What to Leave With Your Dog When You Go Out

By Dr Duncan Houston

Leaving your dog at home can come with a familiar question: what can you give them to keep them happy, occupied and out of trouble?

A basket of toys might seem like the answer. But anything your dog can tear apart and swallow creates a risk while nobody is there to intervene.

A better routine starts before you leave: appropriate exercise, a chance to toilet, some mental enrichment and time to settle. Add a comfortable space and a camera so you can see how your dog actually copes.

Quick Answer

Before leaving your dog home alone, give them a suitable walk, a toilet break and time to settle, then leave fresh water and a comfortable, secure resting area. Avoid toys, chews and other items they could break apart or swallow; use supervised enrichment before departure and, where appropriate, a small portion of their usual food in a simple setup. Use an indoor security camera or pet camera to monitor them, with someone available to intervene if needed. If your dog becomes distressed when alone, they need a gradual training and support plan.

Walk Your Dog Before You Leave

A dog who has had an opportunity to move, sniff and explore is better prepared to rest. A suitable walk can reduce pent-up energy and boredom that might otherwise contribute to destructive behaviour.

Let them investigate interesting smells. A walk does not need to be a fast march or an endless game of fetch to be useful.

Match exercise to your dog’s age, fitness, health and the weather. Puppies, older dogs, dogs with joint pain and flat-faced breeds may need shorter or gentler outings. Avoid pushing a dog to exhaustion.

Leave time afterwards for them to cool down, drink and relax. Offer a toilet opportunity before you go.

Exercise can help a dog settle, but it does not treat separation anxiety on its own. A physically tired dog can still panic when their person leaves.

What Can You Leave for Your Dog?

Fresh water and a comfortable resting area

Leave clean water in a stable bowl that your dog can easily reach. A second bowl can provide backup if one gets tipped over.

Choose a quiet, comfortable area with a suitable temperature. Remove accessible rubbish, food, medicines, cleaning products and electrical cords. Check the space from your dog’s height, including surfaces they can reach by jumping.

Use familiar bedding that your dog does not chew or dismantle. If they swallow fabric or stuffing, the resting setup needs reassessing with professional help.

Your dog does not need to be busy every minute. Settling and sleeping are healthy ways to spend some of their time alone.

A small portion of their normal food

For dogs who eat comfortably and safely, you can offer part of their normal meal in their usual sturdy bowl.

There is no need to introduce a rich treat or unfamiliar food as you rush out the door. Keep food within their daily allowance and follow any veterinary dietary instructions.

If your dog gulps dangerously, has swallowing difficulties or needs supervised feeding for a medical reason, feed them while someone is present.

Simple scatter feeding, when suitable

A small amount of normal dry food scattered across a clean, clear floor lets a dog use their nose to find it. Scatter feeding can provide a simple searching activity without putting food inside a chewable object.

Practise while you are home first. Use an accessible area without loose objects, cords or gaps that encourage your dog to scramble under furniture. Keep pets separate for food activities where there could be competition.

Avoid wrapping food in towels or hiding it inside cardboard, fabric mats or other materials your dog might ingest.

This is a short activity. It will not occupy your dog for an entire working day, and it is unsuitable if they cannot eat safely without supervision.

A calm environment

Some dogs settle better with quiet, familiar background sound. Others need a room away from street noise or a reduced view of people passing the window.

Try these adjustments while you are home and watch your dog’s response. Background sound can reduce exposure to triggers, but it cannot resolve distress about being alone.

Keep Chewable Toys and Long-Lasting Chews for Supervised Time

Do not leave your dog alone with anything they can chew into pieces and potentially swallow.

Items to put away include:

• Soft toys containing stuffing, squeakers or plastic parts.

• Small balls, cat toys and toys with detachable bells.

• Rope toys or anything that releases strands.

• Rubber or silicone toys and lick mats your dog can bite apart.

• Fabric snuffle mats, towels and cardboard shredding activities.

• Bones, rawhide and other chews that can splinter, break or become a swallowable piece.

“Durable” does not mean impossible to destroy.

Swallowed toy pieces can become gastrointestinal foreign bodies. They may obstruct the stomach or intestine, and string-like material can cause particularly serious damage. Some dogs need an endoscopic procedure or surgery to remove an object.

Food puzzles, lick mats and other enrichment can still be useful while you are there to supervise. Put them away before leaving.

If an activity needs you to watch for chewing, breakage or choking, it belongs in the supervised part of the routine.

Set Up an Indoor Security Camera or Pet Camera

A camera helps answer the question owners cannot otherwise see: what happens after the front door closes?

Choose a position covering your dog’s resting area and, where possible, the route to the exit. Test the live feed and recording before relying on them. Keep the device and its power cord out of reach.

Check shortly after departure and at intervals during your absence. Recordings are useful because the timing of behaviour can reveal patterns. Veterinary and welfare guidance recommends video monitoring to help identify distress that owners might otherwise miss.

Look for whether your dog:

• Settles into a comfortable position and rests.

• Repeatedly paces between the door and windows.

• Pants despite being cool and rested.

• Whines, barks or howls persistently.

• Drools, trembles or attempts to escape.

