Won't eat treat while alone
So my spoiled dog is used to either spending the day with me while I work from home or if I go to my office he goes to daycare. We rarely leave him home alone but when we do we have been crating him. We noticed the last few times that if we put a treat in the crate it is still there when we get home and he doesn't eat it until he has gone out and come back in upon our return.
Unfortunately I have to go to Spain next week for 8 days (all work, no play) which means Monty will be left for most of the day in the house. He is a good boy in the house so I want to gate him in the kitchen which has his crate, water and dog bed (did I mentioned he is spoiled). He will have a pet sitter coming in the morning for his long walk and daddy will be feeding him at lunch so the longest he will be alone is 4 hours in the afternoon.
So now for the dilemma, I went out today to run errands for 4 hours to test him in the kitchen. I left two treat dispensing toys and his bully stick. When I came home I noticed that none of the toys or treats were touched and he is so knocked out now I am not sure he even slept. Should I be worried? Is there something else I can give him to keep him from getting bored?
I do plan on leaving him for an hour or so a day until I leave next week to get him used to it a bit more. Any advice is appreciated for this mommy who is sad to leave her baby! (God help me when I have human babies...hee hee)
Unfortunately I have to go to Spain next week for 8 days (all work, no play) which means Monty will be left for most of the day in the house. He is a good boy in the house so I want to gate him in the kitchen which has his crate, water and dog bed (did I mentioned he is spoiled). He will have a pet sitter coming in the morning for his long walk and daddy will be feeding him at lunch so the longest he will be alone is 4 hours in the afternoon.
So now for the dilemma, I went out today to run errands for 4 hours to test him in the kitchen. I left two treat dispensing toys and his bully stick. When I came home I noticed that none of the toys or treats were touched and he is so knocked out now I am not sure he even slept. Should I be worried? Is there something else I can give him to keep him from getting bored?
I do plan on leaving him for an hour or so a day until I leave next week to get him used to it a bit more. Any advice is appreciated for this mommy who is sad to leave her baby! (God help me when I have human babies...hee hee)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sondra on
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Our girl is the same way. I have left her favorite treats with her when we go out and they are still there when we get home.
She also will not eat her breakfast or dinner while we are gone.
Spoiled.. not much :-)
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Permalink Reply by Stanley & Charlotte on
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Stanley does this too from time to time. I'll put a treat in his crate while we're at work and he won't eat it. But when we come home and let him out, eventually he go back and pull his treat out and enjoy it then.
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Permalink Reply by Julia on
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Four hours is not long to go without a treat, and it is not really a long time to be alone. In fact, my pups don't get treats that often. They mostly sleep all day. Why should Monty eat a treat in his crate? It's for sleeping, not eating, he probably thinks. If Monty is bored, there would probably some sign of it, but if he's not destroying things or acting strangely, I wouldn't worry.
Can you board him where he goes to doggy day care?
As a mommy who has had her human babies leave HER, I can say don't sweat the small things.
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Permalink Reply by Wendt Worth Corgi's on
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They say to leave an article of clothing w/your scent on them to settle the separation anxiety and maybe leave a radio on or the TV. There are pheromone plug ins that claim they will calm a dog w/separation anxiety or thunderstorms. Don't know how well they work. Good luck but I think once he gets use to the idea he'll settle in and get better at it.
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Permalink Reply by Geri & Sidney on
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My corgi mix Bruce is the same way. He'll leave a treat alone until I come back home; after greeting me, he'll rush back to his treat and gobble it up! He's the biggest momma's boy. But we have left him either with a pet sitter (who came once a day) or at the boarding kennel and he survived just fine. He was happy to see me and he obviously did not starve himself. Monty will be just fine. Enjoy Spain!
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Permalink Reply by Susan Stanton on
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My Bertie is the same. I also work from home, and the dogs go everywhere with me when I go out (they are well known about town, so I am often unrecognized if I don't have them with me). When I do have to leave them, I always say that Bertie goes into "suspended animation." He doesn't appear to do much -- he doesn't eat a treat if I leave it or sleep -- he just waits for me to come back. Then he grabs that treat like a madman as soon as I return! I don't think he's distressed at all, he just .... waits. If he were doing neurotic things, tearing/chewing/peeing/barking, etc., then I'd worry. But it kind of tickles me that he waits for me to come back before downing a cookie, knowing how food-obsessed he is. So I wouldn't worry.
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Glad to know my Bruce is not the only strange one!
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Permalink Reply by Monty'sMom on
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Thanks everyone for your support. Deep down I know he will be fine. I also know I will miss him a whole bunch.
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