There will be times in our busy lives when your Beagle will need to be left home alone. Whether that is just for an hour or two or eight to ten hours while at work. No dog really likes to be left alone but it is something they will manage. This guide will give you tips and advice about how to go about it to make this a less stressful experience for them.
Can Beagles be left home alone
Beagles can be left home alone if well trained and you provide for their needs. Many Beagles don’t like to be left alone as they are very social and enjoy companionship.
It is important to ensure they have everything they need to keep occupied and prevent boredom. Boredom is the main cause of behavior issues like destructive behavior and nuisance barking. It is also to ensure that the environment is safe and they can’t escape.
Most Beagles are fine being left home alone for short or longer periods of time. Every dog is an individual and for some Beagles, it may be a struggle. These tips will help answer any questions you have about leaving your Beagle home alone.
How long can a Beagle be left home alone
A well trained Beagle can be left alone all day if you work fulltime. If your Beagle has some behavior issues such as barking and howling, destructive behavior, or escaping you may need to resolve these before leaving your Beagle alone for too long. For more on beagle behavior problems see here.
There are many things you can do to ensure that they are kept occupied and have everything they need. For a complete guide to leaving a dog home alone see here.
Confining a Beagle when left home alone
One of the first things to take into consideration when leaving your Beagle home alone is where they will be kept. If your Beagle is well behaved and you trust them not to get up to no good you can give them the run of the house. Otherwise, you may want to restrict them to a small area. Options for confining your Beagle include;
Crate confinement
Crating a dog is like a den for them and can make them feel safe. A crate is only really suitable for a short period of time. If you are going to be out for an hour or two putting your Beagle in a crate is fine. I don’t recommend leaving them in a crate for more than four hours at the most.
Playpen
Using a playpen is a good way of keeping your dog confined while giving them more space to play. You can even set up their crate in the playpen or attach to the outside of the puppy pen so they have a safe area if they are feeling anxious. For more information on confining a dog in a playpen see here.
Room confinement
You can confine your Beagle to a small pet-safe room. The best places for a confinement area are the kitchen, laundry room, bathroom, or an empty spare room. If the selected room doesn’t have a door that can be closed you can use a pet gate to keep your dog in.
Garage or basement
A garage or basement can be a good space to confine your dog when home alone, but ensure that you remove any potential hazards that may be toxic or cause harm to your dog.
Outside in yard
If you have a fully fenced secure backyard you can keep your dog outside while at work. Things to take into consideration are your dog escaping if they are bored and looking for adventure, ensuring they have shelter from the weather, either hot or cold and the potential of your dog being stolen.
Beagles are notorious escape artists. Be absolutely sure that your yard is 100% Beagle proof.
To learn more about keeping a dog outside when home alone see here.
Indoor and outdoor access
If you have a secure yard and you have no concerns about your dog being inside you can allow them access to come in and out as they please. A dog door is probably the simplest way to achieve this.
Training a beagle to be left alone
All dogs should be able to be alone some of the time. Ideally, it should be something you teach your dog from a puppy. However, you can teach an older dog to like being alone or at least tolerate it.
Start by leaving your dog or puppy in their confined area such as a playpen or selected room for between 30 minutes and an hour each day. They will gradually learn how to be alone and also come to the understanding that you always return.
Make this time alone pleasant for them by ensuring they have everything they need. This will include food, water, and toys. Toys that can occupy them such as a Kong for dogs or a puzzle toy are best. Alternatively, give them a chew toy.
Practice leaving your dog alone when you are there. Even when you are home you can practice alone time for your dog. Put them if their confinement space such as a playpen or selected room and get on with doing your own thing without them around.
Make sure leaving and returning is kept low key. For your dog to be calm and comfortable about being home alone they must see that it is not a big deal. When leaving a simple “bye and be good” is sufficient. Making a big fuss with lots of kisses and cuddles will send your dog the wrong message. Dogs are masters at reading our energy and emotions.
Separation anxiety in Beagles
Although most Beagles are fine home alone, some can suffer from anxiety and stress. Beagles are very social and like the company of people and may not do well with isolation. Separation anxiety is a general term used to describe this. However, true separation anxiety is a condition when the dog is in a state of extreme panic and anxiety. There is a high risk of them hurting themselves in this situation.
