Dogs, like us, get bored. The difference is we can call up a friend and go out in the town or go shopping, fishing, or what ever it is we all like to do. Dogs are usually found stuck at home. Put your self in their shoes. If you were stuck at home ALL the time, wouldnt you look for ways to escape too? Now even if you were stuck at home all the time, you would still be able to watch TV, read a book, play on the computer, clean the house, and lots of other things. We can even eat when we want to eat. Dogs on the other hand are usually left with nothing to occupy them at all. Take away all the things you can do and think about how awfully bored you would be!
Dogs also have a lot of energy. They need ways to burn this energy. If youre not giving this to them, then yes, they are going to look for a way to do this themselves. Running away is usually what they come up with, only its a lot of fun because they arent having to pull their owner along behind them on a leash trying to go and do what they want. They can simply just go!
Not only do dogs have a lot of energy, they also have a mind. Their mind also needs a way to be stimulated. Think about a slow day at work and your just sitting there watching the clock. Arent you bored out of your mind? Dogs get this way too! Do something with them, anything! Play a game, training, tricks, interactive toys, anything to get them thinking! Save them from being bored out of their mind! If you dont, once again they will look for a way to save themselves, usually ending up in trouble or running away.
Dogs need to get out of the house! Dont let them be locked up at the house ALL the time. Even if they are outside. Take them with you on errands, take them for a walk where they can go up to people and see others. Let them sniff the trees and go on an adventure! Schedule play dates with other dogs, if they like other dogs, or with kids if they like kids and you know some. Take them to the park if they are allowed. Sign up for some classes you can take them too. Getting them out will help prevent them from the need of running away.
Now, if you have done all the above and your dog is still running away, then perhaps he has a special place or thing he likes to do when he is out. Perhaps you should try to play detective and see if you can follow him. Maybe he goes to a certain persons house every day that has kids, lets him in, gives him left overs and loves on him all day before sending him back home. Maybe hes met a certain dog that he just loves to play with. If you are able to follow him and see where he is going, and you find that this is the case, you can try to set up a time with that person, or the owner of the dog, to have your dog come over and play.
Your dog could also just know of some great places to get food. Lots of restaurants tend to put food out in the dumpsters and such, perhaps hes found a great one with a lot of food to eat. See if you can find out where your dog is going, what hes doing there, and if there is anything you can do in your time with him to provide the same thing. He obviously loves this activity so much he escapes the yard to do it! Youll find a lot of dogs who escape tend to have a routine they do. Find out what that routine is.
Once you have looked into fulfilling all of your dogs needs, now you can look into ways to go about training your dog to stay in the yard. There are many things out there that can help. I am a huge fan of Don Sullivans Secrets to Training the Perfect Dog [DVD]
. His system is awesome and I recommend it to everyone all the time. If your all about clicker training and positive reinforcement, this video is NOT for you. If treats and clicker isnt working in all aspects for you, if your dog is still pulling on leash, having ANY aggressive behavior, has separation anxiety, stealing food from table or kids hands, check out this video. Don also has an amazing guide on boundary training to teach your dog how to stay in the yard! He even shows you how to take this training with you where ever you go, teach your dog to stay off the road, teach your dog to stay in your camp ground, and so much more! Don is an amazing trainer and its very obvious in his full packed DVD set. He teaches you how to get your dog off leash and reliable, and to come no matter what! His methods work fast too.
I know I kind of went off on this, but I absolutely love his system. I have it myself, I watch the videos all the time and learn more and more from them. I have used his methods in my training and have an excellent results. Check it out, it will be well worth the money!
If your looking for something else, check out the PetSafe Wireless Pet Containment System, PIF-300
. I know a few people who have this and they have all had great luck with it. Its really easy to use, just plug it in. You should follow the training guide and such as well to be sure your dog knows where the boundary is. The training will also help you to eventually be able to take the collar off the dog and have them stay home. You can even take it camping with you and your dog will stay in the camping grounds. It lets you adjust how big of a circle they have to stay in, so it can be a very useful tool to use. Hopefully I gave you some good tips and such and I highly recommend looking into both of those! I think with either youll be happy and your dog will be staying home in a short amount of time. No more worrying about them getting hit by a car.
