Dogs that don't want to be left alone

[Catherine]

Many dogs do not like to be left alone. For some it is more than loneliness. They feel totally abandoned.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelzarrell/an....hf5dZgwX0
Being alone is more than this poor dog can handle.

This poor pup is not coping with loneliness either.




This poor dog clearly lives for her person.




Having a dog is a big responsibility. I wonder how many dogs suffer anxiety every time they are left alone.
Would two dogs help?

[LPC]

Our Puce was with us almost all the time. When we went to the supermarket, she came in the car - and usually I took her for a walk whilst Tamara got the shopping. In rural France, many restaurants still allow dogs to sit under the table with their caretakers, so she often came, too! On the odd occasion when she had to be left at home, she looked a bit reproachful, but forgave us if we gave her a treat or tit-bit on our return!

As you say, Catherine, having a dog is a responsibility. It is just not right to leave a dog alone for hours on end. Some people leave their animals alone in the house for the whole day while they are at work; that is way too long. Some will sleep happily most of the time, but others feel the absence of their caretakers very severely (such as in the video), and in such cases it borders on emotional cruelty to leave them alone for long periods.

[Catherine]

That is why I don't have a dog. On my worst working day, I am gone twelve hours. I have sets of guinea pigs and I leave them food. I made a point of getting a second dove. The reptiles live in groups unless they are solitary by nature.

A dog would be miserable with me. If you are going to have a dog you need to be there. Even a bird would not cope with long hours alone. A cat would do better on its own. Time is one thing that should be considered when choosing a pet.

I agree long hours alone are a form of emotional abuse.

[Tobi]

People call this 'separation Anxiety' and try to train it out of their dogs as it is considered 'negative' behaviour. There are all sorts of hints and tips to stop separation anxiety.
And yet...I actually feel the dogs have a point. They are not meant to be alone. They are pack animals, and in the wild would not spend any time alone their whole life through. And they most likely wouldn't sleep alone either.
There is something so scary and unnatural about being left alone, from a dog's pint of view (not a human's)
What really concerns me are those humans who work full-time, and including travel time, may spend up to 10 hours a day away from home.
While most dogs DO have to put up with their human leaving them occasionally, they are definitely not meant to be alone for many hours each day.
But they are probably safer at home than in the car for a few reasons. And definitely safer than tied up outside a shop. But for those dogs who day in day out, for their whole lives, have to spend long daylight hours locked up inside...well that is just terrible.

I wish more places were dog-friendly.
My bank was great. They didn't mind letting Misty come in with me! But most shops and stores won't let a dog in. And how many work places are there where a dog can come along?

Maybe....you might be able to have a dog when you retire Catherine?

[Catherine]

You are right, dogs are like wolves. They need to live in a pack situation. We can be their pack, but it must be devastating when we leave them alone.

We have dog walkers and doggie daycares. I am sure it helps, but it can get expensive for the dog owner.
The ideal would be to take your dog with you everywhere, but so few places allow dogs.

I don't know what the solution is, but I know I can't have a dog while I am working. I think my life is full enough with the various other animals that I rescue or rehome, but a dog would be nice.