Keeping a mastiff is a great responsibility, which becomes extra challenging to handle for office-goers. Find out all the important aspects here that you need to know before leaving a mastiff at home all alone.
The amount of time a dog can spend alone varies from breed to breed and depends on the pet’s age as well. If you want to leave them at home alone, then the ideal time is ten hours for an adult mastiff and five hours for a puppy. If you have the facility of a pet camera or a pet sitter, it would be fine to extend this duration by one or two hours.
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Mastiff: Home Alone
A mastiff is calm, composed, and lively compared to most other dogs. It is not only an excellent companion but also a good watchdog. It takes very little time to learn your house rules and get accustomed to your routine.
Interestingly, it shows a gentle and caring behavior towards kids. You can leave your toddlers sleeping beside a mastiff without a second thought.
For mastiffs, exercise and walking sessions are essential to ensure prosperous health and active nature. If you want to keep your pet’s health unaffected, you must take some time out of your busy schedule to arrange picnics. In fact, make road walks a compulsory part of your daily routine.
Besides, play flyball with a mastiff to engage him in some sports and fun-loving activities. Mastiffs also love to play with other dogs. Keeping this in mind, you should also let a mastiff play with neighbors’ or friends’ dogs occasionally.
Keep a check and balance on the weight of the dog because excess weight gain is not healthy for its well-being. Increase the exercise timespan as soon as you notice an increase in the dog’s weight.
Since the nature of mastiffs is jolly, they like to stay in the company of their family and other dogs. They feel happy the most when they play or go for a walk with their masters. Usually, they don’t howl unnecessarily but sometimes bark out of excitement, which is completely normal.
Time flies so quickly when you spend it with a mastiff. But have you ever thought about how this innocent creature would feel when you are not home? Of course, it would be equally boring for pets to kill time with no company around.
When a mastiff has to stay alone, it shows some noticeable changes in the behavior. It spends most of the time sleeping or sitting beside the door or window. It likes to see through the windows and look at the people and traffic outside. At night, it may bark out of fear, especially if it wants its master to come home. Sometimes, it feels so upset that it prefers being in its doghouse or couch all the time.
Puppies Alone
If you have puppies, you need to be more considerate. Because of young age, they are more emotional and sensitive and need more family time than adults. A puppy can stay alone for about five hours in the daytime. So, make sure you do not spend more than five hours away from home and return before dusk.
If possible, leave it at your neighbor’s place, or arrange someone to look after it while you’re not home. Also, ensure that a proper potty setup is available to the puppy in your absence since it cannot hold for long.
Do Dogs Get Lonely?
Yes, dogs feel lonely and sad when there is nobody to accompany them. They need attention and kindness like any other pet. A dog can experience severe anxiety and health issues if it is alone for longer than the bearable and reasonable limit. This fact often deters many students and office goers, who have to stay out for many hours.
If you are supposed to stay away from home for some time daily, you can still keep a dog. What you have to do is to strictly follow your pet’s exercise plan and spend quality time with it (after your shift hours). Leave it with an adequate supply of food and provide it full access to the area where it can pee comfortably.
Possible Behavior Issues
A house with no companion inside can upset a dog. It misses its parents and any other person he is attached to the most. Neither can it go out, nor does it have a lot of options to keep it entertained for hours. All it can do is just stare at the bustling streets, eat, sleep, and repeat. This boring lifestyle leads to sickness and many behavioral changes in a dog.
Frustration is the main thing you can notice in your dog as a sign of separation anxiety. Some dogs express frustration by barking or howling for no reason. When you come home, your neighbors might inform you about this awkward behavior of your little buddy.
Dogs often break into sofas, home décor items, furniture, and other household objects when they get bored. They also rub nails against the door’s surface, walls, sofas, rugs, etc. Sometimes, they chew things that they should not.
If you find your dog doing any of these strange things, get in touch with a dog training coach. He will tell you whether it is because of distress or lack of manners.
Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is a serious behavioral problem exhibited by dogs when they are reluctant to stay alone. When mastiffs suffer from separation anxiety, they pull the owner’s legs, cuddle over him, and growl in an attempt to prevent him from going out. In many cases, mastiffs look depressed and low when the owner starts getting ready for the office.
In the absence of their masters, mastiffs howl loudly. They become agitated and tear pillows, mattresses, and claw at windows. As a result, they hurt their nails and teeth.
To relieve pets from separation distress, make your office routine as simple and calm as possible. Avoid scolding it and be nice with it when it’s time to say goodbye. Going for a short walk with your pet twenty minutes prior to heading out for work can also lighten up its mood to a great extent. Treat dispensers also reduce the loneliness of a pet.
How to Keep your Mastiff Occupied while at Work?
If you can’t take dogs to your workplace, you still can make efforts to alleviate the separation distress of your beloved mastiff.
Ask a Friend or Neighbour
It would be a great idea to ask your friend or neighbor if they can come to your place and look after your mastiff.
Dog Daycare
You can also avail of services of dog daycare centers, where your pet will be allowed to have fun with other dogs in a cage-free environment.
Dog Walker Service
Hire a trustworthy pet sitter who can take care of your dog and fulfill its needs while you are at work.
Stay Connected: Pet Camera and Treat Dispenser
When you have no other choice except to leave the mastiff alone, devices like pet cameras and treat dispensers come in handy. Pet cameras allow you to monitor your dog while sitting in the office or attending the lecture. Treat dispensers help you keep your pet engaged by releasing food treats periodically. You can control both of these devices remotely through compatible mobile phones. One of the best options you can go for is:
WOpet Smart Pet Camera
WOpet Smart pet camera and treat dispenser is a wonderful product that every dog owner should have. It has a full HD night vision camera, which shows a crystal-clear view in a dark environment, too. The wide-angle feature covers most of the area of a room so that your dog does not go out of your sight.
The product is equipped with a two-way microphone with which you can interact with your pet anytime. If you see that your dog is doing something that may hurt it, you can address it and keep it occupied. You can also listen to the barking and howling of your pet.
The treat dispenser option will help you keep your mastiff busy in a playful activity. Once you give the confirmation, the dispenser will toss a treat consisting of three pieces. It will be a kind of entertainment for a lonely dog waiting for its master to come home.
It is compatible with all smartphones functioning on iOS 7.0 or Android 5.0 operating systems. To use it, you need to power it on, provide a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection to it and download the WOpet app on your phone. After that, you can connect your mobile with the device anytime you want to.
This 2-in-1 device is no less than a lifesaver for a dog owner. He/she can peacefully concentrate on his work and stay updated on his dog’s activities at the same time.
Conclusion
Don’t feel guilty if you have to leave a mastiff at home for a 9 to 5 office shift. It’s fine for an adult mastiff to stay alone for eight hours, but you will have to be more careful with a puppy.
