Can a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Be Left Alone


cavalier king charles spaniel looking lonely

For the past two years, I have been working from home. And before that, I had to go to the office for work. There have been a few instances where I have been gone for longer than six hours, but I have been home for lunch for the most part. I had to go back to the office for a few weeks, and I noticed my dog was not happy with it.

I know the idea of leaving your dog alone for hours at a time may not be ideal, but it’s something I have to do from time to time. So I wondered if I could go back to the days when I left my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel home alone? How can I prepare her for being alone again?

It’s no secret that Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dogs don’t do well when they are left home alone. Part of this preparation involves crate training your dog so that they are used to being inside during these periods. Start with crate training from puppy-hood if that is an option. It can be done, but it takes more time and effort than other breeds. Be patient and give your dog the time he needs.

There are a lot of breeds that don’t do well being left alone. It’s not uncommon for a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to exhibit destructive behaviors when left alone too long. But the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed really struggles with being left alone.

This is something I have had to deal with several times. Not that she would be destructive, but it was not uncommon for her to litter on the sofa.

I know that I can’t expect her to be alone for hours at a time and not have her be unhappy. So I have been trying to find ways to make it better for her. I was able to find a doggie daycare close to my work. I can drop her off for a few hours in the morning and pick her up when I leave the office.

How Long Can a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Be Left Home Alone?

Puppies and Cav’s who have never been left alone will probably whine the first few times they are left alone. They can become anxious when you close the door behind you, so make sure your first times are short. Return before they become overly distressed.

Repeat the process often, and you will be able to extend the periods gradually. I always took plenty of playtimes and walks when I came back. A couple of treats can also help show your dog everything is fine.

One of the big questions owners ask is how long a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel can be left home alone?

How long can your dog be alone without showing signs of distress? That would be how long he can be left home alone.

It all depends on how often and long you have been away before and how well your Cav is accustomed to you being away. Suppose you are regularly gone for a few hours. In that case, your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel will probably do okay when you come back. I do not recommend leaving your Cavalier King Charles alone for more than six hours.

At What Age Can A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Be Left Home Alone?

Not always is it possible to keep your puppy with you. Sometimes you may need to run some errands. You can’t take your pup into the store, so he has to stay home. However, I don’t recommend leaving your pup home alone for the first three days.

It is important to start leaving your puppy alone when he is young. The younger your puppy is when he is first left alone, the quicker he will learn to enjoy his alone time.

It would help if you also considered having your puppy spend some time alone while you are at home, so he can get used to being alone. This is an excellent time to leave him in his crate or a room, so he can get used to being alone in a room without distraction.

I would not recommend leaving a Cav alone for extended periods until he is old enough to hold his bladder for a longer time. I would recommend starting with short periods and only leaving your Cav alone when you have to. This way, you can avoid the pup becoming anxious and destructive when you have to leave for long periods. You can extend the time as your Cav gets older and can deal with being home alone.

There is an easy formula to know how long a puppy can hold his bladder. You take its age (The number of months rounded down) and add one. For example, a puppy of 2 months and ten days can hold his bladder for two plus one is three hours.

Take your puppy out often to the bathroom. This will help you to be able to determine how long you can leave him alone. You will learn to know your pup’s behavior when he needs to go, and you will develop a feeling about how long you can leave him home.

And as soon as you come home, take your pup outside to relieve himself.

Do Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Howl When Left Alone At Home?

Some dogs howl more than others. Howling can be a sign of fear, frustration, loneliness, or just being a dog. The good news is Cav’s are not known as howlers or barkers. Of course, that doesn’t mean they never howl.

If your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel howls when you are not home, you should try to find a way to occupy him when you leave. A couple of walks and playtime before you go can help.

You can also try leaving him in a crate with food, water, and a chewing toy. Most of the time, they will lay down and fall asleep after a couple of minutes.

If your Cav howls for long periods or cries when you leave, it is probably time to reevaluate how long you can leave him home alone. This is a sign that he cannot handle being home alone. It is a good idea to start taking him out more often. When you start taking him out more often, it will help reduce this anxiety and wear off energy, and often he will be more relaxed and go to sleep after a long walk.

Puppies get tired quickly. You don’t have to go outside for an hour to get him tired. This is the ideal phase in his life where he can learn to be alone. And where you should put a lot of training in. You will both benefit from your efforts later.

