Can Dachshunds Be Left Alone? How Long and How to Help
Updated: 1 day ago
By Nick, co-founder of Doggy Styles Inc and owner of Bruno, a rescued French Bulldog. Last updated 15 October 2026.
Quick Answer
Yes, Dachshunds can be left alone, but not for long days and not without practice. An adult Dachshund that has been taught to cope can usually manage up to about four hours, which is the PDSA's recommended maximum for dogs. Puppies need much shorter absences. Dachshunds bond closely with their people and are vocal, so a Dachshund that hasn't learned to be alone may bark, howl or panic. Build independence slowly, set up a safe space that protects their back, and get help early if they're distressed.
Key takeaways
Around four hours is a sensible maximum for an adult Dachshund that's used to being alone.
Puppies and adolescents need short, gradual practice, not a full working day.
Leave him somewhere safe and low, with no sofas to jump off or stairs to tackle.
If you're still getting to know the breed, start here:
👉 DACHSHUND GUIDE — Full Behaviour, Personality & Ownership Breakdown
Can Dachshunds be left alone? What people get wrong
The common mistake is to think a small dog needs less company. With a Dachshund it's the opposite. They're small, but they're intensely attached to their people, and many have never been taught that being alone is normal. The other mistake is to assume a dog that's fine for twenty minutes will be fine for eight hours. Those are very different things.
Distress doesn't always look like chewed doors. It can show up in all sorts of places. Walter's owner on Purina's owner stories lists his biggest challenge as "Crying in the car." Some Dachshunds simply find being separated from their person, or confined away from them, genuinely hard.
A note on the stories in this post: the dated moments (week one, month two and so on) are illustrative scenes based on common Dachshund owner experiences, not the story of one real dog. The owner quotes are real, and link to where they were published.
The first goodbye
Week one. You pop out to put the bins out, closing the front door behind you. By the time you've reached the end of the drive, there's a high, thin howl coming from the hallway. You were gone for forty seconds. He greets you as if you've been at sea for a year.
How long can a Dachshund be left alone?
Age | Rough time alone | Why |
Young puppy (under 4 months) | Minutes, building to under an hour | Tiny bladder, still learning that you come back |
Older puppy (4 to 6 months) | Up to an hour or two | Bladder improving, confidence still building |
Adolescent (6 to 18 months) | Gradually up to three or four hours | Independence practice matters most now |
Adult | Up to about four hours | The PDSA's recommended maximum |
Senior | Often shorter again | More frequent toilet needs, stiffer joints |
Owners recognise the pattern. The puppy who cries the second the door closes. The adolescent who's fine one day and shredding the post the next. The adult who barely lifts his head when you leave, because he knows you'll be back.
That close, dependable bond is what Doggy Styles Inc designs around: clean, minimal Dachshund pieces for people who always come home to a very enthusiastic welcome.
👉 Shop Dachshund women's t-shirts, unisex t-shirts and sweatshirts and hoodies
👉 or explore the full DACHSHUND COLLECTION
Why do some Dachshunds struggle when left alone?
A dog built for partnership
Dachshunds worked closely with a hunter and tend to attach strongly to one person. That bond is lovely, but a dog that's never apart from its person never learns that being apart is safe. The more a Dachshund's day revolves around one human, the more noticeable that human's absence becomes.
Routine matters
Dachshunds are creatures of habit. They learn the signs that you're leaving, such as keys, shoes and coats, and they can start to worry before you've even reached the door. Sudden changes, like a new job after months at home, often bring problems to the surface.
What the research says
True separation anxiety is less common than many owners fear. In a study of 13,700 Finnish pet dogs, researchers at the University of Helsinki found separation-related behaviour in about 5% of dogs, far fewer than showed noise sensitivity or general fearfulness (Salonen and colleagues, 2020). The bigger issue is often simply time. The PDSA has reported that around 2.1 million UK dogs, 24%, are left alone for five hours or more on a typical weekday, longer than the four hours it recommends.
