Can Silky Terriers Be Left Alone?

They can be, but not for long periods. Even though the Australian Silky Terrier possesses independence from his Terrier heritage, he still requires social interactions. He is a typical Terriers who confidently shows that he is proud, feisty, and opinionated! The dominance his temperament shows also includes not wanting to be ignored nor excluded on family happenings.

Learning how affectionate this Terrier breed is, they will crave warm hugs, embraces, kisses, and pets whenever they feel like it. If they have no one to get it from for several hours, Silkies may end up sulking and heartbroken. If leaving them alone is inevitable, there are a few things that need to be done and remembered to avoid making your furry pooch from feeling ignored.

Want to get to know more about the Silky Terrier breed? Keep reading and enjoy!

How Long Can Silky Terriers Be Left Alone?

This pet breed can only be left alone for a few hours and possibly longer unless the Silky has been crate trained. If he has no buddy or company for several hours, he will most likely turn to destructive behaviors such as chewing off furniture and unceasing barking. If you are not aware of this possibility, you will most likely be in shock upon returning to a messy home!

On another note, crate training your pet proves to be useful for many owners. Reputable breeders, vets, and trainers highly recommend that you let your Silky undergo this coaching. If your canine is still a puppy, house-training him will be much easier.

For your Silky, just like how any other dogs perceive it, their crates are their space in the house. They associate it as their haven if they have good experiences with them during crate training. Hence why owners are encouraged never to use crates as places for punishments or intimidation.

Once your furry friend realizes that his crate is his safe space, the duration of their time spent on being alone may increase significantly. If their owners are off to work, Silky dogs will most likely run to their crate to find comfort and safety if ever their anxiety kicks in.

Since your pet’s breed is not used to being alone, there is a high chance that he may develop a separation anxiety disorder. The capacity of this dog to live by itself without the owner for a particular period also depends on the pooch’s age. Nevertheless, as much as you can, avoid leaving your excellent companion dog without anyone to interact with during your absence. Just like a baby, they need constant attention and care.

A Silky Terrier in Wait: How Long Is Too Long?

When a Silky Terrier needs to be left alone, one to two hours is the time limit. Also, it is necessary to be aware of the age factor when it comes to leaving your Australian terrier behind. The success of crate training may also affect the span of their alone time. In other words, each Silky has a different and unique timetable if ever he is by himself.

To understand better, this breed can’t be left alone for too long if he is a puppy with no social interaction with anyone for more than two hours and has not been successful with crate training yet. Also, even if crate training is established already, it is still a must to never leave him alone for more than the prescribed number of hours.

For adults or over 18 months old Silkies, four hours is generally the maximum. This may be factored in by a successful crate training done by the owner to his dog. In most times, when adult Silkies are alone and are feeling exhausted, they’ll spend the time sleeping until their beloved human arrives home.

How to Minimize Your Dog’s Alone Time

There are many ways on how to prevent your Silky from being alone for a long period of time. This may include hiring a pet sitter, letting your dog attend a daycare facility, or changing or improving your schedule.

These silky hair-coated dogs are a mix of a Yorkshire Terrier and an Australian Terrier. Both parents can stand being alone, but in the case of the Australian Terrier, there should be a four-legged pet left to accompany him. Knowing this, it seems that the Sydney Silky has gotten most of its affection needs from the Australian breed.

Considering the level of clinginess of this wonderful breed, if you are a person with a busy schedule, you can definitely check out the most suitable option listed above. What’s better is if your neighbor is willing to look over it while you’re gone, but do make sure the dog knows him!

4 Great Tips Before Leaving Your Silky Terriers Alone

There are four great ways which you can try if there is a need to go out without your dog. If hiring a pet sitter or sending your Silky to the daycare is not possible, you can explore other more options suitable for your situation.

