You always need to teach your dog that coming to you is fun and rewarding. Instead of giving your dog the opportunity to run away, keep him on a collar or harness and leash and only let him off in a safe and inclosed area. Work on recalling your dog diligently in enclosed spaces before ever letting your dog off-leash!
Supervising your dog, giving him something better to do, and improving your fencing can all help prevent your dog from escaping to chase other animals.
Training your dog to stay in an unfenced yard is basic boundary training. You will be showing your dog his boundaries, where he can go, how far away he can be from your or your home, and where he is not allowed to go. Boundary training takes time and repetition.
Don't Run After Your Dog
For most people, the answer to what to do when your dog runs off is to run after them. You hope to catch them and bring them home. In reality, you should fight this urge to chase your dog. If your dog is in your sight, running after it will only cause it to run.
This developmental period officially ends at social maturity between 2 to 3 years of age.
Dogs are well known for their ability to backtrack to a beloved home — or person. Most animal behavior experts attribute their navigating ability largely to a hypersensitive sense of smell.
Use a high-pitched, happy voice and reward them when they come to you. This will make your pup more likely to come the next time you call. Tip: If you have used “come” with an angry tone in the past, choose a different word and start over to give them a positive association with coming when called.
In extreme circumstances, where the dog is repeatedly in danger, the use or a whistle and shock collar may be necessary to prevent the dog from running and putting himself in harm's way.
Remain Calm and Positive When Your Dog Runs Away
“It's counterintuitive, but you want to stay calm and try not to panic,” says Melanie Cerone, a Pennsylvania-based certified professional dog trainer. “Don't scream or yell for the dog.
How far a dog smells depends on conditions such as wind and type of scent, but they have been reported to smell objects and people over 12 miles away. Dogs' olfactory systems work so well that they can be trained to pick up odors as little as a pictogram which is a trillionth of a gram.
If it is an outgoing dog, it will be looking for other dogs and for other humans who are friendly and likely to comfort, feed and shelter it. Neighbors' yards and public parks are spots it will like. If it is a shy or older pet and not trusting of strangers, it will hide. Bushes and under cars are good spots.
A small and active dog can travel for between 5 and 6 hours a day, which equals between 12.5 and 15 miles a day. Larger dogs may be able to walk further, but older and small dogs likely can walk less.
It's not unusual for dogs to grieve the loss of a person they've bonded with who is no longer present. While they might not understand the full extent of human absence, dogs do understand the emotional feeling of missing someone who's no longer a part of their daily lives.
Un-neutered male dogs can also be more prone to roaming than female dogs. Valm also added that un-neutered male dogs can also be more prone to roaming — running away or wandering out of the house in an attempt to find a mate. That said, the likelihood of this behavior can be decreased by neutering your male dog.
Female dogs tend to be more responsive to training and are often less prone to wandering off or trying to swap training time for cuddling time! They are also better at socializing with other dogs, which can make it easier when you're out and about trying to reinforce training.
Many people think an invisible underground wireless electric fence is the best way to keep their dog in their yard. However, they are simply not as effective as you might think. Statistics suggest that invisible wireless electric fences are only about 70% effective.
Never leave your dog unattended for long periods of time, this includes overnight. If something happens to your dog such as heatstroke or hypothermia, the longer it goes unattended the worse it will be for him. Always check on him to make sure he has enough water and is not exhibiting any signs of health issues.
Dogs Don't Reason Like We Do
Although it doesn't make us feel good, we're able to learn from the mistake if it's pointed out to us. However, dogs don't have the ability to reason, which is something that people have a tendency to forget so scolding will not have the same effect on them.
Your dog may be escaping because they are bored and lonely, especially if: They are left alone for long periods of time without opportunities for interaction with you. Their environment is relatively barren, without playmates or toys.
Most likely because they have discovered play and training are mutually exclusive. Whenever you call him back, your dog immediately knows playtime is over and is afraid to do as you requested. More so, he might be afraid to return for fear of punishment.