Can Boxers be left alone

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

Contributions sourced from

15 Ways To Leave A Boxer Home Alone (And Happy)

Leaving your Boxer home alone is a necessary part of life and something you need to equip your dog to happily handle.

Even if you work from home, its a good idea to deliberately go out on a regular basis to give your dog experience spending time home alone.

But dont just throw your dog in the deep end. Put in place all the conditions that will set her up for success.

If necessary, a Boxer can be left home alone for the average work day without any problems, but it requires careful planning and you need to gradually ease your dog into it.

To leave a Boxer home alone successfully, and without causing your dog distress, follow these 15 simple steps.

1. Start Young

If you are home 24/7 when your Boxer is a puppy and then suddenly go out to work for eight or more hours a day, it will be a tough adjustment.

Get short absences into your puppys routine from the start so theyre a normal part of her life.

By the time shes an adult, shell hardly bat an eyelid when you say, Gotta go out.

2. Build Up To It Slowly

Do practice runs, gradually increasing the duration of your absences from 5 minutes at first, then 15 minutes and so on.

This gives your dog time to get used to the routine, and to understand youll always be back.

3. Tire Your Boxer Out Before You Leave

Make sure you have quality playtime, exercise and/or a long walk before you leave for work.

If your Boxer is satisfied (and pottied) shell be more relaxed and happier to snooze the day away.

4. Give Your Boxer Fun Things To Do While Youre Gone

Your Boxer might even look forward to you leaving if she knows she gets to do something enjoyable when you go out.

Boxer Dog Diaries is reader-powered. If you make a purchase via a link I share, I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

A stuffed kong, puzzle or snuffle mat with hidden treats are all very engaging for Boxers.

Scent work harnesses your Boxers keen sense of smell and tires a dog out faster than just about anything else.

5. Dog Proof The House

Go over the house, or the rooms your dog will have access to, with a fine tooth comb so your Boxer will be safe no matter what.

Inspect things from dog-eye height.

Get anything hazardous out of reach including toxic plants and choking hazards.

Anticipate worst case scenarios like counter surfing and dont leave food out.

Secure cupboards and trash cans so theyre unopenable, close toilet seats and shut windows that your dog could bust out of or fall through.

Self-closing flip-top trash cans are a must.

Even better if it has a lockable lid.

To avoid poisoning, make sure medicine cabinets and laundry shelves are not accessible.

6. Ensure Good Ventilation

Shut up spaces can become stuffy pretty fast or cold in winter.

With their brachycephalic heads and short snouts, Boxers are vulnerable to heat stress.

Without much of a coat, they can feel the cold too.

It may well be necessary to leave the air conditioner on for your Boxer.

If you are leaving your dog in the backyard, its imperative he has access to a spot that remains shaded all day long.

It goes without saying but of course make sure your dog always has access to plenty of fresh, pure water.

7. Get A Dog Camera

Cameras are relatively inexpensive and fantastic for your own peace of mind.

They may be our number one recommendation for training your Boxer to stay home alone.

A wifi camera is the only way youll know for sure what your dog gets up to when youre out and whether you have any issues to address.

Most models connect to wifi and come with apps so you can supervise via your mobile phone.

Make sure you get one equipped with a speaker that allows you to deliver a well-timed No or Uh uh to nip misbehavior in the bud.

8. Make Sure Your Dog Has Natural Light

Light affects your Boxers mood as much as your own.

A spot to lie in the sun on a super comfy bed will give your Boxer pleasure.

Dont stick your dog in an unfamiliar, small or dark part of the house.

No basements, laundries or windowless bathrooms.

Your dog shouldnt be banished to a corner of the house.

You should leave your dog home alone in an area your dog has positive associations with and loves being in, like the lounge room.

Just be sure to dog proof it first.

Minimalist decor goes a long way when you live with a Boxer, or any dog.

9. Give Your Boxer A Room With A View

Boxers are born observers and can happily pass the time this way if you give them a good vantage point.

Ignore this suggestion if the passing parade tends to trigger barking for your Boxer.

10. Limit Access

As your dog is learning to be home alone, it can help to use a pen (for a puppy) or at least close doors or gate off areas.

This way shes not roaming the whole empty house but has a safe, confined (but not claustrophobic) space.

You may prefer to use baby gates, especially as your Boxer gets larger.

Be sure to get your Boxer settled in the designated area more than a few minutes before you walk out the door and have her spend time in there at other times too, when youre at home.

This should prevent her developing an aversion to the area because she associates it with being left alone.

If you dont want your dog on the couch, position upturned chairs so its obstructed.

