Is it okay to leave a chihuahua alone at home for 6-8 hours a day?

It depends on the puppies. Tiny breeds like Shih Tzus are prone to hypoglycemia, so make sure that they have food available or that you come home every 4 hours to give them a snack. 8 week old puppies shouldn't be expected to "hold it" longer than 3 or 4 hours, so they will need potty breaks if you do not want them urinating in the house. You should also consider crate training before you go back to work, so they have a safe place to stay while you are gone and won't be able to chew up things that could cause them harm.

Congratulations on our new puppy Twinkles! Twinkles is still a baby and she will not be able to hold it from 8-4. At her age, she can only hold it about 4 hours. If possible, have someone stay with her or some to check on her, let her out...etc during the day. It's important to try to establish good housebreaking routines early and stick to a schedule. You also want to be sure to have a secure location for Twinkles to stay when you are not home so that she does not get into trouble. Once puppies are 6 months old, most of them can hold their bladder for 8 hours. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It is unlikely that she would die. However, she would be extremely stressed. Dogs are so bonded to their people, and it is very upsetting to them when they are used to human interaction and then left alone for days on end; Chihuahuas certainly tend to be a breed that is usually VERY bonded to “their people.” The stress may lead to vomiting and diarrhea, lack of appetite, which could potentially lead to life threatening dehydration (though water may be available she may be unable to keep it down, and massive fluid losses through diarrhea often require IV fluids). A highly stressful, unsupervised event may also result in risky behavior such as: *jumping excessively at windows and doors, which could be a strangulation hazard if there are curtain or blind cords around *chewing on electric cords * jumping off of high furniture which could result in a fracture or other injury in a small breed dog. If you can have a friend or family member come in and check on Taco even just once a day, that would be highly preferable. Twice a day visits would better, and a boarding kennel or pet sitter would be the best options. Thank you for using PerCoach, I hope that information is helpful for you!

No, Oscar is too young to be left alone for eight hours. He will not be able to hold his bladder long enough for this. He will need someone to come by every two to three hours to let him outside to potty.

Most dog breeds will do just fine with this work schedule - most people do work 8 hour days, so this isn't uncommon at all :) A puggle would be a fine choice, as they are usually quite friendly and easy-going little dogs in my experience. The most difficult time will be when you first bring the puppy home, since most pups won't be able to "hold it" that long without a potty break or two. You may want to see if you could take some vacation time when you first bring your new puppy home to focus on bonding and potty training before you have to start leaving them alone. Another option would be to have a neighbor, relative, or dog-sitter stop by at least once during the day to take the puppy out. Most dogs can go 8 hours without a potty break by 6-8 months of age, so as long as you have a plan until then things should be just fine.

Phoebe is an older dog, so she can be left at home alone that long. Do you have a friend that she likes who you can pay to stop by and let her out once during the day? Otherwise, especially since she likes being inside, she should be fine. When I was in vet school, I often had to leave my dogs inside that long, and they were ok. Just take her for a longer walk when you get home to get her exercise. I hope this helps.

That does depend on how old they are, if they are housebroken and if they are destructive. A non-destructive, adult housebroken dog can generally stay alone comfortable for 8-10 hours. I hope this helps.