How to Deal with a Dog that Runs Away

To paraphrase words from a famous song by Mr. Springsteen, some dogs are “born to run”.  It’s helpful to remember that dogs’ living ancestors, wolves, roam naturally.  For them, roaming is a natural behavior that involves scouting, hunting, exploration, and discovery.

If you often find your dog escaping from the yard or charging out of the door whenever he gets a chance, it is extremely frustrating and annoying and is potentially very dangerous to your pet and possibly to drivers on the road. Free-roaming dogs, the runaways, can get into lots of trouble and a good number of them end up in animal shelters, or even worse, hit by cars on the roads and highways.

Depending on a dog’s history, or even their breed, there are many reasons why they feel the need to run away.  I cannot stress enough the importance of having your pet microchipped and registering his chip information into a database so that if he flies the coop, there is a greater chance of him being returned to you. Please see my article on Microchipping Your Dog or Cat, dated March 7.  And, always have a safety collar with a slider id tag so that vital information is readily available for anyone who finds your dog.

Reasons Why They Run

Reproductive Drive – Dogs who have not been neutered often wander because they have detected a female in heat, even when they are miles away.  It is important to have your pet spayed or neutered to avoid this from happening.  Please see my article Spay / Neuter Your Pet, dated February 22.

Boredom or Loneliness – Dogs are social creatures who need interaction, physical exercise, and mental stimulation.  A curious and active dog in a small yard or small area in the house is an instant candidate for becoming an escape artist.

Fears and Phobias – Thunderstorms and fireworks- It is natural for dogs to be afraid of loud noises. The sounds trigger their nervous system, and they become anxious or afraid. Running away from the noise is a natural instinct.  Also, there may have been an incident where the dog was scared and caused him to escape from the house.

Moving and Trying to Get Back Home – If you have recently moved, your dog doesn’t really understand that concept and doesn’t realize that he is now in his new home.  All he knows is that he’s in a strange, unfamiliar place and needs to get back to the home that he knows. See my article Moving With Your Pets.

Adventure / Something Excites Them – Excitement can cause some dogs to run away.  If your dog has ever spotted a squirrel or rabbit while you are on a walk and starts to run after it, you have seen how the excitement of this natural urge can cause the dog to want to break free and run.

Tips and Solutions to Stop Dogs from Running Away

Spay and Neuter Your Dog – Neuter your male dog, and if your dog is female, have her spayed so that her hormones don’t draw male dogs from miles around when she is in heat. Not only can this cut down on runaway dogs, but it will help to keep down the overwhelming population of unwanted puppies.

Make Your Yard Escape-Proof – Ensure that your yard is fenced with a sturdy, solid fence to prevent your dog’s escape and unwanted visits from neighboring dogs.  Ties, runs, and electric fences are not recommended because they don’t keep others out and they seem to increase territorial aggression in some dogs.

Enrich Your Dog’s Life at Home – Always, always reward good behavior, and always interact with your dog. Using reward-based training to teach your dog good manners and new tricks will go a long way to enrich his life and make him easier to live with.  In addition, the brain work he experiences will help him to relax and the boredom will diminish.  When your dog goes outside, go with him.  Play with him, talk to him, take long walks and enjoy the interaction with him.  If you work and have to leave him alone for long hours, think about enrolling him in a doggie daycare so that he can interact with other pups in a controlled and safe environment.

Calming Techniques for Fear of Thunderstorms or Fireworks – Always reward calm behavior and don’t wait for your dog to act fearful to give him attention. Praise him and give him affection when he’s completely calm so that he knows that this is the correct way to behave.

Use a snug-fitting calming jacket like Thundershirt, Storm Defender, or Anxiety Wrap when it’s not raining and not after the storm had begun.  Having your dog wear the shirt before the storm, when he’s happy and relaxed will help him associate the sensation of wearing it with feeling calm.

Create a safe, quiet, storm-proof (or fireworks noises-proof) place for your pet. If your dog heads for a certain place in your house when it storms or when there are loud noises, make that his safe zone by adding a blanket, toy, water dish, and treats.  Crates can be safe spots, but it is important to ensure that they are as far away from the storm sounds and noises as possible.

If You’ve Moved Make Your Dog’s New Home Familiar – Surround your dog with his favorite belongings that smell like his old home. Always lead your dog around the new space so that he can sniff everything and get acquainted with it.  Walk him around outside and around the neighborhood to get him acclimated to his new place.   See article Moving with Your Pets, dated May 16, for more information.

Door “Bolters” – If your dog bolts through an open door to get outside and run away, never open a door that leads outside unless you have first made it impossible for him to exit.  Whether answering the doorbell of if you are leaving the house, you must be ready to block his exit every time. This will set the groundwork and make training easier.

Choose a time when you’re calm and patient and not in a hurry to begin training. Leash your dog and ask him to sit. As soon as his rear touches the floor, reach for the doorknob.  He will probably instantly get up. Pleasantly say “Oops!, or”Wait!”  and take your hand away from the door.  Ask him to sit again, then reach for the door. Once again, he will probably get up and once again, you’ll say “Oops” or “Wait!” and take your hand away from the door.  After a few times, your dog will start to get the idea and you may see him getting back into the sit position after getting up.  This is the beginning of his sitting automatically in order to get you to open the door. For this first training session, it is good progress if your dog learns to hold his sit while you turn the doorknob and just barely open the door.  When this happens, say whatever permission word you choose (ok, let’s go, etc) and invite him to go out the door.  Then, take him for a quick walk so that the training ends on a good note.  You can continue to repeat this training process frequently so that your dog remembers the rules and rewards of waiting at the door.

***As difficult as it is to do, do not punish your dog when he comes home. If he is an habitual runaway, he will soon learn that when he does come back home, he will get punished.  This creates an endless cycle that needs to be avoided from the beginning of the behavior.  It’s the same rule as for a dog who is slow in coming when called.  Unless you want him to get even pokier, don’t punish him when he arrives.

………and always reward good behavior!