A dog who remains silent is not automatically relaxed. Body posture and the ability to settle matter too.

A camera monitors your dog; it cannot physically protect them. It does not make an unsafe toy safe.

Have a response plan. If you cannot return promptly, arrange a trusted person who can enter the house and help. Keep your vet’s details accessible. If you see sustained distress or dangerous behaviour, arrange assistance rather than simply continuing to watch.

Is Your Dog Bored, Anxious or Uncomfortable?

Chewing, barking and toileting indoors can have several explanations.

Understimulation is one possibility. Others include separation distress, fear of outside noises, frustration about confinement, an unmet toileting need or pain.

The timing helps guide the assessment. Distress associated with your departure raises concern about a separation-related problem. Barking only when someone passes the window suggests a different trigger.

New destructive behaviour, especially alongside changes in appetite, movement, sleep or toileting, warrants a veterinary check. Save camera clips and note when the behaviour starts. These details help your vet assess possible medical and behavioural causes.

For a dog struggling with separation, practise very short absences that stay within their comfort level. This may initially mean seconds. Increase gradually while monitoring their response, and reduce the difficulty if they become worried. Avoid leaving them to “cry it out”.

Arrange company during absences they cannot yet manage. Your vet can help develop a treatment plan, which may include behavioural support and, where appropriate, medication.

How Long Can You Leave Your Dog Alone?

There is no single duration that suits every dog.

Dogs Trust recommends that even dogs comfortable alone should generally not be left for more than four hours. Treat this as a welfare guideline, not proof that every dog will cope for that long. Puppies, dogs with medical needs and dogs with separation distress may need much shorter periods.

If you will be away longer than your dog can comfortably manage, arrange a suitable dog walker, sitter or trusted visitor.

A midday visit may help a relaxed dog who needs a toilet break and company. A dog who panics as soon as you leave needs support from the beginning of the absence.

What Should You Do If the Camera Shows a Problem?

What you see	What it may mean	What to do
Briefly watches you leave, then relaxes and rests	Coping comfortably	Continue monitoring and keep absences within their established tolerance.
Persistent pacing, vocalising, panting or escape attempts	Distress requiring attention	Arrange someone to help, shorten future absences and seek veterinary guidance.
Chewing or dismantling an unsafe item	Immediate ingestion or injury risk	Have someone intervene promptly and remove access to the item.
Suspected swallowing of a toy piece or other object	Possible foreign body	Contact a vet immediately, even if your dog currently seems well.
Choking, difficulty breathing, collapse or serious injury	Emergency	Arrange immediate emergency veterinary care.

Do not wait for vomiting or pain if you suspect your dog has swallowed something harmful. Contact your vet and follow their instructions. Do not make your dog vomit unless a vet specifically directs you to do so.

Your Before-You-Leave Checklist

1. Meet their needs: appropriate exercise, sniffing, food according to their routine and a toilet opportunity.

2. Offer supervised enrichment: a short training session or suitable food activity, followed by time to settle.

3. Clear the space: put away chewable toys, chews and accessible household hazards.

4. Prepare for rest: fresh water, comfortable bedding where safe and a suitable room temperature.

5. Check the camera: confirm the view, connection and recording work.

6. Plan your return and backup: know who can help if you are delayed or your dog struggles.

Keep departures calm and predictable. Practise this routine during short outings before relying on it for a longer absence.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Trying a new toy as you leave. You have not yet seen how your dog handles it.

• Exercising to exhaustion. More activity is not always better, particularly for puppies or dogs with health problems.

• Assuming food solves anxiety. Eating is only one observation; assess whether your dog can relax throughout the absence.

• Scolding after damage. Punishment on your return can increase anxiety and does not teach comfortable alone time.

• Using the camera as a substitute for a person. Monitoring needs an action plan and appropriate breaks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I leave my dog with a chew or lick mat?

Keep these for supervised use if your dog could chew, break or swallow any part. Remove them before you leave. A product being marketed for dogs does not establish that it is safe for your individual dog unattended.

Should I leave my dog in a crate?

Only use a crate if your dog is already comfortable and appropriately trained to rest there. Dogs who panic when confined can injure themselves trying to escape. A crate is not a treatment for separation anxiety or a substitute for toilet breaks and company.

How long should I walk my dog before going out?

Match the walk to their age, health, fitness and the conditions. Include sniffing and allow time to cool down and settle afterwards. The useful measure is a comfortable, content dog, rather than reaching a fixed number of minutes.

Can I leave my dog alone for a full working day?

Arrange suitable care or visits rather than expecting them to manage an entire workday without a break. Their toileting needs, health and ability to cope determine what support is needed.

Will getting another dog stop separation anxiety?

Another dog is not a reliable treatment for distress about separation from a person. Seek an assessment and a tailored plan before making a major household change.

A good home-alone routine gives your dog the opportunity to feel comfortable and rest. Start with their physical and emotional needs, remove swallowing hazards, and use the camera to check that the plan is working for them.

For more practical guidance on your dog’s health and wellbeing, explore ASK A VET™. If camera footage shows persistent distress, share it with your vet so you can build a plan around your dog’s needs.