start leaving them at home. However, another dog might not be realistic for everyone considering it’s a very expensive and time consuming choice to make, not just something you can do willy nilly.
A more immediate option would be to have access to your dog even while you’re away by setting up cameras:
" I put a camera in the theater to confirm my bounder was pining away for me . They , in fact , were not . catch some Z’s the whole damn fourth dimension . "
— u / graciewindkloppel
" I got a favored cam for my son , and he mostly just catch a wink on the couch or watches Bronx cheer through the window . It made me finger a lot secure about go forth him . He ’s just chillin ' . "
— u / lawfox32
It’s reassuring to see that your dog isn’t pacing around the house and howling a sad song to themselves in your absence. If theydoseem stressed, then you’ll have more of a concrete reason to head home than just your own guilt. I’ve anxiously rushed home many, many times only to find my dog sleeping peacefully on the couch.
Some dog owners went with the tough love route and shared some harsh truths for those of us who have it bad…and I think I needed to hear this:
" You are not doing him any favor by always being there . He needs to be conditioned to your absence seizure . You do not require to make separation anxiety in your dog . He is going to be ok without you there . He will just catch some Z’s and be very well-chosen to see you when you come home . "
— u / kygrandma
" You ’ve just got to get over it . It ’s not the end of the world . Your dog-iron will be hunky-dory . It ’s authoritative that you are able to live your life history as well . revel yourself . It ’s important dogs are used to being home alone in case something comes up . "
— u / tmntmikey80
They have a point! If you’re like me and know there’s no logical reason to be guilty about leaving your dog, then it might be worth considering that you might be missing your dog more than they miss you:
" I hate leaving my wiener ! He seems fine when I do , but truthfully , I intend it ’s me that has the separation anxiety because I prefer to be with him than other people ! "
— u / Mkid73
" For me , I finger less hangdog when we left for five minutes and got the same reaction as if we had been gone for eight hours . "
— u / Sugar_tts
" I soothe myself with the fact that he lives a good lifetime than most dogs . I mean , I still feel guilty , but that ’s what help oneself most . "
— atomic number 92 / spykid
" I just think of all the lovemaking and osculation I ’ll get when I get back ! "
— u / Additional_Annual902
At the end of the day, comfortably leaving your dog at home without guilt is a skill that requires time and patience to learn. It starts with addressing our own mindsets, and training ourselves just like our dogs:
" It ’s like exposure therapy in my experience . try out babe footmark where you ’ll get confirmation that he ’s okay . It ’s upright to start small and build up more confidence tardily over time . It ’s okay that we love our puppy so hard ! "
— uracil / mazzystardust216
As much as I loved hearing what other dog owners had to say, I was curious to know what advice experts have for easing guilt of leaving your dog home alone. TheHumane Societyshared some actionable tips to keep in mind that could help you feel less guilty and more confident:
• employ a dog walker that can stop by to give your pup some practice while you ’re away .
• Mentally induce your dog with toys like dainty puzzles or lap pads .
• strain leave on the telly or radiocommunication so they do n’t find as alone .
• Instead of leaving your cad at habitation , taste taking them to a doggy day care — even once a workweek could be beneficial .
