Most people that have pet dogs will live with other people. Either they live with friends, a partner, or family. This makes owning a dog a lot easier as there are always other people around to help out. If you’re not there to look after it and feed it, then you’ve got helping hands to ensure your dog doesn’t get neglected.

Having said that, there are loads of people out there that live on their own and still have a dog. It’s not impossible to look after a dog on your own, it’s just a little bit harder. You have to do everything yourself, and you run the risk of making your dog feel neglected when it’s on its own, and you’re at work for most of the day.

You shouldn’t be discouraged from not getting a dog if you live on your own. They’re wonderful pets and can provide you with constant company. What you should do is focus on ways to make dog ownership easier when you’re on your own, for the sake of both you and your dog.

So, here are some essential tips you should look at if you live alone and own a dog or are considering owning a dog:

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Find A Dog Walker

Right off the bat, you should address a big issue for people living alone with a dog; how will you walk your dog? If you’re out all day and there’s nobody home, your dog is left inside all on their own without any way of getting out for some exercise. Remember, dogs need to be walked at least once a day, some breeds even require more walks than that.

So, the easy solution is to find a dog walker to take care of this for you. They can pop round your house while you’re out (give them a spare key) and take your dog for a walk. You could possibly look for a Dog Walking team in your area too. I know there are lots of companies offering dog walking services specifically for people that can’t find the time to walk their dog. It doesn’t matter whether you get a neighbour to do it, a family member, a friend, or a dog walking company. All that matters is that someone can walk your dog while you’re not there.

Always Leave Food & Water Before You Leave

Another huge problem with living alone is that you don’t have any way of feeding your dog while you’re at work. Some people might think it’s fine to feed them before you go and just leave them until you get back for their second feeding. The thing is, your dog might not be hungry before you go to work, and they also might get hungry during the day.

The solution is simple, always fill their food bowl up with food before you head to work. Make sure you leave enough in there for more than one meal. This way, your dog can eat some of the food whenever they’re hungry. They can leave some for later during the day and go back to it when they need to. Also, water is an absolute must. Fill up a big bowl full of water to ensure they can stay hydrated throughout the day.

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Get A Dog Door

You’ve all heard of cat flaps, well, a Dog Door is essentially a bigger version of a cat flap made for dogs. They’ll ensure your dog can go outside whenever they want without you needing to open a door for them. This is essential for anyone with a back garden, you need to get a dog door installed on your back door.

Dogs aren’t meant to be stuck inside all day, and they might want to go outside and enjoy the fresh air. Especially if it’s warm and they’re getting hot in the house. Side note: also ensure that you leave windows open and the heating off during hot weather, you don’t want to leave your dog inside your house when it’s warm. Back to the point, with a dog door, they can go into your back garden if they get bored of being outside. It gives them a sense of freedom, and they’ll feel less confined and trapped.

Consider A Dog Sitter

If you’re really worried about leaving your dog alone, then you can get a Dog Sitter. This is someone who’ll come to your house and look after your dog while you’re at work. It’s best to employ someone you can trust to do this job, as you don’t want a random person alone in your house all day long.

It shouldn’t be hard to find a dog sitter you trust as loads of people love dogs and would kill to spend the day with one. Saying that you don’t need to get one to stay the whole day. Instead, you could ensure someone pops to your house and spends an hour or two looking after your dog and making sure they’re okay. They could even refill the water and food bowls if your dog has eaten everything.