Dog Lonliness

LCD

I was wondering do dogs get lonely? Our 8year old terrier cross gets put outside about 7:30 in morning before we leave for work & gets in about 5ish, Mon - Fri. He gets walked every morning, then a longer one in the evening. Sat & Sun his life is better than mine!

Question, is it cruel leaving him on his own, in our small yard all day? He has a kennel with his bed in it. The thing is he never seems to bother with other dogs much. Quick a$$ or crotch sniff is about the height of it when we meet dogs out walking. Our neighbour's dog is outside as well & they could easily meet at the fence for a "chat", however never once seen them interact.

He is an incredibly chilled dog, not a huge fan of a lot of people. Loves just lying on the couch, sleeping & going for walks. Going for a walk is the only time he shows any signs of excitement.

tk123

Honestly it depends on the dog. One of mine would go crazy if he was left like that and the other would be fine. Have you asked your neighbours if he's barking or showing any signs that he's not happy being out? Or maybe set up a web and spy on him?

LCD

I could count on one hand the number of times our dog has barked ever! When we got him, originally thought his vocal cords had been cut he is so quiet.

kathleen37

I would think he would be hugely bored, which a companion may alleviate? But as has been said, I guess it depends on the dog.

Personally, I think it's a long time for him to be on his own.

Does he have toys to play with? Thinking about frozen kong toys (with peanut butter or primula inside) or something similar that would last a while, rather than something he'll loose interest in quickly?

Is there anyone that could come in lunch time to walk him, or just have a play around with him? Would break up the day for him at least?

As has been mentioned - a web cam would be a good idea - you'd know then what he's doing.

tk123

Just to add I've been working from home for the last week. The dogs slept ALL DAY - apart from maybe barking at somebody coming in the gate the odd time. I'd get up to stretch my legs - they'd stay on their beds asleep the whole time. My boy who doesn't like to left out like that couldn't care less that his sister is there to keep him company (not that we got her for that reason).
I'd go with the webcam idea first before worrying that he needs kongs or a dog walker etc etc etc He could be quite content as he is.

Milly33

Id say you would know if he was lonely his face would say it all..

Kinda similar to you, we would leave the house for 8.30 back around 5.30 and bring her for a walk. We did get a cat who I think they secretly play while we aren't watching but sometimes lets say if tis raining for a few days and she hasn't been out you can just tell by her face if she is happy or not..

We done the thing where we set up the webcam one day, it was more to test something but himself tuned into it and the dog barely moved..As in off the couch, she got up to change position, looked out the window and that was it..

Think they just like to be fussed about when you get home...

DBB

Whilst dogs might get bored or distressed being home alone for long periods, there are a LOT of dogs who wouldn't thank you for forcing another dog on them! A lot of dogs couldn't give two hoots about being friends with other dogs, let alone having to live with one!6
I think the more independent breeds, suck as terriers, are more likely to be quite unimpressed with having another dog foisted upon them, particularly if they've a few years under their belt of living as a solo dog, and have demonstrated that they're pretty *meh* about other dogs anyway. Now, I'm not saying that all terriers are like this, I'm just saying they're more likely to be!
Similarly, there are plenty of dogs who just chill out all day, and aren't at all worried about being on their own. The webcam idea will indicate whether the OP's dog is one of these... I've had a couple of them too.
So, it really does depend on the dog... if there isn't a problem, there isn't a problem