Why do dog runs away? The reasons dogs run away are varied, the typical situation is one where our four-legged friend hears a female in heat and digs under the garden fence to meet his “Juliet”. Not only that, a dog that escapes could be driven by fear of thunderstorms or fireworks. We try to understand why the dogs run away and how to teach the dog not to run away…
Why do dog runs away?
We try to list all the possible reasons why dogs run away:
- Attraction for the opposite sex: amale dog is able to sense a dog in heat even from kilometers away. If it is a hunting breed, it is able to sniff even farther;
- Canine territory that is not well defined: somedogs don’t understand that their domain ends with the garden fence;
- Boredom and loneliness:the dog escapes because of boredom, loneliness and lack of distractions;
- The dog thinks he is the pack leader-if in your family the dog is the one who commands, he might decide to come and go as and when he wants;
- Adoption problematic: in the post-adoption period, we may have the dog of adjustment problems and difficulty in establishing links with new family.Without this link the dog prefers to go elsewhere;
- Bad sense of direction: it can happen that over the years an older dog may forget the way home and not know how to go back;
- Fearful dog: often loud noises and strange noises (firecrackers etc.) are primarily responsible for the dog that runs away;
- Lack of control:the dog runs away because of his irresistible urge to move;
- Separation Anxiety. If your pet is particularly attached to a family member, she could run away to look for him.
How to teach your dog not to escape | Dog escapes remedies
Once the cause is determined, it will be much easier to teach your dog not to run away, or rather, it will be a much simpler remedy!
- Dog escapes for love: Strengthen the fence of your garden and in the worst cases, think about neutering your dog
- Close the limits of the garden with hedges and a strong fence. If you see intention in crossing the fence immediately call him back and play with him. Slowly become aware of the insurmountable boundaries;
- Increase the number oftimes you walk the dog and play a little more with him: In this way, once he is sleepy, his only thought is to have a nice nap without digging holes in the garden or planning his next escape
- If thethinks he’s the boss, contact a dog behaviourist who can help.
- First of all if you adopt a dog, don’t even think about leaving him alone in the garden all day. Especially in the beginning, you will have to spend much time with him trying to make him understand that belongs to your family, show your love and give the dog a collaborative role;
- As for the senior dog who has difficulty finding the way home, make sure you never leave him alone;
- Regarding the dog that runs away for fear of loud noises, if the cause is predictable, gradually get the dog used to the noise;
- If you have a dog who runs away because of a total lack of control, best to consult a canine behaviourist;
- In the case of separation anxiety, there are many techniques to encourage your dog to detach a little bit.
What to do if the dog runs away
If the dog runs frequently is very important to provide it with a tag and microship (now mandated by law). They are two indispensable tools for finding the dog. Moreover, after having taught your dog basic commands, definitely do not forget to teach your dog not to leave the yard. The thing you must never, ever do, is to scold the dog on his return, this is because the dog does not know the reason for the reprimand and does not connect the punishment to why he escaped. He may just think you are unreasonable , prompting him to run away again. When he comes back, welcome him with open arms- this warm welcome may prevent or reduce the irresistible desire to run away from home.
