We all know that being accompanied by our pets is an amazing feeling. In fact, that’s why we choose to have them, isn’t it?
However, allocating 100% of our time to be with them is impossible. When left alone, some dogs may miss their owners more than others. So, how do Pit Bulls feel about this?
Can Pit Bulls be left alone? Pit Bulls hate being alone so it is not a good idea to leave them alone for a long period of time. An adult Pit Bull should not be left alone for more than 4 to 6 hours, while for puppies, the time being alone should not exceed 2 hours.
If you have the strict necessity of leaving him without your presence sometimes, consider asking someone to stay with him. Another option is to try to train him to adapt to the situation. Otherwise, both of you will experience a hard time.
It may be tough for you to deal with this scenario. So today, I’ll provide you with detailed information and the practical attitudes to take to prevent stress.
Why Shouldn’t Pit Bulls Be Left Alone?
Every dog breed behaves differently when left alone. Some of them don’t see this situation as a huge problem, but others simply can’t survive if their owners go away. Pit Bulls belong to the latter group.
There isn’t a solid scientific explanation for this phenomenon. It’s all about the feelings each dog has for his owners. As a rule of thumb, the more affectionate a breed tends to be, the less happy it will be when owners leave for a long time.
Pit Bulls are incredibly affectionate with their families. Your dog will do anything he can to protect you in dangerous situations, do his best to execute your commands, and, obviously, be close to you.
In this regard, dogs assimilate a lot to kids. If you’re a parent, you may remember a moment that your kids strongly felt your absence.
That’s because they’re really dependent on you. You’re their alpha, their principal point of reference in life. The same rule applies to dogs.
If you provide fantastic moments to your furry friend, he will easily fall in love with you. Dogs’ nature is like this! They’re lovely animals. And it is actually coarse to leave them unattended for a long time.
What Are the Consequences of Leaving Your Pit Bull Alone?
The moments you leave your furry friend alone are sad moments. And because he will miss you a lot, many problems can be generated for both of you.
The main ones are:
Depression
Anxiety
Increased Barking
Destructive Behavior
Escaping
Uncontrolled Urination or Defecation
Depression
Well, the first one is very obvious, but it is a serious issue as well. The difference between sadness and depression needs to be clear to you.
If you just go out occasionally for short periods, it won’t profoundly harm your dog. However, the problem begins when this turns into a constant event.
If you need to leave your furry friend alone to go to work every day, for example, that’s going to be terrible for him.
In this scenario, he may suffer from depression, a mental condition that can damage him both physically and mentally. Please, never let this happen!
Anxiety
You must be familiarized with anxiety among humans. But the same thing may happen with dogs. In case you leave your Pit Bull alone for long periods, he will likely develop separation anxiety.
There’s not much more to say about this condition. Anxiety is manifested through some behavioral changes, which are exactly what I’m about to show you.
Increased Barking
The first thing that you will notice if you let your dog alone for long periods is him becoming louder. In case he suffers from separation anxiety, one way to manifest his pain is through barking.
Even though he may bark more while you’re not home, that’s a strategy to relieve stress in desperate moments. It’s basically a child crying. However, once you arrive at home, he may continue doing this to reinforce to you his dissatisfaction.
Obviously, this is something you don’t want to happen. It will be not only disturbing to you but to your neighbors as well.
Destructive Behavior
Again, that’s a way of showing you how upset he is with your constant absence. Dogs, especially Pit Bulls, are highly intelligent.
By destroying your things, your dog basically tells you: “Hey, that’s what will happen the next time you abandon me here!”
Apart from that, chewing on objects is another excellent stress reliever. Perhaps your dog doesn’t even have a bad intention. He may do this to forget a bit about the situation he is going through.
Obviously, you’ll be the most affected by this attitude. But your Pit Bull may also suffer injuries such as damaged nails, broken teeth, and cut paws. In some cases, the lesions can be even more grave.
Escaping
It is terrifying just to think about this possibility. However, if you continually leave your furry friend alone, he may try to do this!
When you leave your home, your pooch might think: “Why can’t I go with them?” And if he discovers what’s the way out of home, he may try to run after you.
But since he has an innocent mind, he won’t be able to know the dangers of it. As you may imagine, the result is, almost always, lousy.
Uncontrolled Urination or Defecation
This isn’t dangerous at all, but is highly inconvenient. If your Pit Bull is a puppy and you go away for more than one hour, you might find your home all messed up with urine and feces.
Since young puppies can’t control their bladder correctly, they need help to know precisely where the bathroom is.
If you aren’t close to your dog, in these moments, he will be confused. The outcome is that your pooch will ultimately make a mess around your entire place.
How to Leave Your Pit Bull Alone for a Longer Time?
When saying it is inadequate to leave your dog alone, the biggest problem isn’t the act, but the time window he will be apart from you.
As I previously mentioned, some minutes to a few hours won’t be severe for him. But if you substantially increase the period, he is going to start suffering.
According to the dog’s age, this time allowance varies. Older and more mature dogs tolerate more extended periods than younger ones. This table illustrates this:
Even if a Pit Bull is a full-grown adult, it isn’t advised to let him alone for more than 6 hours.
To put this into perspective, if an owner has a regular job routine and there is no other family member in the house, then the dog will be left alone for almost three hours more than the advisable time.
If you’re passing through a similar situation, don’t panic. It is still possible to gradually accustom your furry friend to stay alone for a bit more time. Now I’ll share with you some tips to do this.
Create a comfortable space indoors – Once you’re trying to leave your dog in a comfortable situation, the physical space he will stay also needs to follow this trend.
In summary, you must put together everything he loves and feels comfortable with. First of all, judge and pick the most adequate place to set up a bed, food, leave his toys, and so forth. Generally, the best site is in the living room.
Don’t forget your dog’s blanket as well! Setting up a comfortable bed is the most essential. If he decides to sleep, time will pass faster, and the separation anxiety effect will be reduced.
Be discreet – When you leave or arrive at your home, try not to make much ceremony. Although this may seem a cold attitude, it’s the best way to prevent strong emotions.
Play a bit with your furry friend before leaving, and step away while he doesn’t see you. When you arrive, don’t do many scandals also, and only speak to him 5 to 10 minutes after you arrive. These postures will reduce the effects of emotional distress caused by farewells and greetings.
Return home – You’re going out for more than 6 hours, right? But if you can, why don’t you come back for a quick visit? Your Pit Bull will feel more alleviated if you give him a visit, even if quick. You can think about this as if his “clock was reset.”
Ask the veterinarian – Each Pit Bull responds differently to their owners’ absence. In more extreme cases, they may not accept the situation no matter how hard their owners try.
If that’s your case, there’s one last chance: the vet. They will not only give you professional advice but also may prescribe some remedies to combat separation anxiety.
My Final Thoughts
While leaving your dog home alone may be heartbreaking for you and painful for him, sometimes that’s necessary. If you own a Pit Bull, this task might be even more challenging, since they hate to be left alone.
Before anything, verify if your pooch really needs to stay unattended. Perhaps you have a friend or a family member who is available to help.
Otherwise, consider hiring a dog sitter or a dog walker. They will provide a valuable company to your Pit Bull while you’re away.
References & Citations
Furbo
Pit Bull 411
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
American Kennel Club
Dogtime.com
Wikipedia
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