Being alone is one thing. Being separated from a favourite person is another, and Dachshunds feel that very keenly.
👉 WHY DO DACHSHUNDS FOLLOW YOU EVERYWHERE? — Attachment, Bonding & Your Shadow
How separation problems build
They tend to start small. A puppy that's never left alone, even for a minute, has never practised. Big emotional goodbyes and over-the-top hellos teach him that leaving and returning are huge events. Then life changes, the house empties for longer, and the dog that seemed fine starts to struggle.
Barking and howling are often the first signs, and with a Dachshund, the neighbours may notice before you do.
Other signs include scratching or chewing at doors and windows, toileting indoors only when left, drooling, refusing a chew or food that he'd normally devour, and a greeting so frantic it takes him a long time to calm down. Some Dachshunds show it more quietly: shaking, hiding or simply lying by the door the whole time. A camera often reveals far more than you'd expect.
The note on the door
Month two. You come home to find a polite note from next door: 'Is your dog OK? He seems to cry a lot when you're out.' You had no idea. You set up a camera the next day and watch him sit by the front door, howling at intervals, for the full ninety minutes you're gone. It's hard to watch. It's also very useful to know.
A Dachshund's bark is famously loud, and when it's driven by distress, it needs a different approach.
👉 DO DACHSHUNDS BARK A LOT? — Why They're So Loud & What Helps
Living with a Dachshund who needs company
Most Dachshunds are perfectly happy to snooze for a few hours once they're used to it, especially after a good walk. The key is building up to it, and not asking for more than is fair.
A Dachshund probably isn't the right fit if:
the dog would be alone for a full working day, every day
there's no option for a dog walker, daycare or someone popping in
you'd struggle to do slow, patient alone-time training as a puppy
you live somewhere where a howling dog would cause real problems
The camera check
Month four. Short absences have been building for weeks: five minutes, then fifteen, then forty. Today is your first two-hour trip. On the camera, he watches the door for a minute, then wanders to his bed, digs the blanket into a nest and goes to sleep. He wakes once, stretches, and goes back to sleep. You realise you've been watching your phone more than he's been watching the door.
A tired Dachshund settles far more easily, so getting exercise right makes being alone much easier.
👉 HOW MUCH EXERCISE DOES A DACHSHUND NEED? — A Back-Safe Daily Guide
Setting up a safe space for a Dachshund home alone
Where you leave a Dachshund matters as much as how long. Get the set-up right and most of the work is done before you've even found your keys.
Keep it low. Leave him somewhere with nothing to launch himself off. A sofa is a fine place for a nap and a terrible place to jump from when nobody's home to see it go wrong. A room or pen without beds, chairs or sofas takes that risk away completely.
Avoid stairs. Dachshunds love a lookout, and the top of the stairs is prime real estate. Pop a gate at the bottom so the only climbing he does while you're out is into his bed.
Make a den. He's a burrower. A covered crate with the door open, or a bed with a blanket he can dig into, turns 'left behind' into 'tucked in'.
Think about the bladder. Small dog, small bladder. A trip outside just before you go, and an honest view of how long he can comfortably hold on, saves accidents and a lot of anxious waiting.
Leave something to do. The first few minutes after the door closes are usually the hardest. A stuffed chew or food puzzle fills them with something far more interesting than your absence.
What to leave a Dachshund with when you go out
The best alone-time toys keep him busy, calm and safe, and ideally make your leaving the most interesting part of his day.
Frozen stuffed toys. A hollow rubber chew toy stuffed with part of his breakfast, mixed with a little plain yoghurt or wet food and then frozen, can keep a Dachshund happily occupied for a good while. Use part of his daily food allowance, so the waistline, and the back, don't pay for it.
Lick mats. Spread with a thin layer of wet food and frozen. Licking is naturally soothing for many dogs, and it's a very calm way to spend the first few minutes alone.
Snuffle mats and scatter feeding. Hide kibble in a snuffle mat, or scatter it across a safe room. It puts that nose to work, which is exactly what a scent hound would choose to be doing anyway.
