I have just got a year old male boxer that pines when left alone.  I work 4 hours a day and soon will need to leave him alone for this length of time.  When left in the house on previous occasions, he pines, barks and, worst of all, has a little wee.  The barking is acceptable as no one is disturbed but obviously I don't want him to feel distressed.  Does anyone know of any tips to help him become accustomed to spending a few hours alone each day.  Thanks

hi

leave him with apiece of your clothing obviously not your best suit, leave the radio on give him plenty to keep him occupied i leave mine with a stuffed kong, cardboard boxes,boxers thrive on company and enjoy a busy life so being left on their own comes hard to some of them they get bored very easily

j

You need to start to train him to be on his own, it's not a natural state for a dog :(  And for the training period he must NOT be left alone, unless it's for a carefully managed training session, or all your hard work will be undone.  You are looking to reward him with your return when he's quiet and settled, not when he makes a noise.

Also, I know leaving a radio on is often advised for dogs who get distressed, but a lot of the time it's actually just another signal to them that they are alone, and has no positive effect what so ever :(

DAP defussers (available from your vet) can also be useful - but make sure your dog is acutally pining, and not having a doggie teenage party because he's been left ;)