All Alone At Night

 IMO, it always depends on the dog. Some people email me asking if I will stop 3X a day to watch their dog, and I will walk them, feed them, play with them, and in the evenings I will stop and stay for a few hours until the dog is ready for bed. But, if I don't think the dog will be alright home alone and the people have never done that before I will say something about the dog maybe spending the night with me at my place.

Now I do watch a lab for these people, and he's a big lazy lab that wants to sleep most of the time, and he stays at his own home. He gets his walks and stuff..and when I go over in the evenings we play for a bit but he usually just wants to lay there. So yes, he's fine at home by himself. With my dogs, I couldnt leave them alone here at night, but that's me.  

See, when we're home he will lay down, relax, chill out. But, I just don't know how he'd be at night by himself alone because he's never been here alone.

Can the pet sitter stay over?  I've done that.  Or, would your parents be able to take him to their place just at night and then bring him home for the sitter in the morning? 

 I have left Tootsie home alone for a weekend and she did fine. Destroyed nothing. Ate nothing. She sleeps when I'm not home,so I wasn't to worried.

i've had mixed results depending on the dog....... Amber and Kaydee are the only ones i trust to be alone in the house for any length of time, including over night. i think thats due to their ages - both are around five and six (kaydee is a mystery dog and we can only guess her age) but they're both mature and calm and dont chew or pee in the house.

everyone else? not a chance!! 

It really depends on the dog.

I do a lot of dog sitting, and I have a few 'clients' that have pets that cannot be alone at night. Others? Just fine. I think it depends on what you are comfortable with as well.... I don't know how comfy I would be with a stranger sleeping in my house - however, with my dog -it would have to be someone he knew. He's been alone at night - and does fine (other people in the house, but no one WITH him).

Maybe you could try it one night, and have your parents check on him. If it doesn't work - maybe they could take him at night or board him somewhere.

nelly, our lab, is an awesome inside dog... no pottying in the house, no chewing, no destroying or getting into things, and when we left out of town before we had any of the other dogs, we had DH's mom come play with her and feed her during the day and let her out for potty and stuff, and she stayed alone during the night and she was perfect! she was like this from puppy age until now... she is great!

BUT... Bailey on the other hand, i know could not be left at home alone running loose in the house... she is great when we are here, but out of boredom, i think she would not do well alone...

it depends on the dog i think... if he has been left alone before and done well, i think he will be okay... if anything, trial and error... i mean, you will never know if you don't try... only bad thing, is if it goes wrong... you might have a mess to clean up (but you said he isn't destructive) so it seems like he will be ok...

just lots of love before you leave!

When he's really, really bored and has pent up energy he barks, and barks, and barks.....thats more what I'm worried about. I know he won't chew anything up and defiantly won't potty in the house (he'd rather explode than go in the house).

I'm just wondering if 4 walks a day, 30-45 minutes each, would be enough. I think it should be. He's active, but not like border collie active!

Could you have your parents keep an ear out for him?  And if he does bark too much (they can ask your neighbours too even) could they take him to the boarders?

I know you said your parents arnt dog people but if they didnt have to do anything else but let him sleep in their home would they go for it?

If they didnt have to dole out any food or walks but just pick him up at night?

Oh, my parents LOVE Apollo like he's the grandson...lol, they're just very busy in the summer and a little too busy to take him. Jeremy's (my fiancee) parents are not dog people at all. We took him to their house once and I swear his mother followed Apollo around with a duster, cleaner, and a vaccuum....

I think I'm just going to ask them to pick him up before they go to bed, and drop him off in the morning. That way he's not sleeping alone, but they don't have to take care of him. I hate putting my dog off on my parents though, but it's only for 3 days.

Thats what I'd do too! Remind them you get to pick their old folks home and they should comply, LOL

AAHAHA!!!

I used to sometimes leave Luke at home when I spent the night at my ex-boyfriend's house.  I left the t.v. on for him and he slept on the couch the whole time.  I'd leave @ 9 p.m. and return home @ 6 a.m., usually.

He was always very restless at the BF's house for some reason, so sometimes it was just easier to leave him home on nights that I left late like that.