Safety first. Only leave toys he can't break into swallowable pieces, check them regularly for damage, and keep chews you're unsure about for when you're home to supervise.
Crate training a Dachshund for time alone
A crate gets a bad press. To a Dachshund, though, a covered box with a blanket in it isn't a cage. It's a den, and the best seat in the house. Used well, it gives a burrowing breed somewhere safe to settle, and keeps him off furniture he might leap from while nobody's watching.
The trick is making it his favourite place long before you leave him in it. Start with the door open, a soft bed and a blanket over the top. Feed his meals in there, hide the odd treat for him to find and let him nap in it whenever he likes. Once he's choosing it, close the door for a few seconds while you sit nearby, then a few minutes, then while you potter round the house.
Only then start leaving the house with him in it, building up just as slowly as any other alone-time training. A crate is never a punishment, and it's not a solution for a long day. If he panics, scratches at the door or drools heavily, he's telling you it isn't working. Swap it for a safe, puppy-proofed room or pen instead.
A step-by-step plan to build up time alone
Every Dachshund moves at his own pace, so think of this as stages rather than a timetable. Some dogs work through it in a few weeks. Others take a few months. Move on only when he's relaxed at the stage you're on.
Stage one: out of sight, still at home. Close a door or baby gate between you for a few seconds, then come back calmly. Build up to around ten minutes, with him settled on his bed with a chew.
Stage two: the leaving routine. Practise your cues without going anywhere: keys, shoes, coat, step outside, step back in. Repeat until he barely lifts his head.
Stage three: short trips out. Leave the house for a minute, then five, then ten. Putting the bins out and walking to the end of the road are perfect practice.
Stage four: building time. Twenty minutes, forty, an hour, then two. Leave a long-lasting chew or puzzle each time, and keep your comings and goings boring.
Stage five: real life. Several hours, after a good walk, with your usual set-up. Keep checking the camera now and again, especially after any change in routine.
How to read the camera
Relaxed: he lies down within a few minutes, works on his chew or toy, dozes, maybe wanders about and then settles again. That's your signal to move on to the next stage.
Stressed: pacing, whining, barking or howling that goes on past the first couple of minutes, scratching at the door, panting, drooling, ignoring food he'd normally love, or sitting by the door the whole time. Go back a stage and take smaller steps.
Working full time? Your options compared
Most owners who work away from home need some help. Here's how the usual options stack up for a Dachshund.
Option | Good for | Watch out for |
Dog walker | A midday walk, a toilet break and company | Group sizes, and whether they lift Dachshunds properly in and out of vans |
Pet sitter or pop-in visits | Company and a toilet trip at home | Visits can be short. Make sure they cover the gap |
Doggy daycare | Company all day | Many mix small and large dogs. Ask about a small-dog group and how rough play is managed |
Neighbour, friend or family | Familiar faces and flexibility | Agree back-safe handling and the house rules first |
Working from home some days | Fewer long days alone | He still needs practice being alone, or office days will feel worse |
For many owners, a mix works best: a couple of days at home, a walker on office days and a trusted neighbour for emergencies. What matters is that no day leaves him alone for longer than he can comfortably manage.
What happens over the months
With gradual practice, most Dachshunds learn that you always come back, and that being alone is boring rather than frightening. Without it, problems can grow, particularly around adolescence or after changes such as house moves, new jobs or a change in family life.
The new routine
Month seven. You go back to the office three days a week. You've prepared for it, with a dog walker at lunchtime and a stuffed chew each morning. On day one he walks you to the door, takes his chew and heads for his bed. When the walker arrives, he's asleep. When you get home, he's pleased to see you, but he's not frantic.
Patient, step-by-step practice is especially important for first-time owners, and it's much easier to start early.
👉 ARE DACHSHUNDS GOOD FOR FIRST-TIME OWNERS? — An Honest Guide Before You Commit
Calming aids: what the evidence says
There's no shortage of products promising a calmer dog. Here's what the research actually supports.
