Cavoodles are arguably one of the best family dogs out there, and they’re a joy to have around the house. But when you plan on getting one you may want to make sure that they will do fine if they are ever left alone. So, can a Cavoodle be left alone?
Yes, you can leave a Cavoodle alone, but it’s best to not leave them for a long time. This is a breed of dog that gets very attached to their families, and separation anxiety is a very real problem that they suffer from. But if trained properly they can do quite well alone, and be very happy upon your return!
Of course, sometimes you just cannot be around your lovely little Cavoodle 24/7. So, we have provided a few helpful tips that you can follow to ease the time that your Cavoodle will need to be left alone should you have to go somewhere without them.
Can a Cavoodle Be Left Alone?
As with any dog, there are times that you need to leave them alone at home while you take care of important business elsewhere. Typically, Cavoodles do not do very well if left alone for a long time, but you can slowly accustom them to being left alone so that they handle it better.
In fact, it is actually much more beneficial to accustom your Cavoodle to being left alone rather than allowing them to stick by your side at all times. We will go over why that is, later.
One thing you need to keep in mind when getting a Cavoodle is that they are a very attention-seeking breed that loves to be around people. This can be attributed to the dogs two parent breeds, the Poodle and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel – two supremely affectionate and loving dogs that absolutely adore the company of their families.
The Cavoodle, also known as the Cavadoodle or Cavapoo, in turn, is a dog that does very well when around people but not well at all when left alone. Their temperament of this breed is one that is truly suited to being around people at all times.
While it is not recommended to leave your Cavoodle alone for extended periods of time, there are times when it cannot be helped and you need to leave your furry pal alone for a while. There are a few tips, which we will go over in a later portion of this article, that you can follow to prepare your dog for the times when you just won’t be around to spend time with them.
Cavoodles and Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is another problem that Cavoodles suffer from. Separation anxiety is extreme stress that your poor pooch goes through whenever they are away from their owner or family. It can manifest in a bunch of different ways and is not good at all for dogs.
When suffering from separation anxiety your Cavoodle may become destructive. That means they scratch, claw, dig, chew and rip and tear anything in sight. They do these actions as a way of releasing their emotions and stress.
Needless to say, separation anxiety is not only a horrible thing that your little Cavoodle will have to suffer through until you return, but your furniture, items, and the house itself could also suffer from the subsequent actions that the pup will perform in order to release their stress.
There are ways to treat separation anxiety so that your Cavoodle will not suffer so much when you aren’t around, but this takes quite a bit of patience from you and the rest of the family in order to train your dog well enough to handle being alone.
Should You Leave Your Cavoodle at Home or Bring Them Along?
You may decide that you’ll just bring your Cavoodle along with you any time you need to go out someplace and nobody is left at home to watch them, but there are actually a few reasons for why this is detrimental rather than beneficial for your dog.
First off, this is just not a reasonable way to fix the problem. When you go to work or have a meeting there’s just no way to bring your pup along with you into the office or workplace. Secondly, if you do decide to bring your Cavoodle along with you all the time when going out, you can’t just leave them in the car until you finish your business.
This could endanger your dog and even if they are totally safe within the car, they will still suffer from separation anxiety, since they won’t be by your side. Even worse, since they are not as familiar with your car as they are with the house this could serve to stress them out even more.
Leaving them at home when you need to go out is the best thing that you can do for your Cavoodle. While it may seem like it isn’t the best option, leaving them at home will slowly accustom them to being alone. When they realize that you will return after a short amount of time they will eventually suffer less and less from separation anxiety.
Bring them along all the time will encourage their clingy behavior, and make it harder on you and your dog whenever you are left with no choice but to leave them alone.
Of course, if you’re going to the park or out on a hike then don’t hesitate to bring your lovely little Cavoodle along with you!
Tips for When You Need to Leave Your Cavoodle Alone
Thankfully, Cavoodles are a very smart breed of dog that can be easily trained. That means that you will be able to train them to handle being left alone. The techniques for training vary between a Cavoodle that is still a puppy and a fully grown dog.
Tips For a Cavoodle Puppy
For a Cavoodle that is still a puppy you will most likely need to devote a good amount of time to giving them attention and training them. This way, when they grow up, they will be totally trained and ready for the times you need to leave them alone.