Although this is not that common it is a condition that needs to be dealt with by a professional dog behaviorist.
What most dogs that don’t want to be left alone suffer from is separation stress or isolation anxiety or stress. A separation issue is that the dog doesn’t want to be away from a certain person or group of people. An isolation issue is more a case of them not wanting to be alone. They will be happy with the company of any other person.
For a more in-depth look into separation anxiety and stress see here.
Checking up on your Beagle when home alone
If your Beagle is going to be home alone for an extended period of time it is a good idea to check upon them. There is a number of ways you can do this.
Arrange visitors
Arrange to have a neighbor, friend or family member pop in for a visit to check how your Beagle is going and to give them some company. Even if you are unable to have somebody check up on your dog it is often a good idea to speak to your neighbors and give them a contact number if there are any concerns.
Monitor them with a pet camera
With a pet camera, you can check in with your dog and even have direct interaction with them. Many pet cameras have two communication so you can speak to your dog. They also have a microphone and can send notifications to your phone if your dog is barking. Other dog cameras can provide even more interaction including giving your dog a treat.
For the best pet camera for dogs see here.
Entertain a Beagle while home alone
It is important to provide your dog with ways to entertain and occupy themselves when they are home alone. A bored and frustrated dog can look for ways to entertain themselves which may result in unwanted behavior.
A good way to ensure your Beagle chooses to spend their time do fun and enriching activities to set up activity areas in different parts of the house or backyard.
Each activity area can be anything from a simple engaging toy to a box full of smaller items. See the dog enrichment box idea below for more about this.
Don’t expect your dog to automatically be interested or know what to do in each activity area. You may need to spend some time with your dog when you are home to introduce and teach them to engage in various activities.
For more ways to occupy and entertain your dog when home alone see here.
Dog enrichment box
To make an enrichment box you simply need a larger cardboard box, some smaller boxes, empty toilet rolls, and newspaper. Put treats the toilet rolls, smaller boxes or wrap in newspaper and fill the box up. You can also put in a chew toy or stuffed Kong so they have something to settle done with when they are finished.
You may have a mess of shredded paper to clean up. But what are a few minutes of tidying for hours of fun and enrichment for your dog?
Watch the video to see how to make an enrichment box for your Beagle
View to the world
If your dog is inside when you are at work or out of the home it is a good idea to give them a view to outside by pulling the curtains open. It is probably best to do this with a window that faces the backyard as you don’t want them barking at any people or other dogs passing by.
Provide ambient noise
Leave a radio on to provide background noise for your Beagle. This not only provides them company but also helps to mask outside noises that may make them excited or scared such as car horns, noisy neighbors and even thunder.
You can even get music that is designed to be calming and soothing for dogs. Alternatively, leave the television on. Some dogs really do enjoy watching television especially if there are dogs for them to watch. If your dog is interested in watching a bit of TV consider leaving it on for them. Maybe a good dog movie or Animal Planet may make good viewing for them.
Snuffle Mat
A Snuffe Mat is another great way to provide mental stimulation and relieve boredom. A Snuffe mat is a mat that is made of fleece and you can hide dry food or treats into it.
If you are someone that is good at crafts you can try to make one yourself or check out the range of Snuffle Mats at Amazon.
Chew toys
Chewing is a natural instinctive behavior for dogs and has many benefits. These include keeping them occupied and dental health benefits. The chewing action also releases endorphins to your dog’s brain giving them that feel-good stress relief and calm feeling.
To learn more about the benefits of chewing and the best chew toys for dogs see here.
Puzzle toys
Interactive puzzle toys are one of the best ways to provide mental stimulation and enrichment for your dog. These generally involve your dog having to work out how to get a treat or food stuffed inside out and can keep your dog busy for a long time. For the best puzzle toys for dogs see here.
For more ways to occupy and entertain your dog when home alone see here.
A final tip for leaving a Beagle home alone
Exercise, both physical and mental is essential for a Beagle to burn off pent-up energy and to prevent boredom. If your schedule allows take them for a walk before leaving. This will also give them the opportunity to toilet before being shut up inside for the day. Alternatively, play a game of fetch or similar to help tire them a little before you leave.
Even if you don’t have time to exercise your Beagle before leaving for the day it is still important that they do get their required exercise. For a guide to Beagle exercise see here.
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