Audiobooks and music. In a study of 31 dogs in a rescue shelter, researchers Brayley and Montrose found the dogs rested more and spent less time on alert when an audiobook was playing than with classical music, pop music, specially designed 'dog music' or no added sound (Brayley and Montrose, 2016). A shelter isn't your living room, but a calm voice on a speaker is cheap, easy and worth a try.
Pheromone diffusers. Dog-appeasing pheromone plug-ins are widely sold, but a 2021 evidence review by Chun Fung Wong and Merran Govendir rated the evidence as weak and concluded that a true clinical benefit is undetermined (Wong and Govendir, 2021). They're unlikely to do harm, but they're not a substitute for training.
Medication. For genuine separation anxiety, vets can prescribe medication. In the UK, clomipramine is authorised as an aid in treating separation-related disorders in dogs, but only in combination with behavioural training (Veterinary Medicines Directorate). In other words, medication can turn the panic down enough for training to work. It doesn't replace the training.
What not to do with a Dachshund who hates being left
Don't tell him off afterwards. Coming home to a chewed door is frustrating, but he won't connect your crossness with something he did an hour ago. All he learns is that your return is unpredictable, which makes the next absence harder.
Don't get a second dog to fix it. Some dogs enjoy the company, but most separation problems are about missing their person, not missing a dog. You could end up with two unsettled Dachshunds instead of one.
Don't rely on a bark collar. It punishes the noise, not the panic behind it, and can make an anxious dog much worse.
Don't make the radio the whole plan. Background sound can help a settled dog relax. It won't teach an anxious one that being alone is safe.
Don't leave it until the first long day. The week before you go back to work is too late to start. Build up alone time weeks in advance.
Rescue and older Dachshunds
A rescue Dachshund may arrive with a history you'll never fully know, and a change of home can make being left harder at first. Go slower than you think you need to. Give him a week or two to settle in, then start right back at stage one, even if he's an adult. Many rescues blossom once they realise this home is permanent.
Older Dachshunds can find being alone harder too, especially if their hearing or eyesight is fading, they need the toilet more often, or they get stiff lying in one place. Shorter absences, a comfy bed on the ground floor, a night light and a midday visit can make a big difference. A sudden change in how an older dog copes is always worth mentioning to your vet.
How to help a Dachshund cope with being alone
The aim is a Dachshund who knows you'll come back, and who has a comfortable, safe place to wait.
In the moment
Keep goodbyes and hellos calm and boring.
Give a stuffed chew or puzzle as you leave, so leaving predicts something good.
If you come back to mess or damage, don't tell him off. He won't connect it with what he did earlier.
Long term
Start with seconds, not hours. With a puppy, or any Dachshund who finds this hard, begin by stepping out of the room for a few seconds and coming back before he's noticed you've gone. Build to a minute, then five, then fifteen, moving on only when he's relaxed. If he wobbles, go back a step. Progress is rarely a straight line, and that's fine.
Take the drama out of your leaving cues. Dachshunds are experts at reading the signs: keys, shoes, coat, the particular sigh you make when you're running late. Pick up your keys and then sit down and watch TV. Put your coat on and make a cup of tea. When the signals stop meaning 'leaving', they stop causing panic.
Walk before you go. A good sniff walk before a longer absence turns a restless, alert dog into one who's quite happy to be left with his thoughts and a blanket.
Get help for long days. For anything much longer than four hours, bring in a dog walker, a trusted neighbour, a sitter or daycare. For a dog this attached to his people, it's not a luxury. It's part of the deal.
Use a camera. A simple pet camera shows you what really happens while you're out: whether he settles in two minutes or sings for an hour. It's the only way to know whether your plan is working, and it's surprisingly addictive viewing.
The quiet house
Month ten. You come home after three hours. There's no howling as you reach the door. When you open it, he's stretching in the hallway, half-asleep, tail wagging slowly. He trots over, says hello, then goes to fetch a toy. No panic, no frenzy. Just a dog who knew you'd be back.
