Can Dachshunds Be Left Alone?

Dachshunds are of course really great pets, and they make for even better companions too. With that being said, most of us do have to go to work, and take care of other daily tasks as well. So, can dachshunds be left alone?

Dachshunds should not be left alone for more than 4 hours. They require exercise, get lonely, and need regular toilet breaks. Leaving your dachshund for long periods will cause separation anxiety, toilet accidents, barking and make your dachshund stressed.

How Long Can I Leave My Dachshund Alone?

OK, so at some point in time, every single dog is going to be have to left alone for a certain amount of time.

The fact of the matter is that you have to go to work, you have to go shopping, pick up the kids, and do whatever else you need to do in your daily life.

Obviously, you can’t have your dog with you every single minute of the day. As far as dachshunds go, how long can you leave them alone for?

In general, most dachshunds should not be left alone for more than about four hours at a time, and there are many different reasons why this is the case.

For one, dachshunds are fairly small, and this means that their bladders are not very large, which means that they need to go use the washroom about every three to four hours, maybe five hours if you push it.

If you leave your doxie alone for too long, chances are that it will make a mess in your house and ruin that carpet of yours.

Another reason why you cannot leave your dachshund alone for too long is because they generally do need a lot of stimulation and regular exercise, and not walking or moving for many hours at the time can lead to obesity and mobility issues. 

There is also the fact that dachshunds, and dogs in general, are pack animals, and this means that they do not like to be alone for any prolonged amount of time.

At the end of the day being alone for too long can lead to high levels of stress, anxiety, boredom, loneliness, and separation anxiety as well.

As long as you do not leave your doxie alone for more than about four hours at a time, it should be fine.

Can I Leave My Dachshund Puppy Alone?

If an adult dachshund cannot be alone for more than four hours at a time due to the need to use the bathroom, exercise requirements, and plain old loneliness, then a puppy dachshund is a whole other story.

The fact of the matter is that a puppy dachshund should never be left alone for really any amount of time. 

However, that being said, you probably work and have other things to do, which means that at some point in time you will need to leave your dachshund puppy.

However, in the grand scheme of things, your dachshund puppy should never be alone for more than two or three hours at a time at the very most, and if we are being honest, 3 hours is already pushing the envelope quite a bit. 

The fact of the matter here is that your dachshund puppy is going to need to use the washroom about once every one to two hours, so if you leave it alone for too long, chances are about 110% that it is going to urinate and defecate somewhere in your house.

As is the case with all puppies, and children in general, a dachshund puppy is going to get extremely bored, and this can lead to destructive behavior. 

A dachshund puppy is going to get bored very easily, and a bored dog is a dog that is going to cause trouble.

Dachshund puppies do also have a whole lot of energy, and this means that they require a good deal of exercise, something that they obviously won’t get if you leave them alone.

The bottom line is that a dachshund puppy should be left alone as little as humanly possible.

Can You Leave A Dachshund Alone All Day?

The bottom line here is that whether we are talking about a puppy or an adult dachshund, they should definitely not be left alone all day long. 

Sure, you can leave an adult alone for a lot longer than you can leave a puppy alone for, but that said, about four or five hours at most is really as far as you want to push this. 

A dachshund that is alone for too long, whether an adult or a puppy, is going to become destructive, very bored, cause trouble, and may also develop separation anxiety, which is something that you definitely don’t want to have to deal with.

Do Dachshunds Have Separation Anxiety?

For a little background on this, it is important to realize exactly how dachshunds were bred and what they were bred for.

Dachshunds were bred to be pack hunters, or in other words you have very many of them hunting together in a pack with the same goal. 

This automatically means that they are very pack-centric dogs. They absolutely love being together with other dogs, of course especially other Wiener dogs.

Moreover, these dogs just don’t like being alone for very long at all, and they absolutely want to be around people as much as they can.

These are dogs that want to do everything with other people and other dogs, and they really don’t like being alone at all, especially for prolonged periods of time. 

The unfortunate reality is that far as developing separation anxiety goes, the dachshund is one of the most susceptible dogs out there.

Very many dachshunds develop separation anxiety, especially when their owners are away a lot. Of course, not all dachshunds are going to develop separation anxiety, although it is quite likely.

