Leaving your dog for four days or a week
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
You cannot leave a dog alone for a week, or for three or four days, even with an automatic feeder. The RSPCA says never to leave a pet without a responsible person caring for it. The usual choices are a sitter in your home, a trusted friend or family member, or home boarding.
Plan two to three weeks ahead around Diwali, summer holidays and long weekends, when everyone else is booking too. Keep your dog's food and routine the same, write everything down, and leave your vet's details and a signed note allowing treatment.
- Meet your sitter first, free
- PAN-checked, first-aid trained
- A photo every day
- Pay through Petym, never cash
Can you leave a dog alone for a few days if it has food and water?
No. Food and water are the easy part; a dog needs toilet breaks, company, exercise and someone to notice if it falls ill.
Word for word
Never leave your pet on their own without a responsible person to care for them.
PDSA advises against leaving most dogs for more than about four hours at a time. A week is that many times over, with nights alone, no walks and no one to act in a heatwave, a power cut or an emergency.
Why is an automatic feeder and a camera not enough?
Because they solve the bowl, not the dog.
Feeders, water fountains and pet cameras sell well for this search, and they are useful extras. But a feeder cannot let a dog out to toilet, walk it, refill a water bowl that has been knocked over, or take it to a vet. A camera shows you a problem from far away; it cannot fix it. If your dog is distressed, injured or overheating on day two, you will be watching it on your phone.
In India the gaps are bigger. A camera and a Wi-Fi feeder both stop when the power and the router go off. Water evaporates quickly in summer. And the RSPCA estimates that 8 out of 10 dogs find it hard to cope when left alone, with half showing no obvious sign. The ASPCA notes that most dogs with separation anxiety do fine as long as someone is with them, which is the point: the answer is a person.
What are your options for a week away?
All of these work for some dogs. Pick by your dog's temperament, health and how well it copes with change.
Most familiar
A sitter who stays in your home
Your dog keeps its own bed, its walks and its routine. The RSPCA says having someone look after a pet in your home is usually best, and that a sitter who stays in your home usually works best. RSPCA (England and Wales)
If they know dogs
Family or a trusted friend
The RSPCA's first choice. Works well if they know your dog, can keep its routine and will follow the care sheet exactly. RSPCA (England and Wales)
A home, not yours
Home boarding with a sitter
Your dog stays in a sitter's home. Suits sociable dogs; ask about other pets, the space and the society's rules.
Short trips only
Daily visits plus walks
Two or more visits a day can work for a calm adult dog on a short trip, but it still means long stretches and nights alone. Not for a week.
Check first
A kennel or pet hostel
PDSA says to check before booking that kennels are licensed, clean and that the dogs are well cared for, and to expect your dog's vaccination record to be checked. PDSA
How should you plan a week away with a dog?
Start earlier around festivals and school holidays, when sitters, boarders and kennels fill up.
Three to four weeks before
Decide the type of care. Check your dog's vaccination record and tick prevention are up to date, as the RSPCA advises before leaving a pet with a carer. RSPCA (England and Wales)
Two to three weeks before
Meet the sitter at your home with your dog. Ask your questions, watch how they handle your dog, and agree visit times or the overnight plan.
One to two weeks before
A trial: a short visit, an evening walk or one night, so your dog meets the carer before you leave. The RSPCA suggests introductory sessions first. RSPCA (England and Wales)
The week before
Write the care sheet: food, walks, medicines, habits, fears, the vet and the nearest 24-hour vet. Buy enough food for the whole trip plus extra.
The day before
Hand over keys, show the sitter around the flat and the society, introduce them to the security desk, and sign a note allowing vet treatment. PDSA
The morning you leave
A normal walk and breakfast. A calm, short goodbye.
While you are away
Expect a daily update. Answer calls from the sitter quickly; keep your phone on.
When you return
A quiet arrival and the usual routine. Watch appetite, energy and the tick check for the next few weeks.
When are Indian holidays hardest to plan around?
When everyone travels at once.
Diwali week, the summer school holidays in April to June, Christmas and New Year, and long weekends around national holidays are when families travel, and when good sitters, home boarders and kennels get booked up first. PDSA's holiday advice notes the best catteries fill up quickly in school holidays and says early booking is essential; the same is true for dog care in India.
Diwali needs extra thought. If you are travelling at Diwali and your dog is scared of firecrackers, it will face the noise without you. Tell the sitter what calms your dog, ask them to walk it early in the evening before the crackers start, and see the Diwali guide. Wedding seasons bring late-night band baajas and fireworks too.
Summer brings heat. The sitter needs to know your dog's walk times (early morning and late evening), how to use the inverter, and which room stays coolest. In the monsoon, add the tick check and drying paws after walks.
What helps a dog cope with a week without you?
Do
- Keep its usual food. PDSA says a sudden change can upset a dog's gut and cause diarrhoea. PDSA
- Keep the routine: the same walk and meal times, written down for the sitter. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Leave a worn item of your clothing or its bedding if it is staying away from home. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Leave your vet's details and how to reach you, plus a signed letter allowing the carer to take your dog to the vet. PDSA
- Pack every medicine with its prescription. Merck Veterinary Manual
Don’t
- Leave a dog alone for days with a feeder, or with a neighbour who will only look in once a day.
- Switch food the week you leave. PDSA
- Punish a dog that chewed or soiled while you were away. The ASPCA says punishment can make an anxious dog worse. ASPCA
- Book a carer you have never met with your dog.
- Assume the cook or maid will 'keep an eye' on the dog unless they have agreed to and know the plan.