Understandably, leaving the house is oftentimes for important matters may it be working, meeting an old friend, or attending significant events. Cases like these are certainly not the right ones to bring your dog to. Although balancing work life and your time for your dog may seem daunting, here are four great tips that can help you and your Silky:

Exhaust your dog. It is always a good idea to take your dog for morning exercises or physical activities such as a walk in the park or play a quick game of fetch before leaving. Not only does this help both of you in having a healthy life, but it also makes your dog pass out right after!

Once he has sweated out beforehand, you will have the chance to leave your fortress without any trouble.

Avoid letting your dog rein freely. Your Silky should be able to be trained to be left alone in a comfortable area inside your home. When he gets used to being alone, they can be on their own without any limitations.

Use food-dispensing toys instead of regular food bowls. These will entertain your dog with various difficulty levels whilst giving him treats.

Let your Silky Terrier dog enjoy small tasks and have fun toys to play with while you are away. This trick lessens your dog’s potential to show unwanted behaviors such as peeing in inappropriate places. Make sure as well that your furry Silky’s toy cannot be chewed or swallowed.

What Happens When Your Dog Is Alone at Home?

Unlike many other breeds, Silkies find it a big deal if they are just on their own. If your Silky is not used to being just by himself, he may potentially show aggressive behaviors which are symptoms that tell that your Silky puppy is bored, or stressed out.

Chewing on toys and furniture
Binge-eating
Biting
Howling
Barking
Whining
Scratching
Urinating in different places

In worst-case scenarios, Silkies may tend to run away or eventually get lost if they have been left in an unsecured area. This possibility can ease your worries by placing a tracking device on your pup’s collar. This will also enable you to track him in real-time about his whereabouts.

What to Do If Your Silky Terrier Has Separation Anxiety?

To alleviate your Silky Terrier’s anxiety level, you can start by reading a book and recording your voice. The moment you have to leave the house, play the tape so the dog feels relaxed by hearing a familiar voice. Anxiety wraps can help as well and are greatly useful especially when your Silky is afraid of hearing thunderstorms. However, this is not truly recommended if the little dog is alone.

Moreover, it is not a good idea to always respond to your dog’s cries and whining. He may think this will be a great way to summon your presence and it could be very unhealthy for the both of you. Instead, encourage your dog to stop barking or crying in exchange for a good reward. Positive reinforcement such as getting a goodie does the magic. Reward him well even if he just stops for a bit, but watch out how much you give to avoid weight gain.

Calling home once in a while proves to be very efficient too! Leave messages on your answering machine and your dog will immediately stop whatever he is doing to listen to you speak.

Lastly, you can also leave the TV on so your dog could watch his favorite animal discovery channel. Some owners do this and have observed that their dogs behave well as they focus on what is going on the screen!

You may realize that one of the ideas works better than the others. This is a trial and error experiment in finding what is best for you and your dog. Patience, time, and consistent training are key to achieving a mutually happy atmosphere between you and your furry companion.

Things to Do Once You Get Back

Spend time with your Silky Terrier puppy as soon as you get home to comfort his longing for you. Being away for several hours may have worried him in some way and there is no denying that he misses you! It is truly helpful for the dog to be given quality time by doing simple things as the sun sets:

Enjoy the twilight through a late afternoon stroll with your dog in your nearest park.

Let him play his favourite game with you in your garden.
Make an appointment to your nearest dog spa to reward your dog with a relaxing grooming session such as a nice nail trimming service for being such an understanding and good boy!

Final Thoughts

Silky Terriers are very loving, playful, energetic, and carefree dogs. If you are just about to get one, let him grow up with some company if you know you’d be out of the house a lot. Visiting adoption centers is one way to help each longing pet too so adopt as much as you can according to your capability. Be the next to own another Silky Terrier rescue!

You may also get one from a Silky Terrier breeder. Just make sure you receive all necessary papers for your pooch including certificates regarding his health. This will save you from a lot of unnecessary medical costs once your dog is assuredly free from abnormalities.

At the start, your toy dog will have a hard time adjusting to your schedule, however, there are possible ways to help him realize that wherever you go, there is only one place you would want to be and that is your home with your tiny Silky Terrier.