Why Dogs Escape or Run Away

You have probably experienceda dog escape; if not your own dog, then perhaps your neighbor’s dogs.

I have come across many free-roaming escapees, while walking my dogs in the neighborhood. Many of them will follow us, for a time, and go to locations we have visited to smell our scent. They often cross roads on their own, to do so.

Free, unsupervised roaming is dangerous for the escaped dog because he could be hit by cars, step on broken glass, or eat something poisonous (many popular ornamental yard plants are poisonous to dogs).

Make sure to microchip our dog, and securely fasten dog tags onto his flat collar.

Escape dogs are also dangerous to pedestrians, especially children. Children are often seen as prey because of their smaller size, excited energy, and fast movements.

Escape dogs are also dangerous to other on-leash dogs, who may become attack targets because they are in the escape dog’s perceived territory, or simply because they appear too dominant or too submissive.

If a dog has escaped before, it is not sufficient to just block his current escape route. He will almost always find another way to escape.

The best way to stop a dog from escaping is to first identify why he is escaping, and then fix the root cause of the escaping behavior. This will bring long-lasting results, that will also lead to a better quality of life for our dog.

The most common reason for a dog to escape is simply boredom. Dogs need physical and mental exercise every day. Therefore it is important to walk our dog at least once every day, as well as to engage him in mental activities including dog play, interactive food toys, and dog obedience training.

Certain dog breeds need less exercise because they have lower energy levels, while others may require at least several hours of activity every day. Make sure to research dog breeds carefully, so that we pick a dog that suits our lifestyle. Whatever breed we choose however,daily dog exercise is an absolute must.

Dogs are pack animals. As such, they enjoy interacting with other dogs and with people. If we do not have much time to spend with a dog, he will become lonely and may try to seek attention and interaction elsewhere.

If we were locked up all day with nobody to talk to, we would also get lonely and look for escape.

Some dogs get extremely stressed and/or fearful when left alone. These dogs may try to escape in order to find us, and be reunited with his pack. While such stories are often touching and may make us feel needed, separation anxiety is unhealthy and may become dangerous for our dogs.

If our dog has separation anxiety issues, slowly desensitize him to spending time-alone. Go very slowly, and do not push him too far, too quickly.Dog medication is also available for treating the symptoms of separation anxiety, but they should only be used in the short-term, together with a rigorous behavioral modification program.

Some dogs, especially dogs that have not been well socialized, will get threatened by people and other dogs who pass by their perceived territory, for example the fence line around their home. These dogs may feel so threatened that they will try to escape in order to chase intruders off their property.

Territorial dogs are often dangerous, because they may will likely attack trespassers, be they cat, dog, or human. Many mail-carriers will attest to being at the wrong end of an overzealous, untrained guard dog.

Finally, some dogs are driven to escape because of instinct. The most common is prey instinct. All dogs are predators, and some dogs are bred to have a very strong prey drive. When such dogs see their mortal enemies,Mr. Squirrel, or Mr. Cat scampering by, they are driven to give chase.

Some may be so driven that they will perform great Houdini like feats to get to their prey. If our dog has a strong prey drive, make sure to install a solid, opaque fence so that he will be less exposed to external temptation.

As pointed out by Cardozo7, scent hounds such as Beagles may become very focused with following a scent trail and follow it anywhere, even outside our house and backyard.

Dogs may also be driven to escape by the instinct to mate with nearby female dogs, who are in heat. To prevent this behavior, consider neutering our male dogs. Neutering and spaying will also prevent unwanted litters.

Some ways to discourage our dog from escaping include -

• Train our dog on good door manners before going on walks.
• Give our dog daily mental and physical exercise. A well exercised dog will have less interest in going out to find adventure on his own.
• Keep our dog busy with interactive food toys and safe chew toys while we are away.
• Properly secure our backyard and make sure there are no easy ways of escape.
• Train our dog on acceptable guarding behavior so that he does not practice obsessive territorial behavior.

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