Basset Hounds are highly sociable beings who love nothing more than spending time with their owners. However, sometimes we just have to leave the house without them. As a pet parent, I will try to give the best possible answers on can a Basset hound be left alone.
I will share my 10-year knowledge combined with some information that I got from a veterinarian to try and best answer if Basset Hounds can be left alone.
Can a Basset Hound Be Left Alone
Yes. A properly trained and socialized Basset Hound can be left alone at home while you are at work. Many Basset Hound owners tend to gradually introduce time alone from a young age and increase the time as the puppy grows.
Basset Hounds love spending time with their owners. However, at some point, you will have to leave your Basset Hound alone at home. Leaving your Basset Hound alone is something that requires a lot of patience and training. If you do not train your puppy from an early age that it is okay to be left alone, you will end up with a grown-up Basset Hound with separation anxiety.
Once you introduce crate training to your young Basset hound puppy and you slowly increase the time spent in the crate, eventually you can build up that time and be able to leave your dog alone for eight hours without feeling bad. In fact, Basset Hounds will enjoy the time alone as they will get rest and just chill while you work.
How long can a Basset Hound be left alone?
How long can a Basset Hound be left alone depends on its age and health condition. A Basset Hound under the age of one can be left alone for up to two hours, whereas a Basset Hound older than one year can be left alone for up to eight hours. Senior Basset Hounds should be left alone for less time depending on their health condition.
Crate training plays a huge part in determining how long can a Basset Hound be left alone. It is key that you introduce crate training while your Basset Hound is a young puppy. This will teach them that when you leave the house, it is not the end of the world and that you will come back and play with them.
However, crate training is something that should be done with patience. A young Basset Hound puppy shouldn’t be left for more than 20 to 30 minutes at first and then gradually increase the time alone. The reason why you shouldn’t leave your young puppy alone at home for more than two hours is that curiosity can get them into trouble. Also, young puppies can’t hold in their pee for too long.
As your Basset Hound gets older, older than one year of age, you can increase the time alone up to eight hours. Again, you shouldn’t just leave your Basset Hound right away for eight hours. As a responsible pet parent, you need to work on increasing your time alone gradually.
On the other hand, Senior Basset Hounds shouldn’t be left alone for eight hours straight. As your Basset Hound enters seniority, many health issues might arise. From my own experience, I think that senior Basset Hounds shouldn’t be left alone for more than four hours.
Reasons why leaving your Basset Hound alone is good
Many Basset Hounds owners feel guilty for leaving their pups at home. But, sometimes we as pet parents just don’t have the luxury to bring our dogs with us. I really felt guilty leaving my small pup at home until one day I actually talked to a veterinarian who changed my way of thinking and I immediately stopped feeling guilty.
In fact, leaving your Basset Hound alone can be quite beneficial. Read on as I dive into details about why you should leave your Basset Hound alone.
1. Alone time builds confidence
The first reason why leaving your Basset Hound alone at home is actually very good for them is that alone time can build confidence. If you just got a new puppy Basset, you might be tempted to spend all your free time with them and there is no doubt about it.
Young Basset Hound puppies are irresistible with their innocent charm, adorable clumsiness, and cute cuddly look. However, if you keep showering your Basset Hound with fuss and affection all the time, you might do them a disservice.
This might sound a bit bizarre because why on earth would you not show your new dog how much you adore them? Of course, I’m not suggesting you should withhold love from your puppy, but if you make it a habit to give your young Basset Hound the opportunity to be on their own sometimes, you will thank yourself in the future.
Leaving your Basset Hound alone will build their confidence like nothing else.
When left alone, they will learn valuable lessons such as the owner are leaving the house and that’s not the end of the world because they always come back.
2. They will learn how to calm themselves down
Leaving your Basset Hound alone will help them learn how to calm itself down. Crate training is incredible and necessary for your dog. Of course, you’re probably going to want to build up to this gradually, but a puppy who is left alone in a safe place for short periods of time will learn how to calm itself down.
I highly recommend you get a crate to help you build up to a point where you can leave your dog loose in the house for several hours. Invest in a safe and stable crate that will be large enough for your Basset Hound when they are fully grown. I got a crate from amazon.com with inbuilt dividers and I adapt the size as my puppy grew.
I personally love creates because they are useful. Basset Hounds do not want to soil in their own dens, therefore your puppy will at least attempt to hold their business even longer until you can let them out of the crate which is incredibly useful for also toilet training your new puppy.
Crates are not only fantastic training tools for your puppy but can also be used if you have adopted an adult dog into your home. You can absolutely get them used to the crate as they will most likely they will readily embrace the crate as their new sleeping place, especially if you have made the space a nice one.
So, put a soft dog pillow, a thick blanket, or a bed into the crate and cover the top with a blanket. This way, you create a den-like atmosphere that really naturally appeals to Basset Hounds and they will feel very secure and safe.
3. Will help them deal with separation anxiety
Leaving your Basset Hound alone from an early age will help them deal with separation anxiety early on. Planning ahead and being proactive will help manage your dogs’ alone time. As I said before, giving your dog alone time does help them to build up confidence and it teaches them to calm themselves down. This skill set will serve them well in all future life situations.
Ideally, you want your Basset hound to manage on its own from a young age. If you have a very young puppy you do want to move slowly and extend their alone time in the crate little by little. If you do not have the time to take this process slowly and you throw them right in at the deep end, you will end up with a Basset Hound with severe separation anxiety.
