Just left my (nearly) 1 year old puppy out of her crate alone for the first time

[calpastor]

I have been playing around with her being alone in the lounge whilst I'm in the house doing chores etc and it's gone fine. She also sleeps out of her crate most nights too.

So I decided f it lets give it ago... The good news? No mess, no destruction etc etc.

The bad... Well I checked in on her regularly with the camera l, and after she finished her chew she lay down Infront of the baby gate and waited... Until I came home 90mins later.

She did head over to the sofa a couple times, jump up, then head back to her place Infront of the gate.

Is this ok? She wasn't in distress otherwise and often when I leave her when I'm in the house she does that for a few mins and goes to her bed/sofa though on occasion she just waits there for me but it's not usually for that long.

Edit: Thanks all! I am glad to hear this is ok, I think I was feeling guilty she basically just waited by the door for me to come home .

 

[verdanavivian]

@calpastor Hey sounds like puppers is being a good boy
Total freedom is well earned

 

[canada90]

@calpastor What did you expect her to do while you’re gone?

 

[calpastor]

@canada90 I dunno not wait for me at the baby gate

 

[canada90]

@calpastor The fact that your dog is not pacing around the house, whining, barking, or chewing up your things is a very good sign. If the worst thing your dog does is wait for you to come back, she’s a very good dog. I know it’s a bit difficult to see them bored at home but adult dogs sleep a good amount anyways

 

[calpastor]

@canada90 I think I was just a bit worried that she's laid by the gate missing me when there's a comfy bed and sofa

The parental guilt man you can't win haha

 

[canada90]

@calpastor Right lol. It’s totally fine she’s doing this, she knows her options you even said she goes to the sofa and back to that spot. My dog has a very large comfy bed and he’s welcome to sleep on any of the furniture yet he chooses to sleep under my bed lol. Dogs are weird, sounds like she’s very comfortable in her environment and she likes that spot most to wait for you to come home. Maybe she feels she can hear you best from there when you do come

 

[joyful0128]

@calpastor Trust in this— they are smart animals. If they wanted to lay on a cushier surface, they would move to the couch. Maybe they prefer the coldness of the floor. I’m just saying that they are very smart and capable of moving to the cozier couch option. Dogs are animals, not people so we don’t view furniture options the same way

 

[joyful0128]

@calpastor Have no parental guilt! You are doing it all right!!

 

[praisehim71]

@calpastor Things you need to accept. Dogs can be weird, and their idea of comfort don't align with ours.

We have a nice giant cushioned bed for ours to lay on, and other beds in nearly every room of the house. Nope. Lemme just lay here and rest my head at a weird angle on your computer chair. Under your bed is good too. Or how about right against the brick foundation of the fireplace.

I use to pick him up and lay him in the beds, but he'll just walk right out and lay on the floor. And like others said, they sleep for most of the day. I got a security camera for mine, and out of the whole work day I am gone, he either sleeps in all random places or staring out the back deck at the outdoor cats that roam the area.

 

[vincentleo]

@calpastor She probably was a little confused at being left alone in the house and not in her crate. I wouldn’t worry—she’ll relax about it as she gets used to it, and even if she just wants to wait for you by the gate, sounds like she is happy and comfortable!

 

[jimmyd]

@calpastor My dog always waits for me right against the door no matter how long I'm gone. My friends' dogs apparently don't do this...but she's not crying or whining at all. She's been there for 7 hours just sleeping before lol. The only movement she usually makes is getting up to drink water.

 

[christianfrend]

@jimmyd My dog will position himself to stare at the door. He's fine, he's just waiting.

 

[xypnios]

@jimmyd We just left our 8mo pup for the first time tonight outside the crate and she started on the sofa but quickly moved to the front door and laid there for about 2.5 hours until we got home. I think she likes the draft under the door.

 

[wedemars]

@calpastor Sounds like she did great! She wasn’t stressed or anxious. One of my dogs waits by the door for me to come home, and the other lifts an ear when I walk by his couch, like “oh, did you go somewhere? I hadn’t noticed.”

 

[icashoutapp]

@calpastor My pup does this too, and it's more about my guilt than his comfort/ entertainment. What I ended up doing is placing dog beds and blankets in all his favorite spots, including by the door. I feel way less guilty that at least he's comfy waiting for me by the door.

 

[jonowebb]

@calpastor So we’ve never crated when we’re gone and our dogs have never done anything else but lay on the sofa, waiting for us to return.
They’ll move positions now and then, they’ll snuggle a bit, slightly nap. But definitely anticipating us returning.

 

[lordforgiveme]

@jonowebb I've never crated either. Only baby gated off certain rooms when I'm at work. My pup has 2 cats to keep him company and I leave lots of toys out to play with. No whining, anxiety or barking. I also did two days of training when I first got him by staying on one side of the baby gate, I'd let him whine and ignore him and go over to him when I felt like it later to practice separation and whining won't get him anything. It worked wonders to absolutely ignore it. Super smart lab. He waits patiently for everything now as he knows whining doesn't ever reward him with anything. Nothing has been destroyed wjen I come home thus far at 14 weeks

 

[ipwsite]

@calpastor My pup does this as well. We live in an apartment so he'll perk up a bit when someone's in the hallway, and then lay back down again by my front door, resting his head on some shoes. I also feel a sting of guilt since he is so obviously waiting and I would feel better if he was on his bed or in the living room.

But as everyone here is saying, he is not pacing, he is not stressing, he is not being destructive, so he is being a very good boy! He misses you and you miss him but you are both managing fine!

 

[soulsearchingservant]

@calpastor Ahhh to be worried your puppy is too calm while left alone. What a wonderful problem to have lol