If your dog is not allowed on your bed, close the door to the bedroom or otherwise barricade the bed.

This wont be necessary for long, but just while your dog is getting into the habit of being home alone.

11. Come Home For Lunch Breaks

Not always an option but this breaks up the day for your dog if you can take her out for a short walk to release pent-up energy, and a potty break.

You could have a family member your dog knows do this if you cant.

Or a trusted dog walker/pet sitter.

Many owners think their dog will get lonely at home and that shed rather play with some doggy friends at daycare.

In actual fact, there are many reasons why doggy daycare may not be a wise choice for your Boxer.

12. Leave Out Pee Pads

If your Boxer doesnt have access to the yard through a dog door, make sure you give her an acceptable place to pee and poop so shes comfortable.

Teach her to use it long before shes left home alone ideally as soon as you bring home your new pup.

You have a heap of options here.

The basic go-to is a disposable pee pad.

You can also get dog toilet systems complete with artificial grass.

These days you can even buy patches or real grass as indoor potties, if you want to go that far.

13. Low Key Exits And Entrances

This is hugely important.

Dont transfer your anxiety to your dog by giving lingering farewells or having big reunions.

Be calm, casual, matter of fact.

Nothing to see here, is the message you want your dog to get.

When you come home, mosey around for a while before giving your dog your attention.

Get a drink, change clothes perhaps.

Definitely dont reward your dog for frenetic behavior.

Its easy to inadvertently reinforce your dogs perception that its a big deal when you go out, by rewarding wild behavior upon your return.

Everyone likes to be welcomed home, but its most helpful for your dog if you make the transition between you being there and you not being there as seamless and uneventful as possible.

14. Soothing Sounds

Leave on some calming music.

Through a Dogs Ear by Joshua Leeds and Lisa Spector is a wonderful compilation of classical music composed specifically for dogs and clinically proven to relax canines. Available in a variety of forms from Spotify to CD or with a custom Bluetooth speaker.

To be honest the humans here at Boxer Dog Diaries find it pretty good chill out music too

Even leaving on a TV or radio at low volume can help your Boxer feel less alone but make sure the programming remains appropriate all day long.

No heavy metal or argumentative talk shows to disturb your dogs vibe!

15. Companion Toys With a Heartbeat

Fluffy toys with a simulated heartbeat and even heating pad could be worth a try if your dog is not responding to the other methods.

Be sure your dog is not likely to tear the toy apart because the contents could then become a choking hazard.

All these strategies work best in combination.

It will be no single thing that makes your Boxer cool with being home alone, but many measures used together will have a powerful cumulative effect.

It wont take long for your dog to get the drift if you follow the above steps.

Teaching your Boxer how to chill at home without you will set you both up for a much easier life together.

A Boxer who copes well when home alone will avoid damage to your home and your belongings.

More importantly, it will prevent injuries to your dog from ingesting a corn cob out of the trash, chewing the tires off your car (!) or disemboweling your sofa.

You also wont have to worry about noise complaints from neighbors.

Boxers are quiet dogs and wont be making any noise as long as youve eased them into the routine.

Bee Stings: Leaving Boxers Alone Outside

Far too many Boxers end up with bee stings each Spring and Summertime.

The breeds inquisitive nature, playfulness and healthy prey drive means Boxers are quite likely to investigate and even chase and catch flying insects like bees and wasps.

Some owners laugh it off as catching the sky raisins.

But bee stings can be very serious, even deadly.

Just because a dog has gotten away with no reaction to a sting once or twice, doesnt mean it will be that lucky every time.

Many vets direct owners to treat bee stings with Benadryl but this antihistamine medicine is best avoided unless its an absolute emergency.

Using Benadryl on a regular basis is highly inadvisable.

Bites and stings can cause breathing difficulties and develop into anaphylactic shock, a potentially fatal condition requiring emergency veterinary intervention.

Given how serious the consequences can be, prevention ought to be taken seriously.

You want to do everything you can to:

Teach your Boxer to leave flying insects, and
Control and monitor your dogs access to areas where bees might be, especially during the middle of the day and when its sunny, prime bee weather.

The presence of bees may mean your backyard is a safe place for your unsupervised Boxer only in winter and fall, but that hes left inside in the middle of the day during the warmer months.

Bees and wasps can and do fly in windows too, and can be especially attracted by fruit bowls on the bench or dirty dishes in the sink. Another reason to consider closing unscreened windows when your Boxer is home alone.

Consider whether and where you should plant flowers that are likely to attract bees to your Boxers environment.

Do Boxer Dogs Need A Companion?

