Can Maltipoos Be Left Alone For 8 Hours?

Maltipoos are great dogs for people who live in small places. They are small and tend to by hypoallergenic, making them easy to fit into a lot of different lifestyles. However, if you’re a busy person who has to spend 8 hours or more out of the house most days, you may be wondering if the Maltipoo is right for you.

Can Maltipoos Be Left Alone For 8 Hours?

Maltipoos are not dogs that can be left alone for 8 hours, and their need for bathroom breaks, care, and attention requires that they not be left alone for more than a few hours.  It is ideal to not leave a Maltipoo home alone for more than 4 hours.

Maltipoos can be left alone in a safe, comfortable environment for a few hours, but it shouldn’t go beyond 4 hours unless someone will come and care for them.  This person can be a caregiver, neighbor, family member, or friend if the parent cannot be home.

Leaving any dog longer than 4 hours is not a good idea, even dogs that can be alone for long periods without attention.  Long periods of separation time increase the risk of problems.

Bathroom breaks are the top reason not to leave your Maltipoo alone for more than 4 hours, as the chance of an accident increases after this time.  If it is impossible to get home, having a trusted person let them out into the yard or take the Maltipoo for a walk is best.

Secondly, Maltipoos are social dogs that love attention and being close to their loved ones and family.  Leaving a Maltipoo alone for long periods could cause them to suffer separation anxiety.  This is common for this dog breed, and those who own them should realize that sometimes their schedule might need to be modified.

Maltipoos can suffer separation anxiety when they spend too much time away from their loved ones.  This separation anxiety can cause them to act out and behave badly.  The bad behavior can happen when the parent returns home finally or during the time they are away.   The longer time spent away, the higher the chance they act out and behave badly.

Finally, leaving a Maltipoo home alone for a long time can cause other issues.  If they eat all their food and get hungry, they might get into trouble.  If the Maltipoo gets bored, this can spell trouble for the dog, the home, and the parent.

Maltipoos don’t like to be away from their loved ones for any length of time, and they are very attached to those they love.  Leaving them alone for any length of time requires tremendous preparation and thoughtfulness for success.

To prevent issues of any sort, it is best to be prepared, come home after a few hours, or have someone check in for you.  If that can’t be managed, it might be a good idea to take them to a dog sitter or doggie daycare for the day.

How do I prepare to leave my Maltipoo home alone?

The best way to prepare to leave your Maltipoo at home is to create a safe home environment.  Before you time apart, you need to ensure that your home is safe so the Maltipoo doesn’t get injured or into anything that could cause them harm.

Of course, you will want to ensure that the home is secure, but you want to have a place for them to have free movement.  A comfortable spot where they can walk around, perhaps look out the window, and sleep.

You will want to remove all dangers from the area they will be staying in while you’re gone.  This can include standing lights that might fall on them if they get caught up in them.  It might include closing the bathroom door or ensuring they can’t get into the garage or other safe areas.

Like children, dogs’ time away from their loved ones needs to be managed.  Safety is the top priority, followed by protecting your belongings and providing amusement.  You will want to designate a room in the house for this time apart and make sure its dog friendly and cozy.

Once that’s done, you will want to have all the fun things dogs like, toys, treats hidden in fun spots, and plenty of water.  If possible, it can be a good idea to leave on the TV for some soothing sounds, and if you can use technology to talk to them while you’re away, all the better.

If all this is set up, the Maltipoo still might have trouble, even with a mountain of treats hidden in secret spots.  Leaving a shirt that smells like you, that you’ve recently worn, or something else can bring comfort to them.

When it comes time to leave your Maltipoo home alone, you will want to have a parting ritual they can learn.  We go for a walk, daddy sits with me, we share some treats and a few hugs, and he goes out that door!

The parting ritual should be repeated every time you leave the house in the same way as much as possible because the dog will learn to understand what’s happening.  With time they will learn that you will come back too.

The best way to reinforce that is to have a return ritual as much the same.  Mommy comes through the door, I bark a lot, she picks me up, takes me outside to the yard, and we play with the ball.  Then she feeds me dinner, and we sit on the couch.

It might sound ridiculous, but dogs are creatures of habit too.  And the only way for them to find security during this difficult time is to learn the habit and how it plays out.  Once that’s done, many Malitpoos will find security in knowing how it all goes.

They might still act up and chew on that sock or bark too much at the neighbor’s cat if you are gone for too long, but they learn it all ends well.

The best way to implement this in real life is to start the process on short trips.  If you have to go to the grocery store or bank, don’t always take your Maltipoo.  Leave him or her home alone for that short time and follow those rituals.  When you return, you will see how everything went.

After a time, you can repeat this with longer stints of time away.  It is still not advisable to leave a Maltipoo home alone for more than 4 hours.

In Conclusion

Maltipoos can be left home alone, but they should be only for short amounts of time due to their need for closeness.  8 hours is too long even for bigger, more independent dogs as they have needs that must be considered.

Doing the right thing isn’t always easy, and when we must leave home for a time without our dog, it can be harder on us than on them.  Providing a comforting and soothing ritual as part of the process can go a long way towards success!