If you are a dog owner who must spend hours outside, you must deal with the dilemma between going out for money and stay at home cheering up your dog. But every dog owner knows that keeping a dog isn’t free isn’t it? If your dog is a stray dog, you might want to read Best Ways to Train an Adopted Stray Dog at Home.
So, like it or not, you must leave the dog home for hours and you need to know how to train a dog to be home alone. You can try these tips below.
1. Prepare a room
A room is very necessary for a dog to begin learning to be alone in a house. You will need a room with a door to train him about being alone and not supervised every single second. Besides, this will add security for both your dog and your stuffs such as your shoes, sofas, and other things he might like to chew.
A room will also make the dog own its territory without his human. Your dog will occupy his room and that would be his safest place except you while you are away.
2. Prepare a crate
A nylon or less sturdy crate works fine for smaller and tamer dogs which doesn’t have the tendency to destroy and chew everything. Wire crate is best for all after all so you might choose this as the safest option. Crate is used to set your dog in place and give him time to know and enjoy his specific place for longer time. Also read more information about How To Handle With Your Dog’s First Night At Home.
3. Prepare toys
Ease your dog to be in place by preparing toys inside the crate. Your dog might don’t like it and throw it away, but you can get it back inside the crate until he doesn’t do that anymore. Give him treat for what he does. Prepare toys which are not food oriented like ropes and other sturdy toys so that your dog can chew and tug them to keep their teeth and gums healthy.
These toys will keep your dog busy for long time inside the crate. See if he will be anxious once you left or not. If he does, that is OK you can try and try again until he likes the toys and play inside the crate and ignore your absence.
4. Train the dog with treats
Attract your dog attention by let him know that you have his favorite food with you. Place or just toss it whenever you like to train him to be. For example, you would like to train him to sit in his bed, so toss the food on his bed. And when he touch and sit in the bed, give him the treat you have tossed before or you can provide another variety of treats.
Notice if your dog always like those treats you provide or not. If he refuses, try another one. There are many various dog foods with various taste and smell so your dog might want other foods if he still hesitant.
5. Train him to find his spots.
As mentioned in an example above, train your dog to find and love his spots. There are spots to sleep, eat, play and to poop. You can make this easier by providing the most comfortable dog’s bed, tray and water or food dispenser. Some dogs are small and some are huge, so you can find what is best for them. You can read more about How To Train Your Dog To Use Bathroom Outside.
6. Use repetitive and constant commands.
The most important thing you have to do as the owner and the trainer is that you must use repetitive and constant commands. Once you use the term “sit” with your specific hand sign commanding to sit down, don’t use any different command next time. This will allow your dog learn it and get used to it.
Don’t worry if your dog isn’t listening to you for his first time learning, he will eventually understand. Don’t easily give up because training a dog needs time, energy and patience. You can read more about How to Make a Puppy to Listen When They Won’t.
7. Train the dog without treats
Your goal in training your dog is when your dog do what you command without the treats. Although you still need to give treats for some command, basic commands such as to sit, to get up, to catch, to run, to walk, to sleep, to stay, and to be quiet must be mastered without treats.
In some higher level of training such as finding a ball or toys, to roll or jump might still need some treats. Dogs are different, and if your dog doesn’t require treats for every command, then he is awesome. Read How to Tame and Adopt Semi Feral Dog.
8. Leave him for a longer span of time
The main purpose of all of this is to allow your dog home alone and before the reality is coming, you must previously and constantly leave him alone for at least minutes and finally hours. If you are still at home with your dog, leave him for longer span of time every day. Be consistent with the timing and continue to increase the span of time.
Those tips of how to train a dog to be home alone are indeed aren’t as easy as it sounds but it doesn’t mean impossible. The key is you, as the owner and the trainer, for not giving up too soon. You must not give up anyway. Repetition is the key to make your dog listen, learn and finally do!