Common Signs of Separation Anxiety in Dachshunds

Seeing as doxies are of course susceptible to developing quite severe separation anxiety, it is a good idea for you to know what the signs of separation anxiety in dogs look like.

Take a look at the detailed list below for all of the biggest signs that your dachshund has separation anxiety.

Sign	Info
Toilet Accidents	If your dog is alone all day and you come home to a soiled house, it’s either because of separation anxiety or simply because they couldn’t hold it any longer. This may even go one step further. Your dachshund may engage in something known as coprophagia, or in other words, eating their own excrement.
Chewing	Another very common thing for dogs to do when they are alone for too long and they have separation anxiety is chewing, digging, and being generally disruptive. You could come home one day and find that your sofa has been ripped to shreds, which is a big time sign of both separation anxiety and general boredom.
Barking/Howling	If your neighbors tell you that your dog spent all day barking and howling while you were gone, then you can rest assured that it is suffering from separation anxiety.
Trying To Escape	If your dog is alone all day and you come home to see that it’s not there, chances are that it actually tried to escape in order to try and go find you. Even worse is the fact that dogs who try to escape their surroundings might actually injure their claws and teeth due to trying to dig or bite their way out of an area. Keep in mind that if your dog tries to escape while you are home, then the escape is not caused by separation anxiety.
Pacing Back and Forth	Yet another very common symptom of separation anxiety is if your dog paces back and forth when they are left alone. Some dogs may even walk in circles. If you see that your dog starts pacing around right before you leave the house, then it is a surefire bet that it is probably suffering from separation anxiety.

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Will My Dachshund Wreck My House If Left Alone?

What needs to be said here is that all of this does of course depend on the exact dachshund question, as some may develop separation anxiety while others may not, and some dogs are much better at keeping themselves busy than others. 

However, if your dachshund is the kind that gets bored really easily, and even has separation anxiety, then it is very likely that it will wreck your house while you are gone.

It’s not uncommon for bored and lonely doxies to start chewing on shoes, pillows, sofas, and everything in between. 

If your doxie has separation anxiety, then you would be wise to leave it with some toys and other means to keep itself busy, so it doesn’t wreck your whole house while you are away at work.

Do Dachshunds Bark And Howl When Left Alone?

As mentioned above, yes, it is somewhat likely that your doxie will bark and howl if it is left alone, especially if it suffers from separation anxiety. 

This can of course be quite a problem, especially if you live in a tightly packed residential area, or even an apartment building, where all of the neighbors will have to listen to that dog barking and howling all day long. 

To help prevent this from occurring, let’s move on and talk about all of the best tips that you need to follow in order to leave your dachshund alone with the best results.

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Tips For When You Need to Leave Your Dachshund Alone

What we want to do right now is to provide you with all of the most important tips that you need to follow in order to leave your dachshund alone without causing it to be bored, lonely, or developing separation anxiety.

1. Exercise is Key

In order to prevent your doxie from becoming bored, lonely, and destructive when it is left home alone, you should aim to provide it with plenty of exercise, as much as humanly possible.

Remember, dachshunds need around 60 minutes of exercise per day. Of course, smaller doxies, such as miniature dachshunds, need a little bit less, but that said, exercise is always key. 

Simply put, the more energy your dog has when you leave your house, the bigger the chances of it being destructive and lonely instead of just sleeping and being calm until you get back. 

Moreover, the more intense the exercise is, such as swimming or running, the more energy your dog will burn off, and the bigger the chances of it being calm and happy when you leave for a few hours. If you tire your dog out, it will want to do nothing but sleep. 

On a scientific side note, remember that exercise also causes the brain to release several different endorphins, all of which have the ability to relieve stress, anxiety, and depression.

This can go quite a long way in preventing separation anxiety from occurring.

2. Lots of Play

Yes, this is related to the above point of burning off energy and tiring out your dog, but that said, playing with your dog is not quite the same as exercising.

What we’re talking about here is that your dachshund absolutely loves to be around you, they absolutely love to play, and they love to do things with their owners. 

Therefore, you should stimulate and placate your dog by playing with it a lot. You’re going to make your dog feel a lot happier and way more loved if you spend a lot of time playing with it.

