Grown Maltese dog
CAN MALTESE STAY HOME ALONE?
Maltese can stay home alone, but not for an extended period. You can leave your Maltese puppy alone for up to 2 hours till they are at least six months old. Irrespective of the length of time you let Maltese stay home alone, you need to ensure they have adequate water and shade.
You need to be more careful if your Maltese puppy is less than six months old. At this age, they are extremely small due to their breed size. They are too vulnerable and certainly not trained to be left alone for an extended time frame. Maltese puppies can crawl into small spaces and get stuck. You need to be extra careful when leaving Maltese dogs alone in the house, especially when they are still less than six months old.
In this post, we will explore the various ways you can ensure your Maltese's safety when they are home alone.
HOW TO LET MALTESE STAY HOME ALONE AND ENSURE THEY ARE SAFE
If there is the need to let your Maltese stay home alone, there are certain precautions to ensure their safety. These precautions include the following:
- Leave a small amount of water for the Maltese in a bowl
Ensure it is placed in a place the puppy can't fall into it or spill it on the floor of your home. These puppies are known for knocking over water bowls and making a huge wet mess in the house. Ensure the bowl has a rubber bottom so that it will not be easy to push around and toppled over. If your Maltese puppy tends always to knock over the bowl, use an automatic drip feeder or water dispenser. The dispenser keeps dispensing water all day for your Maltese dog to sip on.
- You can cage them in an area or put the dog into a dog crate.
Putting your Maltese dog into a dog crate means you need to minimize the time you leave the dog alone. A crate requires that you take the dog out every 1 and a half hours to two hours. Meanwhile, If you have a fenced area where the dog can play away from harmful objects, you can leave the dog alone for up to 3 hours. You only need to ensure the area is safe, secure, and the dog cannot knock over the playpen walls.
- Leave some food for the dog.
That Maltese stay home alone doesn't mean the dog has to go hungry until you come back. Make sure you leave only soft food as the Maltese puppy can choke on hard puppy food. You can't afford to risk it, especially when you are not at home. Maltese dogs are not known to guzzle their food like other dog breeds like Labrador. Therefore, it is better safe than sorry. A small amount of soft food can help your dog get through the few hours you are away from home.
Getting toys for your puppy can help the Maltese stay home alone without any form of depression.
- Fix security cameras to check in on the dog
If you have the financial capacity, invest in a wireless security camera to help you monitor the dog while away. You will have the rest of your mind knowing that your puppy is safe and doing great alone at home. Depending on your location, you can easily get to the house if the Maltese dog is in trouble.
- Try to change your routine.
Changing your routine confuses your Maltese puppy from detecting you are about to make it stay home alone. For example, you can head out only to come back immediately to have your breakfast.
- Engage in ample exercise with your Maltese dog
Before you let your Maltese stay home alone, a walk or exercise will tire the dog out. If the Maltese are too weak, it will not have the energy to destroy things while you are away. The exercise will most likely make the dog take a nap and stay less active.
SEPARATION ANXIETY AND THE SIGNS IN DOGS
As you let your Maltese stay home alone, you need to pay attention to separation anxiety in your puppy. Dogs suffer from separation anxiety when they are away from their family for long periods. The dog can get anxious, distressed, and in some cases, develop violent tendencies. Maltese dogs can get so emotionally attached to their family; thus, they can suffer from severe separation anxiety.
Most Maltese owners fail to notice these signs of separation anxiety until their dog lashes out. The best time to check for these signs is right before you leave home or immediately after you got home. Here are some common signs of separation anxiety:
- Barking or growling
When you start noticing incessant barking when the dog is left alone, your puppy may be suffering from separation anxiety.
- Chewing and destroying things in the house
You return home to find a trail of destruction like chewed furniture, shoes, random objects, or things scattered everywhere. When you start seeing such things, then you know your Maltese puppy needs to be kept around the family.
- Excessive pacing
When Maltese dogs suffer from separation anxiety, they tend to pace around the house whenever you want to leave incessantly.
- Coprophagia
This is a condition where a distressed Maltese dog tends to eat its feces. At this point, you need to seek professional help. Certain illnesses are associated with the above-listed symptoms. Therefore, it will be best to rule out all possible illnesses.
CAN MALTESE STAY ALONE FOR 8 HOURS?
Maltese can stay alone for 8 hours, but it has to be a mature one and not a puppy. A mature Maltese dog is undoubtedly more trained than a puppy. However, this shouldn't make you leave them alone longer than necessary. You can leave them alone at home for 6 to 8 hours. Taking them for a short walk and playing with them before leaving would help keep them less anxious.
Conclusion
Yes, you can let Maltese stay home alone. However, you need to pay attention to all the points we have raised in this post to help your puppy. Keeping your Maltese at home and alone will be less problematic if you make every necessary thing available.
References
https://www.petmaltese.com/maltese-separation-anxiety
https://maltesedogadvice.com/how-long-can-i-leave-my-maltese-puppy-alone/
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