2 year old boxer on a dogwatch fence since day one is now jumping the fence and running away-how to stop?

Question

We have a two year old boxer that has always respected the electric dog fence line. Recently he has started jumping the fence. The collar and fence are active-new battery. Matter of fact we just upgraded the collar from a two to four prong. Collar is on the highest level. The collar is good and tight (not too tight). We have a large yard over an acre. There are two sections to the yard. The front yard is open with just the dog watch fence. There is also a physical fence and dogwatch fence in the backyard. In the front yard he will shoot right across the fence. In the backyard he actually will get hit with a few surges from the dogwatch collar while digging to go under the backyard fence. This has happened all of sudden. For the first two years I could let him have run of the yard. In the front yard he would actually be sitting on the driveway until I pulled in from work. now I can't even let him out front as he will bolt. the dog is fixed and is not abused. Any ideas

First, thank you all for your answers. this boxer is the most emotional dog I have ever met. We had a prior boxer for 9 years who passed. The sensor on dogwatch has been adjusted to max. We have a 7 year old boy that runs this dog 24/7 so exercize is not an issue. the dog is very sensitive and I think a big issue is seeing us and my son leaving the yard for work and school. the dog does have run of the house during the day. When I leave he runs upstairs and looks out the bedroom window. In the past, he had run of the yard, but over the past two weeks i can't do that anymore as he will be gone. As a matter of fact, the times that he has taken off we have been home. I was not watching him (in the house). tonight, we were in the house, dog in the backyard, and he went under the the physical fence, getting zapped a few times, I am sure by the dogwatch fence. It's almost like he is mad at us. we love this dog, but we can't keep chasing or waiting by the phone for some to call.

Answer 1

I've been owned by Boxers for over 40 years. In all that time I've only had one Boxer that acted like yours. She became a full time indoor dog who had several long walks on leash every day. She finally settled down to where we could trust her to stay within a fenced yard when she was about 5 years old. Good luck.

Answer 2

I know exactly how you feel.We owned a boxer and he would run away all the time.But his problem was that he was not nuetered.Since he is a escape artist the first thing I would suggest is getting rid of the collar and electric fence.Get a good size fence (one that is also fenced in on top). Secondly make sure that you place boards or some type of fencing or barriers underground all around the fence line.That way he cant jump over the fence or dig his way out.
I would also suggest excersizing him more.Most behaviour problems are associated with the dog being bored,or having alot of pent-up energy.Imagine how you would feel being in the house alot and than if you go outside you are in a fence.See if there is a dog park in your area,or take him for walks,(put it in your schedule,make it a family thing)or just go out in the fence with him and play freesbie with him or toss a ball around.Also get him some good chew toys(like a kong),and bones or rawhide.It will give him something to do.

Answer 3

Shock collars are inhumane. Get rid of it. Put up a regular solid fence. Then he cannot see what's on the other side and be tempted.

Then, and this is the most important part. Involve him in your life. Take him for walks, play fetch, etc. It sounds like he is bored and lonely. All dogs need to be with their people, but Boxers especially so. They need alot of exercise and mental stimulation. As you are finding out now, Boxers are free thinkers. If you do not keep him adequately entertained, then they will find ways of entertaining themselves and that may not be to your liking.

Is he outside all the time? All day while you are at work? How about doggy daycare or hiring a dog walker to come and take him out during the day?

Answer 4

If the shock collar is working properly, he's gotten used to it and it will no longer be effective. Personally, I would put a physical 4 or 5 foot fence up and keep the dog-watch fence about 3 foot back inside the physical fence. The fence will act as a real barrier and hopefully the dog-watch system will keep him from approaching or digging under.

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Answer 5

Boxers can be stubborn. I had a male who pretty much laughed at me when we tried to use a shock collar/fence. We had to employ some behavior modification. We put him on a leash and would let him walk the yard on the lead, but anytime he got close to the boundary, we gave him a stern "bad dog" of no. When he backed away, we praised him. It took forever, and he still occassionally stepped across the line (jumped the fence, actually!)

Maybe your best bet would be to try to find what he is after when he makes his escape. Since he is neutered, I guess it's not a girl! Find what's drawing him out, and perhaps that will help you find a solution. Good luck!

Answer 6

When my dogs were puppies - they were diggers. So, I reinforced my chain link fence with a radio fence. I buried the line just outside the fence (so the dogs can't dig it) and trained them on the beeps and the shock collar. That did it. The other advantage is if the gate gets left open by accident - he's still not going to leave the yard. When I installed the fence - I tested it by shocking myself on it. It feels like a really bad static electric shock. It did not hurt. But I tested the fence on all 4 sides and by the time I got to side #4, I was not looking forward to getting shocked by it. You can purchase the equipment at Home Depot and install it yourself. I did it for about $300.00.

Answer 7

Well, my first question was going to ask if the dog is neutered, but right at the end, you state he is. Aside from that, they usually don't feel the need to run off, even if there is a female in heat somewhere.

I would probably recommend re-training him. Sounds like he wants to be a poop-head and act like a rebelling teenager. Reinforce the fact that you are in charge and he needs to do as he is trained and if not, there are consequences (just like with kids). He needs to be punished if he tries to run off or does run off and with that, I would put him in a kennel for a short time, all the while, saying bad dog or naughty dog or whatever you call him when he's bad. I point my finger at whatever my dog does (usually the garbage) and the tail goes right between the legs and she walks away to lay down by herself. She knows when she's been bad. Be consistent. Good luck.

Answer 8

First, I have owned (or been owned by) 13 rescued boxers over the past 10 years. We tried the shock collars with some of them and finally gave up. There's no containing any dog who hates to be contained. Period. Leave him inside while you are away as long as he doesn't tear it up or pee all over. Leave some classical music on the radio for him. Believe it or not, this really calms my two with separation anxiety. If all else fails, buy him a very large crate and use it. Put his bed in there and just encourage him to go in and leave the door open until he goes in on his own.
Hope this helps! Good luck.

Answer 9

I have a 2 year old boxer as well. He was a wedding gift from my in laws who breed them. Major Bruno. As he is my screen name. He has eaten in merchandise way more than what he could be sold for. The only thing that works for him is constant monitoring and training(constant training). I am able to let him out w/o a leash in the yard. My yard is not the size of yours. I still have to watch as he will look for me in the windows while he's out there to see if I'm watching. I can also have him out w/o a leash while I'm out with him. He does know what his boundaries are but, will test them constantly if he thinks I'm not watching.

Now that he has become immune to the collar, my only thought /suggestion would be to physically walk him around the perimeter w/o a leash and scold him every time he crosses until he learns there are still negative repercussions for breaking rules. Remember that for every negative response to his actions there should also be a positive one for his correct actions. Good luck to you!!

Answer 10

Turn up the width of the signal on the box the wires are connected to. (Instead of 3 feet, do 6 feet). Take the collar off of the dog and walk up to the fence line and see what width you have.