How To Tell If Your Cavalier King Charles Is Fine When Left Home Alone?

The first thing you should do is learn his behavior. Does he seem fine when you check him? Does he bark or howl when you leave, or is he restless? Does he pace or try to escape when you are not home?

You have to be able to tell when your Cav is not comfortable being left home alone. This is when you start to see signs of anxiety. Symptoms of stress can include, but are not limited to:

  • Howlin
  • Whining
  • Crying
  • Defecating and/or Urinating

You should also pay attention to your Cav’s behavior when you come home. If you notice any of these signs, he might not be happy with you leaving him alone.

Biting could also be a sign. You can read more about it in my other article “Do Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Bite?“.

Prepare Your Cavalier For His Home Alone Time

Dogs are creatures of habit. They like predictability. One of the best things you can do for your Cav is to prepare him for your absence. This can also be a great opportunity to bond with your dog.

Here are three Key things to combine and prepare your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel for being alone.

Take your King Charles Out to relieve himself and for playtime

You can start preparing your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel for periods when you will be away by taking him outside to play. I made this a habit before I left and came home.

You can work on obedience commands or work on different distractions to see how long he can be alone before he begins to act out. This also allows you to engage in some training. It gives you an idea of how long you can leave him home.

What you will want to accomplish is a tired dog before you leave him home alone. A tired dog is a dog that likes to rest and recharge its energy before you come home. If your dog knows it will be playtime when you come home, he will be more relaxed. Repetition is key here.

Keep you leaving the house and coming home Positive

One of the most important things you can do is keep leaving the house and coming home a positive thing for your dog. The more you can build up your dog to expect the fun things to happen when you come home, the less he will get worked up about you leaving the house. This will go a long way in helping him to be comfortable when you leave the house.

Dogs learn routines quicker than you realize. Before you know it, your Cav has associated you picking up your keys, and putting on your shoes means you are about to leave the house. You might see him tense up and start panting.

You will want your dog to get a positive association with you leaving the house. This you can accomplish by giving him rewards before he gets excited. Give him some treats and pet him before picking up your keys or putting on your shoes. Get this into your routine before you leave the house.

The next step you can take is to treat him, put on your shoes and jacket, but not leave your home. Your Spaniel will learn that putting on your shoes or jacket does not always mean he will be left alone. After a while, it can reduce anxious responses. If you see your dog is not responding, be quick to reward him with a treat.

“Alone time” creates independence in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

The more often you can create periods when you are away from your dog, the better. This helps to build up his independence.

You want to find what works for you and your dog. For most dogs, 3-5 times a day of being left alone can be enough to keep separation anxiety at bay. You can even do this while you are home.

Cavaliers, especially the young ones, are dogs that can really cling to their owners. Does this sound like your dog? Teach him the stay command.

If you got this behavior under control, you could start by saying stay to your dog while going to another room. Make sure you leave him with a toy or something to play with. Don’t stay away too long, but do close the door. And slowly build this up to 5 minutes.

Repeat this three to five times a day. Soon your dog will be okay being alone for short periods. You can work from there to build out the alone time.

Is It Better To Have Two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels?

Whether it is better to have one or two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, is one that has been debated for a long time. More often than not, when you have two dogs in the home, you get double the joy and double the work.

Cavaliers are a friendly breed and often do very well with other dogs. They can bond with another Cavalier King Charles Spaniel just as well as with his human owner. Cavaliers do very well in pairs, but these do also need their human companionship, unlike other dog breeds.

It is best to bring the two dogs together at a young age. The bonding will be easier and stronger over the years. Best to get a puppy as the second dog. Not to say that older age won’t work, but the period to get accustomed to each other might be longer.

I recommend you also have a look at my post about things you should know of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Conclusion

Can a cavalier king Charles spaniel be left alone? Yes, but do they like being left alone? No.

We can conclude from this post that a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel does not like to be left alone, but it is possible with some training and guidance.

You can build up your dog to be comfortable when you leave the house. The best way is to treat your dog when you are about to leave, build up the time you spend apart, and take your time.

Erwin Borgers

Hi, I’m Erwin. I grew up with two cats, but I always wanted to have a dog. Since my wife and I lived together, we have Mayla. She is a very sweet King Charles Spaniel. Together we spend countless of hours in the forest near our home. We love to walk together and now I want to share what I learned about walking dogs and what I learned about dog gear with you.

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