How long can a dog be left alone at home?

In Sweden, the rules for keeping dogs are in the Animal Welfare Act and in the Swedish Board of Agriculture's regulations and general advice on keeping dogs and cats (SJVFS 2020:8). The parts about time alone are spread across a few sections, so here they are together:

• Dogs must normally be checked on at least twice a day. Animals that are sick, injured or behaving abnormally need checking more often.
• Dogs must be let outside every day.
• Dogs should be let outside regularly, at least every six hours during the day, and young and older dogs should go out more often. This is general advice describing how the requirement for regular walks can be met.
• If a dog is to be left alone, it must be accustomed to it gradually, and you must take particular care with young dogs and dogs who show anxiety when left.

Must means it is a requirement. Should means it is the Board of Agriculture's advice on how to meet the requirement. The County Administrative Board's animal welfare inspectors use both when they judge whether a dog is getting what it needs.

Six hours is the longest gap between walks during the day for a healthy adult dog, not a stretch every dog is happy with. Many dogs sleep for much of the day and manage a few hours alone without trouble. Others get bored or anxious long before that. Breed, age, health and what your dog is used to all play a part.

What often catches people out is the commute. An eight-hour working day easily becomes nine or ten hours away from home with travel and lunch. Then a walk in the morning and another in the evening is not enough. The table shows how a few common days look.

For young and older dogs, the rules only say they should go out more often than every six hours, with no exact figure. It depends on the dog, but a few things are almost always true:

• A puppy cannot hold on for long and needs to go out often, at first even at night. Time alone is built up from a few minutes.
• A young dog has a lot of energy and may invent its own activities if left too long without stimulation.
• An older dog may need to go out more often, may have sore joints and can be more unsettled by change.
• A dog on medication at set times needs someone there at the right time.

Ask your vet how long your own dog can manage, especially if it has a health condition that affects how often it needs to go out.

The rules require a dog to be accustomed to time alone gradually. The aim is for your dog to learn that it is safe and that you always come back. A common approach looks like this:

1. Start by leaving the room briefly while your dog is calm, and come back before it has time to get anxious.
2. Increase the time a little at a time, ideally after a walk when your dog is tired and content.
3. Keep leaving and coming home low-key, without long goodbyes.
4. Give your dog something to do, such as a chew or a puzzle toy that is safe to leave with it.
5. Go back a step if your dog shows signs of anxiety, and get help from a dog trainer if it does not improve.

There are several ways to make sure your dog is not alone for too long. Which one suits you depends on how long you are away and how your dog feels about it.

• Dog walking: a sitter collects your dog from home in the middle of the day for a walk. Suits dogs who are happy at home and just need a break.
• Home visits: the sitter comes to your home, lets your dog out, gives food or medication and spends some time together.
• Day care: your dog spends the day in a sitter's home and is never alone.
• Overnight care or a sitter who stays in your home: for when you are away overnight.

If you are unsure which suits you best, read our comparison of dog sitters, boarding and day care. You can also search for sitters near you, read reviews and send a message before you book.

Even a short time alone goes more smoothly if your home is ready. Go through this before you leave:

If a sitter is coming during the day, our checklist before the stay helps you cover everything from routines to your vet's number.