Which dogs need extra planning before a week away?
If A dog with separation anxiety.
Company most of the time: a sitter who stays, or day care. The ASPCA says such dogs should not be left alone outside training while they are treated. Talk to your vet before the trip. ASPCA
If A puppy.
Toilet trips every 2 to 3 hours in the day (PDSA), and someone there for most of it. A puppy needs a sitter who stays or home boarding, not visits. PDSA
If A flat-faced, old or thick-coated dog in summer.
PDSA lists them as most at risk of heatstroke. The sitter must keep walks to cool hours and know the signs. PDSA
If A dog on medicines or with a condition.
A written schedule from your vet, and a carer used to giving medicines. Print it with Petym's medication schedule so every dose is ticked off.
What should be ready before you leave for a week?
- A carer you have met, who has met your dog.
- Enough of your dog's usual food for the whole trip, plus a few days extra. Merck Veterinary Manual
- Medicines with prescriptions, and the dose times written down. Merck Veterinary Manual
- Vaccination record, and tick and flea treatment up to date. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Your vet's details, the nearest 24-hour vet, and how to reach you. PDSA
- A signed note allowing the carer to take your dog to the vet and authorise treatment. PDSA
- A care sheet with routine, habits and fears (use Petym's free care sheet).
- Keys handed over, the security desk told, and household help told who the sitter is.
- Collar with an ID tag, leash and poo bags where the sitter can find them.
Should you take your dog with you instead?
Sometimes, if the trip suits a dog. Often a week at home with a sitter is easier on it.
The RSPCA suggests that if a dog might be worried or stressed on holiday, it is best to leave it at home with a responsible person to care for it. A dog that travels well, on a road trip to a pet-friendly stay or to family in another city, may enjoy coming along. A dog that is anxious in cars, old, flat-faced in summer heat, or not used to new places usually is not.
Think about the trip from your dog's side: hours in a car or train, an unfamiliar flat, other animals, and days spent waiting in a hotel room while you are out. If most of the week is sightseeing, weddings or work, the dog will spend it alone somewhere new. Petym's pet travel guides cover flights, trains and road trips in India if you decide to take it.
How will Petym handle a week-long stay?
Petym is not taking bookings yet; it opens city by city once its sitters pass Petym's checks. When it does, a week away will work like this: a free meet and greet with the sitter before the first booking; your dog's plan followed as you write it, with feeds, walks and medicines logged as they happen; a photo update every day of the booking; and in an emergency, the sitter calls you and takes your dog to the nearest 24-hour vet on the city's list. You book and pay through Petym, and the sitter is paid after the booking.
Going away soon? Tell us your dates.
A checked local sitter feeds, walks and keeps your pet company at home, follows your care sheet to the letter and sends a photo every day. Petym is opening city by city: send your dates and we will tell you when a sitter can take them.
- Meet your sitter first, free
- PAN-checked, first-aid trained
- A photo every day
- Pay through Petym, never cash
Questions owners ask
Can I leave my dog alone for 3 days with an automatic feeder?
- No. A feeder covers food but not toilet breaks, water that gets knocked over, exercise, heat or illness. PDSA advises against leaving most dogs for more than about four hours, and the RSPCA says never to leave a pet without a responsible person caring for it. Arrange a sitter or a trusted person.
Is it better to leave my dog at home with a sitter or board it?
- The RSPCA says having someone look after a pet in your home is usually best, because familiar routines reduce stress. Home boarding can suit a sociable dog that settles easily in new places. For a nervous dog, a puppy or a dog with separation anxiety, a sitter who stays in your home is usually the easier change.
Will my dog think I have abandoned it if I go away for a week?
- Dogs do not understand a trip, but they do notice changes in routine and company. Keeping the same food, walks and meal times with a carer it has already met makes the change smaller. The RSPCA suggests introductory sessions before you leave so your dog settles with the carer.
How far ahead should I book care for Diwali or summer holidays?
- As early as you can, and at least a few weeks ahead. Families travel at the same times, so sitters and boarders get booked up first around Diwali, the summer school holidays, Christmas and long weekends. Leave time for a meet and greet and a trial visit before the trip.
What should I leave for the person looking after my dog for a week?
- Your dog's usual food for the whole stay plus extra, every medicine with its prescription and dose times, the vaccination record, your vet's details and how to reach you, and a signed letter allowing them to get vet treatment. PDSA's holiday leaflet recommends that letter. A written care sheet covers the rest.
Should I say goodbye to my dog before leaving for a trip?
- Keep it short and calm. A long, emotional goodbye can make leaving a bigger event for an anxious dog. A normal morning walk and breakfast, then leaving quietly while the sitter is there, is usually easier on the dog. If your dog panics when you leave, talk to your vet before the trip.
My dog is acting strange after I came back from a week away. Is that normal?
- Some dogs are clingy, tired or off their food for a day or two after a change. Keep the routine, give it quiet time, and watch appetite and energy. If it stops eating, vomits, has diarrhoea or seems unwell, call your vet. After a stay, keep checking for ticks for a few weeks.
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Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- RSPCA (England and Wales): Pet sitting (opens in a new tab)
- RSPCA (England and Wales): Taking your pet on holiday (opens in a new tab)
- PDSA: How to help your dog be comfortable with time alone (23 January 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- RSPCA (England and Wales): Separation-related behaviour in dogs (opens in a new tab)
- ASPCA: Separation anxiety (opens in a new tab)
- PDSA: Holiday health for pets (leaflet) (opens in a new tab)