Bullmastiffs are gentle dogs who are devoted to their owners. Despite their big size, they are considered real softies who love only to cuddle and being with their human friends.
This breed is originally bred for guard purposes; thus, they have the behavior to protect the people they love. Because of their protective nature, they require some socialization and obedience training. It is important to prevent them hurt other persons they might consider suspicious. They love their human friend too much, but the question here is, “Can Bullmastiff be left alone?”
Several owners and people who are planning to have a Bullmastiff ask that can they be left alone? If so, for how much time can they be left alone?
Well, the answer is no. It would be best if you did not leave your Bullmastiff alone for long in your home. Being alone can get them bored. They always require the human company to be happy. When you left them alone in the house, they may turn destructive and harm your furniture and other kinds of stuff.
Here in this article, we will discuss the above queries.
Table of Contents
Can Bullmastiff be left alone?
No, it would be best if you did not leave your bull mastiff alone in your house. In order to be happy, this breed requires human company. In the case when you leave them alone in the house for a long time, they will get bored. This circumstance can turn this creature into a destructive dog. They will harm your furniture, dig in your backyard, or tear your clothes.
In the case when every member in your house stays outside for work and has to leave your puppy alone in the house, then there is a need for hard training. With proper training, you can leave the Bullmastiff alone in the house. But without training, they will destruct your home & can get stressed.
How long can a Bullmastiff be left alone?
Most of the dogs can leave alone for up to 4 hours a day. But the Bullmastiff is not even able to cope up with this much separation from its owner. They always need someone around them all the time to keep them company.
When untrained, leaving alone is not recommended. They can turn destructive in the lack of any human company and damage your furniture. But you can leave a Bullmastiff with proper training for a long time alone in the house.
What happens when you leave your Bullmastiff alone in the house?
Bullmastiffs are anxious type dogs who get anxious when their owner left them alone in the house. Being alone in the house is never easy for your pup. Out of anxiety, it is common for them to urinate, defecate, and vomit. In extreme conditions, they can hurt themselves also.
When they are left alone for a long time that is more than four hours, they get bored of waiting for their owner. These turn them stressed and undergo separation anxiety, by which they start damaging your house. They can harm your furniture, dig in your backyard, or even tear your branded new designer clothes.
Since Bullmastiff is more prone to separation anxiety, they do not rest for a minute after their owner has gone outside. It also hinders their rest time and causes several health issues.
Do Bullmastiffs are prone to separation anxiety, or what are the symptoms?
Yes, Bullmastiffs are much prone to separation anxiety. They can’t even cope up for just 4 hours of separation from their human friend.
Common symptoms seen in Bullmastiff when left alone are:
- Urinating and defecating: It is commonly noticed in Bullmastiff when left alone. When their owner left them alone in the house, they start vomiting, urinating, and defecating.
- Barking and howling: This is another sign that your canine buddy is suffering from separation anxiety. They tend to bark and howl more when they are not with their guardian. Otherwise, the Bullmastiff is considered a quiet type breed.
- Destruction, chewing and digging: As mentioned, Bullmastiff, when left alone, can turn destructive; they will chew your furniture, destruct your home, tear your clothes, and dig in your backyard. Without being with human friends, this furry buddy starts destroying your house. Sometimes, they can even injure themselves, like breaking their own teeth, damage their nails, and even cutting and scraping their own paws.
- Escaping: Another sign of separation anxiety seen in dogs is their increased tendency to escape. When left alone, they will try to escape out of their confined area.
- Coprophagia: Coprophagia is that eating its own feces has been noticed in some dogs. When coprophagia is due to separation anxiety, the dog will not show this behavior in its guardian’s presence.
How to treat separation anxiety in Bullmastiff?
It is possible to treat mild separation anxiety in dogs. Counter conditioning might prove to be a beneficial remedy to treat the mild cases of separation anxiety in bull mastiff. It would be best if you associated the separation time from the owner with some really good things.
Like when you leave your doggy alone, on returning, reward them with something that they actually love. This helps them make a link between being left alone and reward. They will learn that being alone in the house will bring him something good.
The moderate cases of separation anxiety require much more effort to treat. Along with the above counter conditioning method, there is a need for something more. Like you can leave your puppy alone for some time with his favorite toys, your recorded voice, a T-shirt with your smell, food, and sufficient water for some time. Reward them when they show good behavior being alone in the house. Gradually increase the time.
THE BOTTOM LINE
So the answer for can Bullmastiff is left alone is no. Without proper training, you should not leave your puppy alone in the house.