When to get help: if your Dachshund howls, scratches at doors, toilets indoors, refuses food or hurts himself whenever he's left, talk to your vet first to rule out medical causes, then ask for a referral to a qualified behaviourist. Separation problems are very treatable, and earlier is easier.
Do Dachshunds cope with being alone better or worse than other breeds?
Compared with independent breeds such as many sighthounds, Dachshunds usually find being alone harder, because they're so attached to their people. Compared with other companion breeds such as Chihuahuas and Cavaliers, they're similar. Compared with busy working breeds such as Border Collies, the issue is less about boredom and more about missing their favourite person.
Their independence elsewhere can be surprising, though. A Dachshund that can't bear you leaving may still ignore you completely at the park.
👉 WHY ARE DACHSHUNDS SO STUBBORN? — Independence, Selective Hearing & What Helps
What Dachshund owners realise over time
Most owners find that a Dachshund's ability to cope alone is built, not born. A puppy that learns early that you always come back becomes an adult who barely notices you've gone.
The first goodbye, a year on
A year after that forty-second howl. You pick up your keys and put your shoes on. He watches you from his bed, yawns, and puts his head back down. You close the door. Silence. You stand outside for a moment, half-waiting for the howl. It doesn't come.
The verdict
Can Dachshunds be left alone? Yes, for up to about four hours once they're adults who've learned to cope, and for much less as puppies. They're devoted, people-focused dogs, so independence has to be taught gradually.
Set up a safe, low, cosy space that protects their back, keep goodbyes calm, and arrange help for longer days. Get professional advice early if your Dachshund is genuinely distressed.
If you're still getting to know the breed, the guide covers the full picture.
Living with a Dachshund means coming home to the best welcome in the world. The Dachshund range is for people who never get tired of it.
👉 Explore Dachshund women's t-shirts, unisex t-shirts and sweatshirts and hoodies
👉 or explore the full DACHSHUND COLLECTION
Got a Dachshund who gives the best welcome home? Show us. Tag @doggystylesinc on Instagram or find us on Facebook at Doggy Styles Inc, and your Dachshund could feature in a future post.
Continue Understanding the Dachshund Breed
FAQs
Can Dachshunds be left alone?
Yes, once they've been taught to cope. An adult Dachshund can usually manage up to about four hours, but puppies need much shorter absences.
How long can a Dachshund be left alone?
For an adult, about four hours is a sensible maximum, in line with PDSA advice. For longer days, arrange a dog walker, sitter or daycare.
Do Dachshunds get separation anxiety?
Some do. They bond closely with their people, so independence needs teaching from puppyhood. True separation anxiety is treatable with help.
Why does my Dachshund cry when I leave?
He may not have learned that you always come back, or he may be anticipating your absence from cues like keys and shoes. Gradual practice helps.
Can a Dachshund puppy be left alone?
Only for short periods, building up from seconds and minutes. Young puppies also need frequent toilet breaks.
Is it OK to crate a Dachshund when I go out?
A covered crate can be a cosy den if he's been introduced to it gradually and sees it as a safe space. It shouldn't be used for long periods.
Can I leave my Dachshund alone while I work full time?
Not for a full working day without help. A lunchtime walker, a sitter or daycare makes full-time work possible.
Do Dachshunds bark when left alone?
Many do, especially if they're anxious or bored. A camera can tell you whether it's a brief protest or ongoing distress.
Is it better to have two Dachshunds?
Some dogs are calmer with a companion, but a second dog doesn't fix separation anxiety, which is usually about missing their person.
Where should I leave my Dachshund when I go out?
In a safe room or pen without furniture to jump from or stairs to climb, with a cosy bed, water and something to chew.
Does leaving the radio on help a Dachshund?
It can help a dog who's already settled. One shelter study found dogs rested more with an audiobook playing. But on its own it won't fix separation anxiety, which needs gradual training.
Is doggy daycare good for Dachshunds?
It can be, if the daycare has a small-dog group and manages play carefully. Rough play with much bigger dogs is a real risk to a Dachshund's back, so ask before you book.
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