Whether you are a new owner of a Border Collie, trying to choose the right breed for your lifestyle, or you have just recently decided you are comfortable leaving your dog home for the first time, you might have a lot of questions about the process.
Part of being a good dog owner, and making sure all of your Border Collie’s needs are taken care of, is making sure they have adequate socialization and are not left alone for too long.
But how long is too long? Unless you are one of the few who work from home full-time, chances are you will need to leave your dog at home while you go to work.
Even those of us with the most flexible schedules will need to leave our furry friends at home from time to time.
You might be wondering how long your Border Collie can stay home alone, and what might happen if you do leave them alone.
The good news is, we have all the answers you need to make sure you can set your Border Collie up for success when being left home alone.
Toys to keep your Border Collie entertained when you are not home
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Can Border Collies stay home alone all day?
In a nutshell, No. While individual dogs may have personalities more amenable to being left alone for long periods of time, Border Collie’s are not particularly well suited to staying home alone for a full work day.
Border Collies are highly-intelligent, high-energy dogs. Both of these factors do make it a little more difficult to leave your dog at home, which we will explain a little bit further.
You see, since Border Collies are really smart, they require a lot of mental stimulation to keep them busy. Without their owner home to actively ensure they have enough to do at all times, Collies can become destructive of their toys, and your property.
In a similar way, Collies have a lot of energy, and being cooped up for long stretches of time causes them to get restless, and ultimately destructive.
While these self-amusing behaviours can be trained and destructiveness can be discouraged, this will be a very tricky skill to teach your Border Collie, and is not recommended for their overall sense of emotional well-being.
What is the maximum amount of time my Border Collie can be home alone for?
This is going to vary from dog to dog, and you will need to test the limits of your Collie slowly and safely to get a true answer. On the long end though, Border Collies should not be left alone for longer than a few hours. (Think 3-4 hours maximum).
Once you are ready to start leaving your Collie alone, try leaving for twenty minutes, then forty minutes, then one hour, then two, on various trips spaced out over several days.
When you return, it’s important to observe your Border Collie for signs of distress and to make note of any destructive behaviours.
If you reach a point where it is obvious your Collie is uncomfortable, remains at trips of that length to determine if it’s something they just need to get used to, or if its a hard limit.
Besides the obvious chewing of furniture and urinating on the floor, be on the lookout for whimpering even after you returned a while ago and following you around.
Once you have determined their limit, respect it. You can try to train them to hold out just a little longer but remember that if they are exhibiting signs of distress, this is an emotional need and not just misbehaviour.
If you really need to be gone for longer than their time limit, kindly ask a neighbour or family member to check in on them. If you are leaving for a full day, or more, it is important to hire a dog sitter.
What will happen if my Border Collie is left alone for too long?
The most common sign that your Border Collie has been alone for too long is destruction. This can present itself as scratching at doors, chewing on baseboards, ripping apart toys, or peeing on the floor (despite being potty trained).
While these behaviors might be okay once or twice, it is important to recognize that if your Border Collie is left alone for too long on a regular basis, it could lead to a more serious problem such as Isolation Distress or Separation anxiety.
At what age can I start leaving my Border Collie home alone? You have probably heard that it is best not to leave puppies home alone at all until they reach a certain age, and Border Collies are no exception.
As a general rule, you should try not to leave a puppy alone, as much as possible, for the first three months of their life, if you can help it.
Of course, this isn’t always possible, as life gets in the way. Just make sure you are not planning any major, multi-hour trips before the three-month mark, or get a sitter.
What can I do to help my Border Collie feel safe when they are alone?
So, does this mean you can never leave your Collie home alone? Of course not.
It just means that when you do, you may want to take some of the following steps to ensure they feel safe even when you’re not with them.
Number 1
Ensure your Collie gets plenty of exercise before you leave. Making sure your Border Collie is tired will hopefully promote napping while you are gone, and help them get rid of destructive, pent-up energy.
This could be a trip to the doggie park for a good run, or a long walk before work. Just be sure it is enough to make your dog tired.
Number 2
Ensure their physical needs are taken care of while you are gone. While we know your dog is not starving while you are away, making sure your Collie knows that they can have food and water while you are away will help with their anxiety.
Try leaving a small bowl of kibble and a little bit of water out the next time you leave.
Number 3
Playing the radio or television in the background may help your pup to feel less alone. Generally speaking, background noise is helpful and anything with voices will create the illusion of company.
You may want to look into what types of music are calming for your dog,
and can easily test this on a car ride. If jazz puts your Collie to sleep in the car, then it’s a great choice for when you leave the house.
Number 4
Give them a smaller space to play. Crates are a good way of establishing a safe space, but may not be the best choice for your Border Collie. Since they are so high-energy, they will likely become too restless in a fully enclosed space.
However, your dog will appreciate having a secure area to play in while you are gone, and you won’t have to worry about as much destruction.
Its a win-win! This could mean giving them a bedroom to play in, blocking of the stairwell, a locked-in porch so they can see outside, or a doggie-size playpen.
Number 5
Give your Border Collie lots of toy options while you are gone. Anything that requires physical or mental energy is a good choice. They key here is to make sure they don’t get bored, so treat puzzles and rope toys are a great place to start.
Best dog toys for keeping your Border Collie entertained when alone in the house
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What should I do if my Border Collie has separation anxiety?
If you have already tried all of the tips above to make your Border Collie feel safe when you are apart and your dog still has significant trouble being left alone for any amount of time, they might have separation anxiety.
If this is the case, it is a good idea to talk to your vet about what you can do to help them.
In certain situations, your vet may suggest switching to an anti-anxiety food brand or recommend medication.
Anti-anxiety food for your Border Collie
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In more minor cases, you may want to try leaving your dog with something that smells like you (i.e. a sweater or a blanket you sleep with), and/or ignoring your pet for the first few minutes after you arrive home.
Making a big deal out of saying hello and goodbye will only make your Border Collie’s separation anxiety worse.
So, can my Border Collie stay home alone all day?
To recap, no, Border Collies cannot stay at home alone for a full day. At the most, a Collie should be left for a couple of hours, but it is important to pay attention to your dog’s symptoms of distress, as this will vary from one Collie to another.
At the end of the day, a Collie may be a big commitment in terms of making yourself available for large chunks of the day, but its only because they love being a part of the family so much and miss you deeply
when you are away.
Article By: Brenna Harris
