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Leaving a french bulldog alone can be a tricky process. Can it be done? French bulldogs tend to get very attached to their owner which makes leaving them alone a little more challenging.
Can French Bulldogs Be Left Alone:
Yes, french bulldogs can be left alone. However, in order for them to be comfortable being on their own for extended periods of time they’ll need special training. While they’ll be unhappy being alone at first, with proper guidance they can learn to tolerate being left alone.
In this post you’ll discover:
- How long is too long for french bulldogs to be left alone
- Whether french bulldogs are prone to developing separation anxiety
- What to do about leaving your frenchie alone if they’re sick/unwell
- 5 tips to make being alone easier on your frenchie (Tip #2 & 3 are the most important!)
- And much, much more
Let’s jump right in.
Table of Contents
How Long Is Too Long For French Bulldogs To Be Left Alone?
For the most part, all dogs don’t enjoy being alone.
Dogs are very social animals and much prefer their time being spent with family.
But it would be wrong to say that french bulldogs can’t be left alone.
They simply need proper guidance and training to learn how to handle time alone and not be overly emotionally dependent.
With that being said, there’s absolutely a line that can be crossed when it comes to leaving your frenchie home alone.
They aren’t able to go to the bathroom without anyone home, can’t refill their food & water bowls if they become empty, and need a buddy to help them get their daily exercise.
So leaving a french bulldog alone for more than 8-9 hours per day (the average amount of time someone spends away at work during the day) is too long.
When leaving a frenchie alone for 10, 11, or 12 hours too often, this isn’t fair to your pup.
Not only will you likely notice more accidents in the house but it’s not good for their physical or mental health.
Once in a while things might come up at work or in your personal life and make you come home later, which is okay.
But do your best not to let it happen too often otherwise it’s not fair to your pup.
And if you can, have a friend or family member drop by your house to check in on your frenchie if you know you’re going to be getting home late.
Are French Bulldogs Independent?
French bulldogs were bred to be companion dogs.
Which means as a breed they’re more on the clingy side rather than being independent.
But of course, there are always exceptions so having an independent frenchie isn’t impossible.
But for the most part, french bulldogs are a more emotionally dependent breed and their size makes them more physically dependent than other dogs as well.
Is It Better For a French Bulldog To Have Another Canine Companion?
If you have to leave your french bulldog alone quite often, they may definitely enjoy having another canine companion at home with them.
While frenchies tend to be a little more jealous when it comes to having competition for their owners love & attention, if you work often and have the money to do so, getting them another furry friend might be a good idea.
This way when they’re away from you they won’t feel totally alone and will gain some comfort having another body home with them.
A french bulldog can learn to be alone by themselves, but if it’s within your budget and you’d like another dog at home your frenchie might enjoy the additional company.
Related Reading: Do Frenchies Get Along With Other Dogs? 9 Breeds Reviewed
Can You Leave a French Bulldog Alone If They’re Not Feeling Well?
If your frenchie recently injured themselves, went through surgery or is sick, it’s best not to leave them alone until they’re showing signs of getting better.
If it’s during the week and you have to be at work it’s a good idea to hire a dog sitter to keep an eye on them or have a friend/family member watch them.
This might seem a little overkill, but your pup isn’t able to pick up the phone and call for help if something happens when they’re alone.
Which is why it’s best to wait until you’ve started to see them becoming more able to do basic everyday things again.
After a few days, or in some cases a week or two, once they start to get used to their new situation, then you can feel better about leaving them alone again.
Should French Bulldogs Have The Entire House To Themselves When Alone?
Whether your frenchie should have access to the entire house when they’re alone is really dependent on the trust they’ve created with you.
If they’re still having accidents in the house or being destructive in certain areas, it’s best to limit where they can go in your home when alone.
But if they’ve proven to be good when they’re alone there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be able to roam around the entire house if they want.
The best way to do this is by gradually increasing how much of your home they have access to.
When they’re first being potty trained you give them a small area because you don’t want them to have unlimited choices of where to have an accident in the house.
But once they’ve shown you they know how not to go number 1 or 2 inside you can open up how much of the house they have access to when alone.
And each time they prove they know how to behave when alone, you can give them more acces until your entire home is open to them.
