01/03/2024
Preventing a Dog from Running Off:
Something I have been contacted a for quite often over the years is when someone’s dog goes missing. I am very thankful that I have never had to deal with this on a personal level, I cannot imagine how emotionally painful that must be. Here are some tips on how to prevent that from happening to you. Some of these prevention tips will be obvious to some, but not for everyone. They will include secure enclosures, threshold training, and fixing your dog. Keep in mind none of these are full proof, they will simply reduce the chances of your dog running off.
A secure enclosure, for the purposes of this post, will focus on a fenced area. The height of your fence will depend on the type of dog you have. A six-foot-tall fence is almost always sufficient for a large sized dog like a German Shepherd or a Lab. Having said that, there are some dogs that could easily get over that. There are also dogs that are climbers, like Huskies. They view a chain-link fence as a ladder and will use the openings as paw holds to climb out. For a climber you can look into something called a coyote roller. Originally designed to prevent coyotes from climbing over fences, owners also use them to prevent their dog from climbing out. Other dogs, such as Beagles, are diggers and will make quick work of a fence that only goes as low as the ground. In situations like these owners will sometimes bury fence material below the surface in order to prevent digging out. Again, keep in mind that you need to make sure your fence is adequate for the type of dog you have. Another common reason for dogs escaping is when people leave gates open. Whether it is a child or someone working on your house, it happens more often than you’d think. To prevent this, a self-closing spring could will help close the gate. Also, a self-locking latch would be helpful for when the spring does bring it closed. In addition to having a fence you want to periodically inspect your fence for areas that may need repair. Windstorms, rot, other animals trying to get in, kids playing in the yard can all deteriorate the condition of your enclosure.
Threshold training is teaching your dog a boundary, a line that they cannot cross unless given permission. Another story I have been told a lot is of dogs running out the door because a child or guests came by and left the door open too long. Many of the dogs I have trained I teach a door boundary. We are trying to show them that just because the door is open does not mean they are allowed to run through it. You can do this any door or threshold; I always recommend it with doors that lead outside. This can also be done with the gates on your fences as well.
One common reason that dogs will sometimes take off is when mother nature calls. When a female dog goes in heat, a male dog’s drive to reproduce will take over their thinking. It isn’t just your direct neighbor’s female dog you need to worry about, it can be a dog pretty far away. The numbers vary but it seems that at least ½ miles away is a safe bet. While the problem is more common with intact males wanting to escape, female dogs will also try to escape in order to find a mate.
I am not a fan of tying a dog to a tether outside, so I am not going to cover that in here. A lot of bad can come from a dog being tied up outside and because of that it is not something I can give advice on.
BONUS: If your dog does take off, but comes back, do not punish your dog, no matter how you feel. If you are angry, upset, or frustrated; fake that you are happy and praise the dog for coming back. The human’s brain is thinking “I’m mad/upset that my dog took off and I need to punish it so that it won’t happen again!” Your dog is well beyond that and is focused on returning to its home. If you punish the dog for coming back you could be teaching the dog that the next time it comes back it may get punished for returning.