The chances are pretty big that if you play with your dog for half an hour before you leave for the day, that it’s going to be much happier and less likely to develop separation anxiety.

3. Let Them Play With Others

As mentioned above, doxins do of course like to be with their own kind, so this is definitely something that can help.

It’s a really good idea to allow your doxie to play with other dogs when you go to the dog park or just go for walks in general.

This will help satisfy their need to be with their own kind. Remember, these are pack dogs. 

Even better, get another dachshund to provide some company for the first one. Being able to play and run around with others of their own kind is very good for their mental health.

Once again, this also has to do with the brain releasing various endorphins that have the ability to relieve stress and anxiety.

4. Puzzle Toys & Mental Stimuli

Yet another thing that you can do to keep your dog happy and stimulated while you leave for a few hours is to leave it with some puzzle toys and other mental stimuli.

Simply put, when you are bored, it helps to have something to do, whether you read a book, watch a TV show, or work on an arts and crafts project. This is really no different for dogs. 

Of course, they aren’t going to actually watch TV or create a work of art, but they can definitely solve some dog friendly puzzle toys, particularly ones with food inside. 

Dogs absolutely love solving puzzle toys that have a tasty reward inside of them.

There are easier puzzle toys and more difficult ones too, so if you plan on being away for a few hours at a time, get your dachshund a relatively difficult puzzle toy that is going to keep it busy for quite some time.

Not only will this keep your dachshund busy, but it will also help keep its mind stimulated, something that is important for senior dogs. 

5. The Radio or TV Can Help

Although whether or not a dog will actually watch TV or listen to the radio is not proven, most people do find that it can help relieve some separation anxiety and loneliness in their dogs that are left alone.

The simple sound of someone talking over the television or the radio may help your dachshund feel like it is not quite so alone.

However, whether or not it works really depends on the specific dog in question.

6. Crating The Dog May Help

Although this can be hit or miss, putting your dog in a crate while you go away may help.

With that being said, in order for your dog to be happy when put in a crate, it needs to associate that crate with something good, not something bad. 

Many people will create their dogs in ways that make it seem like a punishment, and of course your dog is not going to be happy if it feels as though it is being punished.

That will in fact only worsen separation anxiety, because every time you go to put your dog in the crate, it knows that it will be alone. Therefore, you have to find a way to associate that crate with something good. 

The best tip to follow here is to engage in a proper crate training routine that will create a positive association with the crate.

Remember, dogs do like to feel protected, which is why they often go under tables when they feel scared.

Something like a crate or a small dog house may very well provide your dog with a feeling of comfort and protection, so it won’t feel quite so anxious, lonely, or scared while you are away.

7. A Nice Doggy Bed + A Scented Blanket

Sometimes, something as simple as a nice doggy bed with plenty of toys can help to keep your dachshund occupied while you are gone.

A good thing to try here is to leave your dog with a blanket that as your scent on it. This is actually how many dog breeders sell their puppies to new owners, along with a blanket that has its mother’s smell on it.

This helps to comfort the puppy and to make it feel as though there is someone around.

8. Going Through Separation Anxiety Treatment

Although we definitely aren’t going to go through the whole process of, the fact of the matter is that if your dachshund is suffering from separation anxiety, then you need to go through a proper separation anxiety treatment program. 

These separation anxiety treatments often involve many laborious and time-consuming steps.

That being said, if your dog is already suffering from separation anxiety, then you absolutely need to do everything in your power to take care of it as quickly as possible.

If your dog is suffering from separation anxiety, you absolutely have to take all of the necessary steps to treat it.

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Will Getting Another Dachshund Help for Company?

Yes, absolutely will getting a second dachshund to keep the first one company.

Remember folks, these are pack dogs that absolutely hate being alone, and they were originally bred to hunt in packs. This means that the more of them there are, the happier they will be.

Everything else aside, getting a second dog is perhaps the number one very best way to make sure that the first one is not lonely, bored, or destructive when you leave for work.

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The bottom line here is that if you plan on getting a dachshund, just be aware that they should not be left alone for more than a few hours at a time.

If they are left alone for too long, they may become extremely noisy, destructive, and develop separation anxiety.

In our honest opinion, the best course of action is to simply have two dachshunds, especially if you are someone who is not going to be home too much.