Will my dog be okay if I leave them home alone for a few hours?

Yes, the companionship of your current dog should be enough for a new dog. I have two dog and leave them at home together when I'm working, and they are fine having each other for company. If you would post again with more detail about the specific parameters would like in another dog (i.e. large, medium, small breed, etc), then I or another expert would be glad to make breed suggestions for you :-)

I am sorry to hear about your concern for MJ! Whether or not she can be left in the apartment is dependent on the dog and their behavior. Some dogs can be left loose in a house all day with no issues while others are destructive and may chew furniture/eat objects/have accidents in the house. If your dog does these things already, then leaving her out when you aren't home is not a good idea yet. If she is well behaved and doesn't have accidents/chew things then you could try leaving her out for short periods of time at first and see how she does. You can also provide her with some stimulation while you aren't home with puzzle toys, there are many available online or in pet stores https://www.petco.com/category/dog/dog-toys/interactive-dog-toys/dog-puzzle-toys-and-games . You can also hire dog walkers to come during the day to let your dog out/play with them if that is financially feasible for you. Many dogs spend most of their time while you are away asleep!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Sienna. I would gradually increase the time she is left alone over several weeks. I think a reasonable goal is 5-6 hours if you do not need to leave her for a full work day. This would allow you to be out of the house for a good amount of time knowing that she is comfortable. As far as her dog run, water is a necessity. Anything else left in the run should be tested before you leave her for hours. Some puppies are good with toys, beds or blankets, while others will destroy and eat these items. If she eats one of these items, it would become a surgery to remove it. I hope this information helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, gradually work up to the length of time you are usually gone for a normal day. He may or may not ever make it though. If he has extreme separation anxiety I would discuss medications (anti-anxiety) with your vet and private training. If he likes other dogs consider doggie daycare twice a week so he can expend energy. Max is a high energy breed. On your days off and free time be sure to exercise him well. If he plateaus at a certain length of time I would seek help and meds form your Vet. I hope this help!

It really depends on the age of the dog. If it is an adult dog than he can probably be home 6-8 hours alone without needing someone to take him out. If it is a puppy, than he would probably need someone to let him out to go to the bathroom during the day. It also depends on the dog's temperment as some dogs need more attention and exercise than others.

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.

If she is eating and drinking well on her own, then yes, she can survive being alone for that amount of time. If she is still nursing and not completely on to solid foods, then she would likely survive, but may not be getting enough nutrition, which can lead to problems if she has multiple days of being left alone for that long. If you are just leaving her alone for this long for one day, then she should be fine. If you are planning to leave her alone for 10 hours each day, then you should also worry about behavior problems developing. Puppies left alone for that time without human contact or other stimulation will develop behavior problems where they are less social and may be more aggressive and overactive. It's best to make sure that she has some contact with people and gets some exercise every four hours to ensure that she doesn't develop behavior problems later on. I hope that helps and all is well with Beetle.