You can start by making them their own special spot within the house where they feel safe and secure. This can come in the form of their sleeping area, doggy bed, or crate that they sleep in.
You can give them their doggy treats in this area so as to ingrain it in their minds that this is a special spot. Place their favorite toy here, their blanket, and anything else that they may find special.
Make sure that when choosing this area, it is one that is not secluded. Make it a room where your puppy can always see and keep tabs on you, and where lots of people pass through. This will help to make them feel secure, while giving them their own space to call theirs.
Also, if you keep them in a crate at night try to keep their crate in your bedroom. This helps to reassure them that you are still nearby but that it is safe for them to be apart from you.
Next, whenever you plan on leaving your puppy alone do your best to give them a bit of playtime and tire them out. If they’re pooped out when you need to leave there is a lower chance of them trying to find ways to entertain themselves while you’re away.
When you do finally leave, make sure that your puppy has a chew toy to play with. These are great stress relievers, and will help to keep your pup from looking for other stuff to chew up, like your furniture. They also have great health benefits like strengthening your puppy’s teeth and jaws.
You can also invite your friends and family to your house so that they can play and socialize with your Cavoodle puppy. Allowing your puppy to meet new people will help them to not be solely dependent on you, and make it much easier to leave them alone in the future.
Don’t just stop at that, though. Do you best to expose your puppy to new places and people in the first few months.
Finally, start spending more and more time away from your pup. This might seem difficult to do considering that Cavoodle puppies are just so adorable, but it is a needed step in ensuring that they handle being alone well when the time comes.
This helps to teach your puppy that you eventually will return home to them every time they spend time alone. And slowly getting them accustomed to being unaccompanied in the house is much better than emotionally scarring them by suddenly leaving them all by themselves for an extended period of time.
And certainly, make sure to spend time with your puppy when you get home. Play with them, give them lots of love, and reassure them that you will always be back even if you need to go someplace without them.
For an Adult Cavoodle
If you’ve adopted a Cavoodle that is already an adult, or just never got around to training them until now, then the following tips can be a huge help in acclimating your Cavoodle to being left alone.
First, you can start your Cavoodle off on a few doggy dates. This is an awesome way to get them to stay calm while you are busy. Of course, you need a friend willing to watch your dog for you while you’re away, and make sure to make it up to them somehow so that they’re willing to help you out often!
You can also leave some treats scattered around the house so that your dog can have fun discovering them while you are away. Just make sure to leave them in places where your dog won’t be able to break or damage anything! Giving them a little scavenger hunt to do will keep them occupied and hopefully tire them out.
Do your best to keep your Cavoodle calm and uneventful every time you need to leave, as well as when you return. Doing so will reduce the sudden jumps in stress, anxiety, and excitement that your dog may feel whenever you come and go.
Finally, you can work to train your Cavoodle to obey you in certain tasks. This not only helps them to bond with your beloved pooch, but it helps to exercise their brain and keep them happy and healthy.
Other Aspects of Cavoodle Temperament
Aside from being very attached to their families and owners, Cavoodles bring along many other great aspects and personality traits. For starters, they are very bright dogs, owing this mainly to their Poodle heritage.
They are easily trained and absolutely love being able to help out their owners and families in any way that they can. They seem to get lots of joy out of being able to make their owners proud. If they do something that makes you happy, make sure to praise them for it and show them what a great job they’ve done – they love this!
Cavoodles are also the perfect breed for large families. Since they just soak up any attention that they can get they absolutely adore being able to go from person to person and get some love and petting. Senior citizens and families with children will love have a Cavoodle around.
Conclusion
Leaving a Cavoodle alone is a difficult task, but it is an entirely doable one. All it takes is a bit of discipline (both on your part and your pup’s part), training, and self-control. Once your Cavoodle can overcome their separation anxiety and learn that it is okay to be left alone for a while they will be a much happier dog, and both of you will be saved from the stress of being apart.
Hopefully you can use the tips provided in this article to teach and train your puppy how to handle being apart from you. Just remember to take things slow, be patient, and have lots of love and care prepared for your lovely Cavoodle as soon as you get back home.
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