Dog Problems?

Question

Okay, I have a german shepherd/husky mix and a fox-hound that are constantly running away. We dont live near any big highways or roads but it still worries me.

They jump the fence where they can and climb where they cant. We've tried chaining them up but they're strong enough to break out of the chain or slip out of the collars.

HELP!

They do come back, but its worrysome that they'll get lost or get picked up by some shelter who wont bother to check the implants and put them down or give them away...

To Tenzo:

Yes, I walk my dogs for over an hour but on some days its difficult because of work and other activities.

However, they are usually supervised when they are let outside, but I turned my back for 5 minutes to stir the food and they took off.

And they aren't strictly outside dogs, I cant do that to a dog.. the weather is too harsh out here to do that anyway.

Answer 1

Spy, find out where they are going. I had a problem with this with two of my puppies, the one I followed him without his knowledge and he would go to this disgusting deer carcass, he just loved that thing, but it was too big for him to carry home. I called the city department that cleans up road kill and they cleaned it up. I walked him past there and he sniffed around, but never went back again. The other dog would run away to go see the pigs down the street. So just find out where they are going, and if you can why, and try to fix it from there, they aren't just leaving for no reason.

Answer 2

It's your responsibility to do whatever you have to to keep your dogs on your property. You could build a dog run with a concrete block floor and a roof - that's as escape proof as it comes.

An electronic fence inside your fence may stop them, but there is a lot of training time required and the dog does receive a shock. If you chain the dog up inside the fence, you'd better be damned sure they can't get it caught on anything and hang thmselves.

My personal preference for a jumper is to put something in the way of his take-off point. You can build a horizontal lattice all the way around the inside of your fence up on blocks about four inches off the ground. This should extend from the fence to about 4-8 feet away from it. If you don't want it to look ugly, you can grow roses or another type of thorny vine up through it. Plastic lattice will last longer than the wooden type, or you can use chicken wire. Anything that the dog won't want to walk on. You can also plant a hedge or clumping bamboo around the inside of the fence, but that could take years to grow big enough to stop them.

This may also keep a climber from getting close to the fence, but if it doesn't - try this. Add a small piece of fencing along the top of your fence that angles in, so they can't get a grip on the top of the fence to pull themselves over. Model it after the barbed wire tops on industrial chain link fences, but don't use barbed wire or your dogs could be severely injured.

Answer 3

Invisible fences don't work on dogs who REALLY want out. These dogs sound like they really want out. They will just deal with the shock they would get when they go over the line of the invisible fence and just keep going.

Getting a choke collar and chaining out your dog unsupervised is a great way to wind up with a dead dog. They don't call them "choke" collars for no reason.

Here's a question for you: Do you walk your dogs? Just having a fenced yard is not enough for most dogs. We have a fenced yard, yet our dogs still get an hour walk every day. Just hanging out behind a fence is no fun for a dog and doesn't provide a proper level of stimulation and exersize. Getting out for their daily walk is a major highlight for my dogs, even though they can go hang in the yard whenever they want.

Do you supervise your dogs while they are outside? Again, with our dogs, when we let them out, even if I'm not out there with them, I continually peek through windows to make sure they are okay. And they're never left out for more than a half hour or so unless I'm out with them.

If your dogs are strictly outside dogs, well, I have no advice for you because I just don't understand having dogs and then not ever having them in the house.

Answer 4

I used to own 14 Huskies Had a sled team. Theses dogs need to run. To keep mine tied when I wasn't working with them I had to get some axles from cars at the junk yard had them cut in half and buried them up to the top. You can then attach a log chain to the holes at the top of the axle. Make sure you get a swivel attached too. You might need to use a harness type collar so they can't slip out. You can stop them climbing out by angling some fence inward at the top. That works well with good sturdy fencing.
Most important is to make sure they get plenty of time to run everyday with your supervision.

Answer 5

do they comeback?if they do the reason they do it is cuz there tired of being inside or fenced,the same with my dog,like for 6 months straight she was living inside,so when she went outside,she lived there for like 3 weks,then she got tired of the outside so she came home...i dont man came home like she was on the other side of the city i meant like outa my naibors yard or whereevr........just let him go,and if they dont get to far,thell get tired and comeback,cuz they will start missing you,so now my dog lives outside,but when she wants she goes outside,but now she knows that dont go far,she just plays with other dogs has fun....what if u were a dog and u were sitting on the chain 4 ever?just like u they wanna hav efun...

Answer 6

Get a underground fence. THe elctric fence. you put a collar on the dog and you set where you dont want them to go . and when they go past there they get a small static electriucity

Answer 7

You should try the Invisible Fence, it works great! I own one for my 4 labs and the don't try to get out of the yard anymore because they know they will get shocked! Hope you try it! It cost anywhere between 1,000 dollars to 10,000 dollars but it is worth it! ;-)

Answer 8

Try an electric fence maybe? Or get a higher fence around your yard.

Answer 9

you shouldn't worry i have a lab i let him out all the time with out a leach and leave him out for hours because dogs wont run away from the place they get feed but be sure they have water

Answer 10

you could try those invisible fences. I never used on but I've seen them work. I do think they are kinda' expensive though. Also try taking them to obedience classes/