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Dear Zelda, I am a four year old Newfie/Lab mix (big dog). My mom adopted me earlier this year from a nice man who was ill and could not keep me. My mom works all day and I am in the house by myself for about eleven hours (the cat does NOT count as a playmate!!). Mom always leaves me toys and chew things and I do very well. She is concerned now that fall is coming and the winter months are so dark. Should she leave a light on for me? Or a radio or TV for company? What do you think? Is so much darkness ok? Home Alone and In The Dark Dear Home Alone and In The Dark, Home alone? Hey Big Rover, invite me over. Just think: free to chew whatever… free to ‘poo’ wherever… free at last! It’s the call of the wild! NOT REALLY! Home alone sounds good until you experience what it is like to be left at home with nothing to do and no one to love. In addition, those silent, dark, dreary rooms can be really grim. Being the only one left at home is not fun. The good news is that there are several solutions. Your ‘mom’ already leaves you toys and chew things and I’m hoping one of those chew toys is a frozen Kong filled with something yummy like peanut butter or some other gooey treat. She can even splurge and hide several food-filled Kongs and the ‘hide and seek game’ will entertain you even longer. There has to be some reward for being left alone. Another helpful hint is to create an indoor den for you. A crate with your favorite plump pad and/or blanket tucked inside can be a comfy haven. Your owner should leave the door open so you can come and go yet have the security of your own ‘den’ to keep you content and make you feel safe. My strong advice is that you consider making your home-front happier by finding a compatible canine friend whose owners are also absent during the day. Invite him/ her to spend a day with you and then exchange locations and go to his/her home for a day. First look around your neighborhood, and if there isn’t a dog that fits this description, try visiting a good doggy day care center, and see if any of the other dogs enrolled would qualify for a stay-at-home pal. Doggy day care might be something else for your mom to consider. After all pals are important and when you’re alone and feelin’ blue, it’s nice to have someone to comfort you. You already said that the cat doesn’t count as a playmate, so try adding a pooch-pal while you’re home alone. Now let’s address your original question. When you’re left home alone I strongly recommend that your mom leaves on a light. Leaving you in the dark is not the best environment for a stay-at-home dog. Also we’re big fans of the Discovery and the Animal Planet television channels. In addition, I have a favorite DVD called The Movie for Dogs (www.themoviefordogs.com). This movie keeps ZeeZee, Zoe and me interested and occupied while we’re home alone. Just click on ‘repeat’ and the DVD will play for hours with sights and sounds of critters cavorting in the wild. There are several other good dog videos available. Have your owner check pet stores and Google. Stretching it a little and just for fun, if you’re a political animal, you can tune in to CNN, (isn’t that the Canine News Network?), and catch either Bark Obama or John McCanine along with other dog-u-mentories. (sorry, couldn’t resist) Hope my advice will be helpful and that you will no longer be left in the dark and that your dog-days will become de-light-full. Zelda Share this column with a friend! |
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