You are out for 3 hours to do your groceries and when you are back home, you find your dog greeting you with excitement and jumping on you as if you have been missing for a whole day.
This makes you wonder if time passes differently for your dog? That is, your 3 hours is a whole day for him?
Let’s dig into it.
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How Long is One Day for a Dog?
It’s interesting to note that dogs don’t have the same sense of timing as humans.
In fact, 1 hour for you is equivalent to 7 hours for your dog.
So when you are away for 3 hours, you are out of his sight for almost 21 hours!
That explains why he is so happy when he sees you back home. You have been missing for almost a day.
Based on calculation, ONE day for your dog is merely 3 hours, 27 minutes for YOU!
That is also the reason why your dog ages so fast and reaches his golden age in just a span of 10 years.
How Long Is A Human Day For A Dog?
Using a day of 24 hour calculation, a human day will be 7 FULL days for a dog.
So it is no wonder why your dog will miss you so much when you are out on a business trip or on a vacation.
It is going to be a LONG time before he gets to meet you again.
Say if you are to be away for a week, it will be 49 DAYS before he can catch up with you again.
It is no wonder why he will be overjoyed to see you return home and “jumping” up the roof.
Keep in mind that dogs are social animals, and they simply love to be with their owners.
Does The Day Feel Long For A Dog?
Dogs, by nature, have a higher rate of perception that helps them see things at a faster “pace” than humans.
That makes them feel that a day with humans is extremely long considering that we are not acting as “fast” as what they are expecting.
For instance, it takes maybe 5 minutes for you to collect a newspaper from your doorstep, but it only takes less than 1 minute for your dog to accomplish that.
This makes them feel that your life’s pace is too slow and boring, and he will start to react restlessly.
That is why you will see him exhibiting his boredom through licking his paws, looking at the ceiling, chewing at your furniture or even digging the trash.
You would certainly need to plan some physical and mental simulation activities for your dog to keep him occupied when you are busy with your tasks.
How Long Can You Leave Your Dog Alone?
We’ve all heard various advice about leaving your dog alone in a home.
Some people say it’s fine to leave them alone for a few hours, while others say that you should never leave them alone for more than an hour.
The truth is that no one can tell you with certainty how long you can leave your dog alone in the house because it depends on factors such as the age of your dog, breed, size and his health condition.
A younger dog will have a smaller bladder and needs to have his potty frequently, whereas a senior dog (more than 10 years old) might have a health disorder such as urinary tract infection or dementia and will need more attention from you.
As a general guideline, you shouldn’t leave your adult dog unattended for more than 6 hours a day as he will get stressed when he finds himself alone for a prolonged period of time.
Keep in mind that 6 hours of human time is equivalent to 42 hours dog’s time!
Do Dogs Realize Time?
You may be wondering if your dog knows how to calculate time. That is, does he know if an hour has passed since he was left alone?
The truth is your dog will be able to remember events that have happened, such as he sees you leaving the home, but he will not be able to be aware of the passage of time.
He does not possess the ability to calculate the time and read the clock.
Having said that, his circadian rhythm (his internal sense that lets him know when he should sleep, play or eat) will “tell” him that it’s time for these events and if you are still not back to attend to his needs, he will start to feel stressed.