Certain dog species are fine to leave at home for extended periods. However, before adopting a Boykin spaniel, you should know if they will fit into your family structure. For example, can you leave a Boykin spaniel alone?
Boykin spaniels don’t fare well alone for extended periods. They are social dogs and enjoy spending time with their families doing various activities. However, when trained, a Boykin spaniel can be left alone for a few hours, as long as they have plenty of toys and regular exercise.
Boykins spaniels are fantastic dogs that will make a great addition to your family. However, it’s possible that your family structure won’t accommodate a Boykin spaniel. So, we’ll discuss what Boykin spaniels need to be happy and how long you can leave a Boykin spaniel alone.
Boykin Spaniels Don’t Do Well Alone
Boykin spaniels are lovely family dogs. They are great with kids if they grow up in a household with children. They are also alert but friendly and love spending time with their owners and family. Your Boykin spaniel will happily accompany you on a hike, a trip to the beach, or a lazy day indoors.
However, Boykin spaniels require one or two hours of outside activity daily. Therefore, if you aren’t an outdoors person, a Boykin spaniel will challenge you to spend more time outdoors. In addition, because Boykin spaniels are so attached to their human family members, they don’t do well when left alone for long periods.
Boykin spaniels can easily suffer from separation anxiety. When this happens, your Boykin spaniel may exhibit destructive behavior when left alone. In addition, it might also howl, cry, or bark the entire time when it is left alone.
Boykin spaniels can be taught to cope alone, but this isn’t the best way to keep your dog happy. Boykin spaniels are perfect for people who work from home or stay at home during the day and want some company.
You can leave your Boykin spaniel alone at home for about three to five hours. However, to do so, you must train your Boykin spaniel to be alone from when it is a puppy. You’ll also need a cage or shelter to leave it in, so it feels safe and secure.
How To Train A Boykin Spaniel To Be Left Alone
Although Boykin Spaniels don’t really do well alone, they can be trained to stay at home for a few hours. However, to successfully leave your Boykin spaniel alone, you must teach it from a young age. In addition, there are various tips for helping your Boykin spaniel be comfortable alone at home.
1. Ensure Your Boykin Spaniel Has Toys
Boykin spaniels are active dogs that need stimulation to be happy. Therefore, if you’re planning to leave your Boykin spaniel home alone, we suggest ensuring that there are plenty of toys for it to play with. You can leave balls, ropes, or stuffed toys, so your Boykin spaniel has various options.
If you don’t leave some toys for your Boykin spaniel, it might get bored or feel panicked. In this case, the Boykin spaniel may exhibit destructive behavior and tear the cushions, furniture, or carpets. Therefore, leaving enough toys for your Boykin spaniel to play with while you are away is crucial.
2. Leave Food And Water For Your Boykin Spaniel
Depending on how long you will be gone, you might need to leave some food out for your Boykin spaniel if it gets hungry. While you probably won’t leave your Boykin spaniel alone for more than a few hours to prevent it from getting destressed, leaving it a small amount of food will help pass the time.
Don’t leave too much food, though. If the Boykin spaniel feels bored, it might overeat even though it isn’t hungry. This can lead to the Boykin becoming ill. Therefore, only leave as much food as needed until you return home.
Always ensure clean water for your Boykin spaniel to drink, regardless of how long you will be away. In addition, leave a pee pad or a door open so your Boykin spaniel can go outside when needed.
3. Play With Your Boykin Spaniel Before Leaving
A great way to ensure that your Boykin spaniel is happy when you leave is to play with it before leaving. This will tire the Boykin spaniel a bit, making it calmer when you go. In addition, this will help assure the Boykin spaniel that you aren’t abandoning it and that you will return home.
Allowing your Boykin spaniel to play outside when you leave the house is a great way to ensure it has plenty to do and doesn’t create a mess inside your home. However, when you leave your Boykin spaniel outside, ensure there is a shelter or blanket for it if it starts to rain or becomes colder.
4. Reward Your Boykin Spaniel When Returning
It’s essential to show your Boykin spaniel that being alone isn’t bad or punishment for bad behavior. Therefore, you must reward your Boykin spaniel for good behavior when you return home. For example, give it a cuddle and a treat to show that you aren’t mad at it.
When you start leaving your Boykin spaniel at home, only leave it for a short while. For example, start with a ten-minute stay alone at home. Then, reward it for being good when you return home. Thereafter, you can gradually increase the time your Boykin spends alone at home to a few hours and see how it reacts when you return.
5. Be Realistic
Finally, it’s essential to be realistic about your lifestyle before adopting a Boykin spaniel or any other dog. For example, if you know that you often go away on the weekends or leave home for the whole day, a Boykin spaniel will not be a good fit for your home.
Boykin spaniels don’t do well when left alone and may become depressed or suffer from separation anxiety. Therefore, don’t adopt a Boykin spaniel if you will leave it alone often. Many other dog breeds are fine when left alone and considering one of these will be a better option for you.
Conclusion
Boykin spaniels can be left alone for five hours at most. They are social dogs that grow attached to their owners and can experience separation anxiety and depression if left alone for too long. You must train your Boykin spaniel to be alone; even then, you cannot leave it alone for too long.
In addition, Boykin spaniels require two hours of outdoor exercise each day. Therefore, suppose you spend a lot of time indoors or are away from home for extended times when you cannot take your Boykin spaniel. In this case, a Boykin spaniel might not be the best dog for you to adopt.
References
https://thehappypuppysite.com/boykin-spaniel/
https://www.dailypaws.com/dogs-puppies/dog-breeds/boykin-spaniel
