How Long Can Shelties Be Left Alone?

Your Sheltie dog has a lot of energy and likes to get attention from their owners. Because of this need for attention and their high energy levels, many pet owners wonder how long they can leave this dog alone.

How Long Can Shelties Be Left Alone?

A Sheltie will be fine alone all day while you are at work. Their owners should give their dog plenty of attention when they get home. A long walk to wear out energy is good too. If you plan to leave your dog home for longer than a day, consider having someone come check on your dog or consider a dog daycare.

Let’s take a closer look at how long you can leave your Sheltie home alone and how to take proper care of your dog when they have to be left at home for longer.

How Long Can Shelties Be Left Alone?

Most Shelties are fine if you leave them alone for a few hours. They can play with toys, take a nap, or do something else for a few hours at a time. As long as you train the Sheltie ahead of time and help them adjust to time alone, rather than doing a long stretch at a time, then they will be fine if you leave them during the day while you are at work.

There are a few things you should do to make sure your Sheltie is fine when you leave them home alone for the day while at work. Some things to consider include:

Get Them Used to Being Alone Slowly

It is a good idea to take your time adjusting your Sheltie to being alone for longer periods of time. You do not want to spend all day, every day with them and then go to work and be gone for 12 or more hours at a time. You need to do this slowly over time so your dog will get adjusted to being alone.

You can take some time off work and do this slowly or have someone who can help you when leaving the dog alone. You may start out with some short errands where you are only gone for an hour or two at a time. When you come back, give the Sheltie a lot of praise and attention for doing a good job. Slowly increase that amount until they are able to spend the majority of the day on their own.

No matter how long you leave your dog alone like this, you need to give them attention when you come back home. Lots of pets and attention and praise can do a good job here. Consider spending some time playing with them, letting them run around in the back, or going on a long walk as a reward for being good while you were gone.

Restrict Where They Go

Some pet owners make the mistake of letting their dog have free range over the whole home while they are gone. While some dogs are fine with this, Shelties can often get themselves into some mischief if you allow this. It is better to block off a certain part of the home.

This can even work with crate training so they have a spot that is all their own to be comfortable and not get into everything. Take some time to train them on where they should be and get them used to that new area so it is not a surprise when you do leave them there.

Take Them for a Walk

When you get back after work, take your Sheltie for a walk. Or, if you have a big yard, let them run around. If you have time, do this before you leave for the day to help them wear out the energy and keep them from tearing up the home.

When you get home, let your Sheltie out to use the bathroom right away (they have had to hold it all day long), and then make a plan for a good long walk to wear them out. Lots of praise and attention when you first get home can be important since the Sheltie does not like to be left alone.

Can I Leave My Sheltie Overnight?

Your Sheltie will usually be fine if you need to leave them overnight. Since they will most likely sleep during this time, this is not a big deal. If you need to be gone most of the day before and the day after that overnight stay, consider having someone stop by to check on your dog and to let them out for the bathroom and to run around. This can get the energy out of them and helps them not feel like they are left alone.

If you are able to spend most of the day with your Sheltie before leaving them overnight, this is a good idea too. You can take them on a long walk and give them plenty of time to play outside and use the bathroom. Take this time to give them some special attention to ensure they do not feel left alone. The more you can wear them out before you leave, the easier it is to have them spend the night on their own.

How well your Sheltie will do being left for longer periods of time will depend on the dog. Some Shelties are fine being left for a few hours, as long as they get some special attention before and after you leave them.

Other Shelties need a lot of attention and will not like it if you leave them for more than a few hours. If you are concerned about their behavior or how much they will destroy the house, you should consider having them stay with someone as a precaution.

Can I Leave My Sheltie For a Few Days?

In some cases, you may need to leave town for a few days. You should make a few alternate arrangements to help take care of your dog. You do not want to leave your Sheltie at home on their own for that long. They will get bored, they will need more food, and they need to wear out some of that excess energy that is building up inside of them.

If you plan to be gone more than a few days, then there are a few options on how to take care of the Sheltie. There are doggy daycares that may be able to handle your dog for a few days while you are gone.

You can also hire someone who will stop by your home and take the Sheltie for a walk, play with them a little bit, and give them more food. This provides your dog with a little bit of attention while allowing them to stay in the comfort of their own home. You can even leave them with a family member to help them get some additional attention while you are gone.

What Should I Do with My Sheltie If I Have to Leave on Vacation?

It is not a good idea to leave your Sheltie alone for more than a day, maybe two if someone is stopping by to check on the dog. Your dog needs to have interaction with other humans to keep them active. They are a social breed and will not do well at home on their own all the time. They also need to go outside and stretch their legs and go to the bathroom too.

If you plan to be gone for more than a day or two, it is best to find other arrangements for your Sheltie. When possible, take the dog on the trip with you. They will love the change of pace and getting to see something new. Many places allow dogs to come along so you may need to make a few changes to your plans and see if you can bring the Sheltie along.

If you are going on a trip and your Sheltie can’t come along (such as during a business trip or going overseas), you can set up some other arrangements. There are many vet clinics and doggy daycares that can take the dog for a few days and longer while you are gone. This will ensure your dog is getting some love and attention while you are gone so they do not feel abandoned or run into trouble destroying the home.

Leaving Your Sheltie At Home

Your Sheltie will be fine at home for shorter periods of time. They can handle it while you go to run errands and if you wear them out and give them toys to play with, they can even handle it while you are at work. However, Shelties are social dogs who need a lot of care and attention.

This means that leaving them at home for longer periods of time is not a good idea. When you need to be gone for longer, find alternate arrangements so your Sheltie can still get the attention they deserve.