I just adopted a stray dog from the humane society today and it ran away, but someone brought it back?

Question

the dog is a spaniel mix and one year old, how do I train the dog to obey me and not just run away every chance it gets.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, I keep it on a leash but I opened the front door for one second and it shot out, I just want it to trust us and not try to escape.

Answer 1

This dog is probably confused and stressed from being in the cage at the Humane Society. Give him time to adjust. Shower him with lots of love, make him very happy and content to be in his new home. Be patient, it could take some time. Be sure the yard is secure and on a leash when going beyond the secured yard. Make sure the dog stays away from the doors when they are being opened so he doesn't make that mad dash until he feels comfortable and wants to stay in his new home. If he goes by the door spray him with a spray bottle of water till he learns he can't go out the door alone. He'll learn. Be patient and keep him safe. Good luck and enjoy your new friend.

Answer 2

First of all I want to congratulate you on adopting a dog that really needed a good home! That is so awesome! More people should look to shelters first!
I recommend that you get the book Cesar's Way. The book was written by the guy that does the Dog Whisperer TV show, which if you can watch it, has great training tips
I also recommend that you "practice" when no one is actually at the door and every time you take him/her outside for potty. You could go to the door and open it just an inch and when your dog is right there ready to bolt out, say NO, WAIT and use your foot to move him back. And no I do not mean 'kick" just use your foot and calmly say NO WAIT. Does he/she know how to sit? Then attach the lease and take him/her out. I remember (from the show) that you should not let the dog out the door first. The dog should follow you out of the door because you are the "pack leader".
I wish you the best of luck!

Answer 3

You sound like a responsible dog owner, and accidents do happen to the most experienced of dog owners. Definitly continue to walk your dog on a leash, and do not allow your dog to run free unless you are in a properly enclosed area.

Whenever you or any member of your famiyl is going to the door, make sure you do not allow your dog to dash after you, lurk behind your legs, or get anywhere near the door.If the dog is really uncontrolable, put him in a separate room, or in his crate while people are leaving for his own safety. A better idea is to train your dog to give you your space and stay away from the door when people are coming and and out.

Aside from obedience school, or working with a trainer, the next best thing is to spend hours practicing obedience techniques at home with your dog. Carry around a bagful of healthy treats and practice calling your dog through out the day. As soon as your dog calls you, have him sit, grasp his collar, and give him a handful of treats, tell him he's a good dog and let him go. Once he gets the hang of it, the amount of treats can be reduced. Never call him more than once, and avoid calling him in situations when you know he will not come (such as while he's eating, or while he is fixated on something). This is just going to reinforce the idea that he doesn't have to come when called.

If you can afford it, I would enroll your spaniel in obedience classes. It will do wonders for him!

Answer 4

Your new pet must always be on a leash. Do you have a fenced yard? Dog-proof it: Check that gates don't have gaps. Make sure he hasn't dug underneath. Make sure he can't jump over!

On leash, don't put up with pulling. Stop and change direction. It's a fine line between a quick tug to correct pulling and a yank that could hurt your dog's throat, so don't get too violent.

While you're around the dog, stay calm. Try to be confident! You're the boss, the leader. Your dog might still have some adolescent rambunctiousness in him, but that just means he's the right age to train. Consider going to a dog training class!

Good luck with your new friend. Adopting is cool!

Answer 5

Start by putting it on a leash. Then put up a fence, or a post that you can attach a lead to. Always stay with your dog while it is outside to begin with. Then slowly give the dog more space as it adapts to you and the new home. Think how you would feel if you were separated from the family that you know, got lost, put in a smelly compound, with the smell of animals that have been euthanised all around you, and then a complete stranger puts you in a car, takes you to another strange place, and expects you to stay,without running........The animal will need to learn to trust you before it will stay of it's own accord. Good luck..I had spaniels before, and they are my favorite breed, and easy to train, they just need lots of lovin, Rhea

Answer 6

It must be in a gated back yard or on a leash every time it goes outside! Many young dogs run away because they are full of extra energy. This can be fixed by long brisk walks and trips to dog parks. Because you recently adopted the dog, you don't know its past and therefore you have to be very simpathetic. The dog may have other reasons to be afraid/disobey you. The dog wiil obey you if you are patient and consistant in your training. I suggest using treats to help train it. Also, obedience classes are great because they help train your dog and teach you HOW to continue training it. Best of luck :)

Answer 7

If he is a house dog, lease him when you go out and spend as much time as you can with him. Buy treats and reward him when he comes to you. Reward all the simple good things he or she does. Never disicpline in anger or hitting. Never.

Dogs have to learn to trust first. He will obey what he respects. If he is an outside dog, our laws state that you cant adopt unless the dog will be indoors or you have a fenced area.

Here is a link on training your dog. I hope this helps. There are a lot of great ideas here.

Answer 8

You MUST restrain the dog for at least a week so that it knows where its home is. Keep in house and walk on a leash or chain it outside if you need to, but take it for walks so it gets to know its new surroundings. then lots of love will keep him at home or at least have the will to come home.
Yeah dogs will escape now and then. Just grab himby the collar before you open the door. he will get the idea after awhile.

Answer 9

Well, if you had had the dog on a leash, it would not have run away, right? A dog outside always needs to be leashed. I am surprised the humane society let you adopt the dog if you don't even know this simple rule.

Answer 10

Teach your dog the command "wait" it is one of the best commands you could teach your dog. Put the dog in wait before you open the door. And always teach your dog to walk through the door after you. This will teach him that you are the boss and he can only go when you do. It's a little tough to teach a dog to let you walk through the door first but it is worth it, and teaching it to wait is great for other things too.