We all have to go places where we can’t take our dog with us, so if you’re planning on adopting an Irish Setter, or you already have one, you may wonder, “Can Irish Setters be left alone?” This is a great question.
The answer is yes, Irish Setters can be left alone, but many Irish Setter owners have problems leaving their dog alone as they can develop separation anxiety. Learn how to properly train your Irish Setter to stay alone for long periods of time, otherwise, you may come across some problems. If you’d like to learn more about leaving Irish Setters alone, I suggest you keep reading.
How Long Can Irish Setters Be Left Alone?
Personally, I wouldn’t leave your Irish Setter for any longer than a few hours at a time. As I mentioned earlier, Irish Setters can develop separation anxiety.
If you want to go any longer than this, I suggest you get someone to check on your dog often, give him some food and water when he needs it, and, of course, a lot of love.
Can I Have An Irish Setter If I Have A Full-Time Job?
Well, that’s great, but you may have a full-time job, and you just can’t be with your dog all the time. This is understandable, but unfortunately, Irish Setters don’t like being alone for very long periods of time.
You may be able to pull it off, however, if you have a work-at-home job. Work-at-home jobs are fairly popular nowadays, and this, of course, would be much better than a full-time job outside of the house.
How Often Can Irish Setters Be Left Alone
Now, as to how often and for how long you can leave an Irish Setter alone, the less often, the better.
Just don’t leave your Irish Setter any longer than he has to. While they can be left alone, that doesn’t mean they should be left alone or that they can even do so mentally without training.
Are Irish Setters Prone To Separation Anxiety?
Generally speaking, yes. Irish Setters are known to get separation anxiety, but individuals may be different.
Signs of separation anxiety include anxious behavior like pacing, whining, or trembling when you leave or get ready to leave the house, excessive howling or barking when you’re gone, and destructive behavior when you leave them alone.
While it’s not guaranteed that your Irish Setter will have this behavior problem, it’s important that you know and understand the signs in case you ever do.
What To Do If You Have To Leave Your Irish Setter
What do I do if I have to leave my Irish Setter for a long period of time? This is a great question.
Let’s find out.
Get Someone To Keep Your Irish Setter For You
If you are going to leave your Irish Setter for a while, consider getting someone to keep your Irish Setter for you.
It may cost some money, but you don’t want to leave your dog unattended and have him destroy your home.
Just make sure that whoever you let dog sit your Irish Setter, you know that you can trust them. There are people out there who can and will hurt or sell your dog.
Take Your Irish Setter Outside
If you’re going to leave your dog for a shorter period of time, however, consider taking your dog outside.
The outdoors is an amazing place for your dog. In the outdoors, there are always new smells, sounds, and things to watch and chase.
It’s also more freeing for your dog and, unless you have a tiny yard, offers a lot more room to run and play.
Just remember not to let him outside unless the weather is fair. Irish Setters just aren’t made to be in extremely cold or hot temperatures.
Give Them Plenty of Distractions
Whether your dog will be indoors or outdoors, some distractions are a great way to make time go faster for your dog.
The distractions can be toys and treats, or you could also get another dog.
If you are going to leave your Irish Setter alone for very long, however, I suggest you train your dog to behave better while you’re gone.
Training Your Irish Setter To Behave Better
While you can’t cure separation anxiety, it is possible to train your Irish Setter to behave better if he doesn’t like to be alone.
The first way to help treat separation anxiety is crate training. Why does this help, you ask? The crate can offer a safe and comfortable place for your dog when he’s stressed; the crate can be his second best friend.
The second way we will be talking about in this article is exercise. While this alone may not necessary make any huge difference, this coupled with crate training can help treat (not cure) separation anxiety.
I’m afraid I can’t cover everything to treating separation anxiety, but I think this article from the AKC can help give you a better idea.
What To Do When You’re Keeping Your Irish Setter Inside
When you’re keeping your Irish Setter inside (or really any dog for that matter), it’s important that your dog has plenty of food and water, so make sure that he has plenty of it at all times when you’re gone.
Your Irish Setter also needs a good resting area, so make sure that their crate door is open.
Lastly, get a few toys to help distract your dog while your gone. As I stated earlier, toys are a great distraction to help pass the time.
What To Do When You’re Keeping Your Irish Setter Outside
If your going to keep your dog outside, food and water is even more important. This is especially true if it’s warmer outside.
You may have a problem with the water freezing over if it’s very cold outside, however, so you may need to check in on occasion to replace the old water.
Toys and treats are not as necessary as the outdoors has many experiences that alone can entertain your dog, but it won’t hurt to throw a few toys outside.
Lastly, if you’re going to go overnight, you may want to open the door to his crate just so he can rest when he pleases.
Conclusion
So, can Irish Setters be left alone? Yes, they can, but that doesn’t mean that it’s okay if they’re left alone all the time.
Do you have an Irish Setter? If so, how long do you usually leave him outside?