French Bulldog Separation Anxiety Signs & Symptoms
If your french bulldog has separation anxiety they’ll show certain signs that make it more obvious they have a really hard time being apart from you.
These signs could be:
- Excessive barking or howling that lasts abnormally long after you’ve left.
- Having frequent accidents even though they’re house trained.
- Pacing, whining or even trembling/shaking as you’re about to leave. You may also notice them trembling once you’ve come home which shows they’ve been anxious for the majority of the day.
- Destructive behaviors like chewing or digging.
- Extreme attempts to escape which could end in them hurting themselves.
You may also notice that once you get home they’re not able to settle very easily as they’ve been worked up for a long time.
Generally, anything in excess is a sign that something is bothering your frenchie.
If they were feeling fine emotionally they wouldn’t do anything to an extreme extent.
Related Reading: 7 Ways To Eliminate Your Dogs Anxiety, Shyness Or Fear
5 Tips To Make Being Alone Easier For Your Frenchie
1) Desensitize Your Leaving
The main reason why french bulldogs don’t like being alone is because time spent with you is so enjoyable.
Which means in order to help a frenchie be alone you’ll have to create some form of positive experience for them being alone.
When you can teach them that separation can be a good thing, they won’t have such strong negative feelings of being alone.
For example, give them one of their absolute favorite treats, ones they only get for important lessons, right before you leave.
If you do this often enough, your frenchie might look forward to you leaving as it means they’ll get their special treat.
Also, one of the reasons why frenchies get themselves so worked up as you’re about to leave is because they know your ‘I’m about to leave’ routine.
Without knowing it, you likely do the same thing every time before you’re about to leave the house.
Which your pup picks up on and starts getting worked up about once they see you start your routine.
If you break the pattern they won’t know exactly when you’re leaving which won’t allow them to get themselves so worked up.
A way you can do this is when you grab your keys, instead of getting your jacket next, go do a load of laundry.
Or grab your keys, put on your jacket and then sit down and watch some TV.
Soon your pup won’t know exactly when you’re about to leave which can help them from getting all upset.
2) Tire Them Out
If your frenchie has too much energy this will only make their anxiety worse.
Too much pent up energy will be expressed through their destructive or excessive behavior.
And while exercise won’t get rid of separation anxiety, it’ll lessen their extreme behavior because they’ll be more interested in resting.
If your pup has shown signs of having a hard time being alone, give them a good long walk before you leave in the morning.
This can help them remain more calm during the day as they recoup their energy as opposed to being full of energy.
3) Crate Training
Some people have mixed feelings about crate training, but a crate is simply a tool.
And like all tools, they can be used properly and be extremely valuable, or they can be used in inhumane ways.
When a pup learns to associate being in their crate with good times, their crate can become a safe haven for them.
It can help make them feel safe and secure which is very helpful if your frenchie is feeling anxious.
Giving them chew toys or puzzle toys that give them treats/food can help them enjoy their time spent in their crate.
The key word is training here.
It takes time to show them that their crate is their friend and won’t work by simply putting them in a crate when they’re misbehaving.
Related Reading: What’s the Purpose of Crate Training Your Dog?
4) Make Their Alone Time Peaceful
There’s a couple things you can do to make their time spent alone as peaceful as possible.
Things like, leaving them a recently worn sweater or t-shirt, leaving the TV on or playing some low volume music throughout the day.
The sweater you leave for them will have your scent and make them feel like you aren’t far away.
And odds are the only time music is playing or the TV is on in your home is when people are there.
Which means they’ll associate these sounds with other people being home and make them feel less lonely.
5) Consider Dog Sitting
If your frenchie really struggles being alone, hiring a dog sitter is always an option.
Whether it’s everyday, every other day, or once on Wednesday to break their week into only 2 days of being alone.
If it’s within your budget, hiring a dog sitter might be a great solution to help your frenchie not be left alone for too many days in a row.
Other posts you might find interesting:
12 Best Beds For French Bulldogs: Beds That Last
9 Reasons Why French Bulldogs Scream (Dangers + Tips)
Are French Bulldogs Loyal? The Truth + 8 Facts Revealed
Sources:
How Long is Too Long to Leave A Dog Home Alone?
The Importance of Teaching Your Puppy How to Be Alone
