Can Labradors be left alone for 8 hours

Labradors are social and energetic dogs which can’t even remain quite for even one minute. These energetic dogs need plenty of exercise to keep them both mentally and physically fit. They need the companies of owners and family members all the time. So, leaving Labradors for a long period of time is not recommendable. Because leaving your furry companion alone for a long period of time can make them destructive, tend to bark a lot, bite, and can also suffer from separation anxiety. But the good news is labs can be left for 5 hours. But now if you have to work for 8 hours and the maximum capacity of labs to remain alone is 5 hours, then don’t worry just train your lab to remain alone so that he doesn’t get bored. And you can just follow the given steps that I have given below to train them.

Can Labradors be left alone for 8 hours?
    No, Labradors can be left alone for 5 hours only in his adolescence and adult stage. In their pup stage, they should be left alone for only one hour because they doesn’t know much about where to poop, where to pee, and how to take food from their big packet. Mostly in their senior stage, people leave them for many hours that is not right. You should leave them for only 15 to 30 minutes which is more than enough because their urinary bladder is very weak and they need exercise to keep them fit and healthy to avoid any health problem. But my opinion is to not to leave senior labs alone at home for any period of time because they need attention due to their old age and extra care is needed to make them feel good and to prevent them from developing any health problem.

    Are you also new owner and don’t know how long you can leave your Labrador at home? And also worried about his pee, poop and food, don’t be worried because I’m going to tell you how much time your Labrador can be left alone at home in his different stages of life?

How long can labs be left alone?

    Labradors can be left alone for maximum 5 hours. In their puppyhood, they can be only left for one hour because they don’t know where to poop and pee. In their senior stage, it is recommended to not to leave them for more than 15 to 30 minutes because of their old age. They need more care and attention as they are more prone to health diseases. In their adolescence they can be left alone at home for 5 to 5 and a half hours.

How long can labs hold their pee?

    Puppies have a developing bladder (it is not forming but growing stronger as per age) so, that’s why they need to urinate frequently. You can use pee and potty pads to prevent pee on your floor. Adult dogs can hold their bladder for 6 to 8 hours. But you should make them urinate frequently so that no accident occurs. Lastly in senior stage, dogs can’t hold their pee for long. But if they do so, many health problems occur.

How to train a Labrador to be alone?

Training lab to remain alone for a long period of time is easy. It just needs few steps:

• Start by leaving them for short periods of time: You should start by leaving them for short period. This way they can adjust themselves by gradually increasing the time duration.
• Reward them: Reward them if they are able to live alone for sometime and they are calm while you are away.
• Practice calm not dramatic goodbyes: Practice calm goodbyes and greetings. And avoid dramatic exits and entries.
• Densensitize them to triggers: To prevent them from suffering from separation anxiety, you can desensitize them to triggers like picking up the keys that can make them understand that you are leaving and I have to prepare myself for living alone.
• Give them potty and pee training: Before leaving your labs alone at home, you should train them to pee and potty in toilet or on his pads. This way you can avoid their pee and potty on your floor and also avoid them from suffering from illness caused by the pee and potty.

How to prepare your Labrador for being left alone for up to eight hours?

1. Create a comfortable place: It can be a room, a fenced yard, or even your dog’s crate. Place there their pee and potty pads, their food, fresh water, and some mental stimulation toys. You could also place their bed and make them sit on it comfortably by giving your iPad with cartoons playing on it.
2. Toys: You can give them mental stimulation toys to prevent them from suffering from anxiety and depression. Also, mental stimulation toys help them to boost their brain power. Or if your Labrador is a puppy, you can give him his chew toys and favourite toys that he love to play with.
3. Place their pee and potty pads or teach them to pee and potty in toilet: In their room or create or wherever they like to sit comfortably, place there their pee and potty pads to prevent pee and potty on your floor. Or you can train them to use toilet whenever they have to do their business.
4. Hire a puppy sitter or a dog trainer: To prevent your dog from suffering from boredom and separation anxiety, you can hire a puppy sitter or a dog trainer. The puppy sitter can keep an eye on your lab, feed them when they are hungry, give company to them, and can go on walks with them.
5. By enrolling them in daycare: You can enroll your Labrador in daycare. This way you can socialize your lab to new people and dogs. And also this way they can make new friends and can avoid anxiety and depression.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

    In the end, I would like to conclude that Labradors can’t be left alone for 8 hours straight. In their adolescence and adult age they can be left alone for 5 hours. In their puppy hood, they can be left alone for one to 2 hours. And in this senior stage, they can be left for 15 to 30 minutes. 

    I would prefer to not to leave puppies and senior dogs alone at home as puppies are exploring the world and they need extra care and attention because they don’t know much about their surroundings and how to pee and potty and how to take food. Whereas on the other hand, senior dogs have a very weak bladder, which makes them to urinate frequently. As well as they need extra care and attention because they are prone to developing health problems. 

    Labradors can get separation anxiety if they are left alone for more than his capacity to be alone or they are being separated from their owner. You can also train your Labrador to be alone at home by creating a comfy place for them where they can eat, drink, pee, and potty, by placing their pee and potty pads or teaching them do you use toilet when they needed to do their business, and by hiring a puppy sitter or a dog trainer to prevent your dog from suffering from separation anxiety and boredom.

Thank you for reading this article and stay tuned for next such articles.