Can Cocker Spaniels Be Left Alone? Safety Tips & Breed Requirements

It is common for people to spend most of their time away from home, with many adults working eight-hour jobs and kids going to school. While this is normal practice for us humans, our dogs may not understand why we are away for so long. If you live in a house where everyone is away for most of the day, you might want to consider adopting a pet that can handle being alone.

But what about Cocker Spaniels—can they be left alone? While every individual dog is unique, the Cocker Spaniel can’t handle being alone for too long, and should only be left alone for up to four hours.

Still curious about leaving your Cocker Spaniel alone? Read on as we discuss more details and things to consider when leaving these dogs alone!

How Long Can Cocker Spaniels Be Left Alone?

Cocker Spaniels are incredibly social dogs that crave and thrive in companionship. Adult Cocker Spaniels can tolerate four to five hours of being alone on average, which gradually decreases as they reach senior age. Older Cocker Spaniels who are over nine years old can typically tolerate two to three hours of being alone.

Younger Cocker Spaniels that are one year old and younger are not recommended to be left unsupervised, but they can typically be left alone for one to three hours, if need be. Ideally, puppies that are three months and younger are not supposed to be left alone at all.

These hours mostly rely on their potty schedules, but the Cocker Spaniel needs more companionship than other dogs. While it is almost impossible to spend time every waking hour with our Cocker Spaniels, training and exposing them to being alone can greatly help them in dealing with the situation.

Risks of Leaving Your Cocker Spaniel Alone for Too Long

Because of Cocker Spaniels’ need for company, leaving them alone for more than four to five hours can cause separation anxiety and unwanted changes in behavior.

Signs that may suggest your Cocker Spaniel has separation anxiety include:

Knowing the negative signs to look out for is important, but dog parents should also know the good signs! When returning home, some of the best signs that suggest your pup did well during their time alone include:

It is important to note that not all dogs are the same. While most Cocker Spaniels have a tolerance of four to five hours, you may be surprised to see your Cocker Spaniel actually do well alone. While each dog has their own pre-disposed profiles based on their breed, treat each dog individually with their own temperaments and tolerances. Remember, each and every dog is unique!

How to Prepare Your Cocker Spaniel for Alone Time

Whether your dog is a Cocker Spaniel or a more independent breed, like a Basset Hound or Boston Terrier, you still have to prepare your dog for alone time that they’ll eventually have to face. Proper training and preparation can help prevent the development of separation anxiety and destructive behaviors for your dog.

Training

It is important to train your dog to get them used to being alone. From a young age, whatever their routine or home setup is will be what they consider normal.

One of the best ways to help them learn how to be alone in their own space is with crate training. This gives them a sense of security, as well as their own comfort zone where they can rest. When crate training, you want to slowly build up the amount of time they spend in the crate. Start with a few minutes and gradually work your way up to a few hours.

This same principle applies to leaving your dog alone. Stay within your dog’s sight and gradually move away as they get more comfortable resting in the crate. Don’t forget to choose the appropriate size crate for your Cocker Spaniel!

If you do not have a crate, you can still train your dog using these same principles, by providing a safe space or area in your house for your Cocker Spaniel in place of a crate. Remember to gauge your Cocker Spaniel’s response to this training. Not all dogs are the same, so it’s important to be patient!

Tips to Help Them Cope With Being Alone

Leaving your dog can be difficult for both you and your Cocker Spaniel. As much as we don’t want to leave them alone at home, this may be unavoidable when everyone has things to do during the day. Here are some tips to help your Cocker Spaniel deal with being alone!

Find Ways to Keep Them Company

One way to go about leaving your Cocker Spaniel is by not letting them be alone in the first place! Cocker Spaniels are sociable dogs that work well with other pets, so getting another dog or pet to keep them company while you’re away can help them stay calm and relaxed.

Hiring a dog sitter, relative, or friend to watch or check in on your dog is also a great way to help them cope while you’re away.

Exercise Them

Before leaving, it is best to exercise your dog to keep them stimulated and worked out. This helps them burn their pent up energy and keeps them more relaxed for when you finally leave. Keeping them stimulated also prevents frustration and boredom while you’re away. This also gives them time to go potty and prevent any accidents while alone. When properly exercised and stimulated, they may just spend most of their time alone sleeping and resting!

Keep Them Entertained

You also want to leave some things to keep your Cocker Spaniel entertained while you’re gone. You may consider leaving any form of stimulation on, such as the TV or radio. To keep them stimulated, provide your Cocker Spaniel with toys to keep them occupied!

Be sure to always leave them with water while you’re away, and if it’s part of their usual feeding schedule, food as well.

Other Dogs That Can Be Left Alone

If you’re truly considering buying a dog that may have to spend a lot of time alone, there are other dog breeds that can better manage being alone. These dogs can also make great companions as a second or third dog for your Cocker Spaniel, should they be left alone together!

• Bull Terrier
• Scottish Terrier
• Boston Terrier
• Chihuahua
• Basset Hound
• Maltese
• Greyhound
• Miniature Schnauzer
• Dachshund
• Beagle
• Golden Retriever
• Shiba Inu
• Pug
• Chow Chow
• Bullmastiff

Summary

Buying a dog is a big responsibility. When looking to adopt a new dog into your family, it is important to consider your lifestyle and home dynamics to see if your dog is a proper fit. Cocker Spaniels can be left alone, but are easily prone to separation anxiety and should not be left for more than four to five hours.

Cocker Spaniels are beautiful and affectionate dogs that love and crave companionship, so extra time should be spent in training them on how to be alone.

Featured Image Credit: Pixel-Shot, Shutterstock