Another Boxer can help your dog be happier when youre not home, but having two Boxers is a huge responsibility and no guarantee.

Multiple dog households present their own challenges including the possibility that the dogs will fight.

This can particularly happen with two dogs of the same sex.

Some Boxer rescues avoid placing female Boxers in homes where there is already another female Boxer because they see this problem so often.

Even if your dogs get along famously, there may well be a period of adjustment initially or later and you will need to exert strong leadership to establish a harmonious pack order.

Getting a second Boxer to solve a behavioral problem with the first can be a bit like having a baby to save a marriage.

It might work, but it might also backfire, creating even more upheaval for all involved.

Boxer Dog Separation Anxiety

Although separation anxiety often involves destructive behaviors, its a lot more than being naughty due to boredom.

Its extreme mental and physical distress, akin to a human panic attack.

A dog with separation anxiety is suffering a full blown meltdown.

She will exhibit uncontrollable panic or terror and frantic behavior.

The condition is considered a form of clinical anxiety.

If your Boxer has separation anxiety it will usually happen every time you leave.

Vets and dog behaviorists dont know why one dog develops separation anxiety and another doesnt, but its thought to be more nurture than nature.

That is, its more likely caused by the situation and the environment and how the dog is being managed, than due to something in-built within the dog.

This is great news, because it means there is a lot you can do to prevent it or to reverse it, if its already happening.

Signs of separation anxiety in a Boxer dog can include:

Intense barking, whining, howling
Panic
Change in mood when your dog realizes youre preparing to go out
Frenzied greetings
Need to be in same room when youre home
Literally bouncing off the walls, clawing at gates, making escape attempts
Injuries to dog and damage to house
Destructive chewing (different to bored chewing, much more uncontrolled) particularly of exit points like doors and windows or personal items like clothing, pillows, TV remote control
Accidents inside despite being house trained
Possible eating of own faeces (coprophagia)
Depression
Appetite disturbance
Not wanting to exercise or play
Trouble relaxing
Unable to sleep
Hypersalivation / excess drooling
Repetitive behavior like pacing or circling

Its important not to punish a dog for things shes done while experiencing separation anxiety.

Not only are the behaviors out of her control, punishment will only increase her anxiety.

Separation anxiety does not result from your Boxer being devoted to her humans, loving being around her family or being spoiled when you are home.

Its a disorder that causes a lot of distress to the dog.

Separation anxiety can develop at any age, even without any changes in routine.

It can even start in senior Boxers, especially if theyre experiencing vision and hearing loss which can exacerbate feelings of vulnerability.

Integrative veterinarian Dr Karen Becker warns owners that hypothyroidism and rabies vaccinosis can cause behaviors that look similar to separation anxiety so if theres any doubt, you might want to consider whether other health issues are in play.

There is a lot you can do to set your Boxer up to never have this problem.

Help prevent separation anxiety with proper socialization, to shape a secure Boxer thats not overly attached to her human/s.

Training during puppyhood should include regular time spent home alone.

If separation anxiety arises, it can be addressed with behavior modification including counter-conditioning and techniques that desensitize the dog and reverse negative associations with things like picking up your keys and other departure cues.

You may want to seek some direction from an experienced dog behaviorist.

As with any dog behavioral or health issue, its most effective to take a holistic approach: a Boxer with a full, active life will be a more well-adjusted, self-assured dog.

For instance, it may seem unrelated to behavior, but incorporating raw meaty bones into your dogs diet delivers psychological as well as nutritional benefits.

Carnivores have been scientifically shown to derive relaxation from chewing on raw meaty bones.

A generally contented Boxer is far likelier to be calm and comfortable in all situations, including when shes left home alone.

How Not To Use Crates With Boxer Dogs

Its not a fair thing to leave a Boxer, or any dog, alone or in a confined space for lengthy periods of time.

Dogs are den animals and crate training has a rightful place.

Susan Garretts Crate Games for Self-Control and Motivation is an example of crates done right.

Of course, always make sure your crate is well ventilated, whether its a wire crate or a plastic kennel that creates a more den-like atmosphere.

But a crate is not:

Just a means of stopping your dog destroying your house when youre out
Somewhere a Boxer should spend anywhere close to most of her day.
Appropriate for dogs with separation anxiety

The rescue organization Save The Boxers warns:

Attempting to use the crate as a remedy for separation anxiety will not solve the problem. A crate may prevent your dog from being destructive, but he may injure himself in an attempt to escape from the crate.

Confining a dog can actually escalate anxiety.

Fixing separation anxiety requires addressing the causes of the dogs distress and breaking the circuit.