Why Does My Dog Run Away Every Chance They Get?
Paws Are GoodWhy is My Dog Running Away
Being a dog owner, it is very heartbreaking to lose a pet. There are many possibilities when your dog slips out of the collar, run out of open door, or simply just learns to jump over the fence to escape.
You must be wondering, you are taking care of your dog the best and love your dog the most, but still Why do dog ran away?
Answer is not simple and it has different factors to consider.
1. Breed Characteristic: It's in Their Genes
If you own pure breed of certain dog breeds or even cross breed dog that falls in the runaway characteristics group, then most likely you will experience this run away incident.
It is not that your dog doesn’t love you, but more like they have strong energetic exploration instincts or prey finding abilities.
For example, if you own Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, or similar breed that was used to pull sled in northern lands, or scent hounds like Beagles and Bloodhounds, tend to forget the boundaries or recall command and end up getting lost.
2. Boredom and Lack of Stimulation:
An Idle Mind is a Wandering Dog's Playground
I would say, BOREDOME, yes, a bored dog can be great at getting into trouble. You will be surprised that trouble could be beyond outside of your backyard.
If your dog is not getting enough physical exercise or mental stimulation, they are easy to get bored and end up run away from home whenever they get a chance.
It’s always recommend to provide plenty of toys and food puzzle toys to keep your dog busy and his mind stimulated.
You may find my post how long can you leave a dog alone? useful.
3. Anxiety and Fear:
Anything drastic may cause anxiety in your dog. For example, loud noises, or unknown surroundings, or even drastic changes in dog’s usual environment.
Fireworks and Thunderstorms are couple of factors that can trigger loud noise anxiety in dogs, and make they flee away from the home.
Study also shows that arrival of new born baby might trigger run away dog behavior, in search of safety and jealousy.
Also, some dogs get extreme separation anxiety from owner, and in urge to finding beloved humans, they end up getting lost.
4. Mating Time: Love is in the Air (and Over the Fence)
When your dog want to mate, and gets the scent of female dog in heat nearby, chances are high your dog will run away looking to mate.
Important: Study shows that even neutered dogs experience the urge to mate to a lesser extent.
5. Inadequate Confinement: Opportunity Knocks
Who likes to limit their boundaries? Nobody! If your dog gets a right chance to escape from the usual environment, then out of curiosity to explore, your dog might run away.
For example, open gate, broken fence or even poorly secured leash or collar. Given chances, it is very natural for your dog to run away, even if your dog is well trained and behaved.
Each dog has temptation to explore new things going beyond routine boundaries.
6. Lack of Training and Socialization: The World is Their Oyster
From the day you bring your dog home, make sure to put some efforts in training your dog by teaching certain commands, especially recall commands.
Eagerness is in dog’s gene. If your dog is lacking training to know allowed boundaries or recall commands, it is very easy for your dog to cross allowed boundaries.
Ultimately, your dog will run away as they will not understand the recall command.
7. Old Age: When Something's Just Not Right
Senior dogs sometimes contribute to a dog’s run away tendency. It is not behavior problem in dog, but more like medical condition.
Like humans, senior dogs also experience confusion and disorientation. Also, with age their hearing or vision abilities may get affected, that may make your dog feel unsecured and end up running away.
I recommend to consult veterinarian if your dog is experiencing sudden escape behavior.
Stopping Dog’s Run Away Behavior: Tips and Strategies
If your trying to prevent your dog’s run away behavior then I would say start with addressing your dog’s physical and psychological needs:
-
Secure Your Perimeter: Make sure to get strong fence to keep them secured in your yard. Sometimes dogs learn to open door latch, so make sure to have gate with secured latch.
-
Toys & Activities: Dogs can get bored easily, so consider to provide more puzzle toys and include physical exercise in daily routine. By making playtime fun by adding training sessions can keep your dog engaged and satisfied.
-
Master the Recall: It is very important to train your dog to understand and obey the recall command. If you cannot train your dog for command then take professional help to teach your dog recall command. It is always recommended to reward dog when it reacts to recall command.
-
Neuter: Spaying or neutering your dog can significantly reduce their urge to roam, especially in males driven by the scent of females in heat.
-
Address Anxiety: If your dog's escape behavior is rooted in anxiety or fear, consult with a veterinarian or a certified animal behaviorist.
-
Microchip and ID Tag: Now a days, it is very easy to get GPS trackable collars for dogs, ID tag or even microchips. If you are facing run away behavior often then consider to get your dog microchipped. It will help you track down your dog easily.
What to Do When your Dog Runs Away?
Despite your best efforts, there's always a chance your dog might run away. Following tips will help you handle the situation:
-
Stay Calm and Act Quickly: Do not get panic. Panic won't help. Take a deep breath and start searching immediately areas around you.
-
Check Usual Spots: Check usual spots and routes that you take when you go for a walk with your dog. Also, dogs tend to have their favorite hiding spots in house and outdoors, make sure to check those if you know any.
-
Let Your Neighbors Know: Make sure to inform your neighbors about your missing dog along with photo.
-
Post Missing Dog Posters: Post flyers with your dog's photo and your contact information in your neighborhood, at local businesses, and on social media.
-
Contact Animal Shelters, Rescue Organizations and Vet Clinic: If possible make few calls to animal shelters and rescue organization about your missing dog.
-
Don't Give Up: Continue searching and spreading the word, even if it takes days or weeks. Many lost dogs are eventually reunited with their families.
As in general, dogs are very smart animals, so it is always recommended to understand their behavior in advance to prevent it from happening.
