Home Based Dog Training

Why Do Dogs Run Away?

Dogs are the old time scavengers and love to walk and roam about miles in their environments. Though meeting this need is not possible in today’s world but they still inbred a part of this desire. This is one reason why your dog always charges the door in order to escape! He does not want to go out because he is not comfortable at your home but because he is curious and want to know and extend his territory outside the house also!

The basic reasons that could trigger the dog to escape are:

1. He could be missing his old environment and wants to go back. When a dog is brought to a new home, whether from the breeder’s place or you shift to a new house, the dog misses his old dwelling area and wants to go back.
2. He might be getting some kind of attraction like food or treats at other place and thus wants to visit there.
3. If the male dog is on heat, he will try to escape to get a scent of a female dog. Vice versa, a female dog will try to run away in search of her mating partner. It is their drive to reproduce that forces them to move out.
4. When the dog gets bored, he tries to dig away his way out from the home so as to burn out his energy.
5. Many dogs having that “predator” instinct run out of the house just to chase a squirrel, cat or another dog.
6. Many dogs run out of fear. Like for example the dogs get easily scared of a strong thunder storm and if get a chance to escape they will run and run till the point they feel safe and secured.

The running away of dog though is natural but could be dangerous for them. Many dogs after escaping from the house are able to find their way back home but most of them get lost. In such cases, they become prone to accidents, starvation, getting deceased after coming in contact with the other stray dogs and many unwanted troubles.

The running away of dogs could be reduced if not completely stopped!

1. For all new puppies and the dogs missing their old environment, give them a comfort by your presence. Make their resting place warm, dry and comfortable. Keep them close to you for initial few days till the time they settled down in their new environments.
2. The male dogs should surely get neutered. This reduces their chances of running out of the house in search of female dogs by almost 90%.
3. Moreover if you want your female dog not to be bothered and attracted by the stray male dogs, always drive her in your car for the walks in a park few kilometres away from your house. This will not give her scent to the stray dogs.
4. Prevention is always better than cure. If you are the owner of big dogs, be sure to have strong and high fences all round your house.
5. Make sure the place where the dog spends most of his time, the yard or any room or crate is well equipped with all his basic requirements like food, water and shelter.
6. If the dog runs when scared then try to figure out what is bothering him. Keep him close to you at instances such as thunder and lightening. Many times the loud noises like that of fire works also create problems for the dog. Help him to come out of his fears.
7. There are also available a number of anxiety treating medicines, but they should be given only under a vet’s supervision.