my dog keeps running away what should i do?

Question

We got our dog about three months ago and she is starting to run off! When hses in the house she come when called but when she is outside she doesnt listen. We keep her on a leash not all day but she still gets away. Is there anything i can do to get her to stop?
Please help me!!

Answer 1

The only thing we found effective ( we had huskies- they would consider whether to listen to our yelling or not) was a shock collar. You can set it to different settings, depending on how sensitive your dog is. You call her name (in an authoritative voice) and if she doesn't listen, shock her and call again. If she still doesn't listen, repeat until she comes back. Eventually, you will not need the collar and she should listen (because she associates running away with the shock)
You also need to be very firm on where the boundaries of the yard are to help her establish boundaries.

Answer 2

Remember that dogs are pack animals. I think that is very important to remember. You need her to recognize you as pack leader. You need to take into account what breed she is. I don't believe it is mentioned. We have beagles and they literally lead with their noses. Once they catch a scent it is almost impossible to get their attention.

I did say almost. I highly recommend the Premier Pet Gentle Leader Training Dog Collar. I believe you can get them at petsmart. Also, while training your dog it is important to remember that there is a difference between potty walks and leasure walks. Potty walks should allow the dog a little leeway to sniff - so to say. For leasure walks you need to train your dog to stay by your side.

I puppy training class or dog training class, IMO, is a must for even the best of dogs. This is not just to teach the dog, but to teach you how to train that dog. Every dog will be different, they each need something special.

I don't usually recommend using a cookie or "treat" to call your dog to you. What happens if you don't have a treat, or it is an emergency? I have found that for most dogs "love" is a more effective training treat. This will not work on all dogs. But it has worked on all of mine.

There was some really good advice from others on the board as well. ID's and microchips are required where I live and would highly recommend them. Plus, if you didn't aquire your dog to be a breeder (and it doesn't sound like you did), spaying and neutering is truely the kindest thing you could do for your dog. Sorry this is so long, but there is really a lot of things that can help you with your problem.

Answer 3

Some dogs definitely are more prone to running away if they get any chance at all. You have to make the extra effort to keep them at home, whether it's putting up a good fence, keeping them on a leash when they're outside, or working with a really good trainer to eliminate the problem. I have a dog like that and it's frustrating. I've had to really escape-proof my fence. Also, for those times when she does get away from you, it's a good idea to have your dog micro-chipped and/or have an ID tag on her collar.

Also, make sure your dog gets plenty of supervised exercise. Dogs do love time off their leashes. Look around for a fenced-in dog park where you could let her run without worrying.

Answer 4

If you don't have a fence enclosing your yard, your dog should never be outside unsupervised. I don't like this sort of thing, but you could tie your dog up when she's outside, or just never let her off a leash. It's very dangerous to have a dog who runs away a lot. Not only could she be hurt by other dogs, cars, or people, she could also hurt someone else, which would get you into a lot of trouble. You are responsible for your dog at all times, whether she is in your yard or not. If she bites someone while she's out on the run, you will have a lawsuit on your hands.

Answer 5

You need to get a fenced in yard. If you cant then you need to take her out on a leash only. Keep her in the house the rest of the time. Do not let her run off, she might get hurt or worse. It only takes one time.

Answer 6

Never punish her for running off. If you have, this is why she won't come to you. If she took off, and finally came back, and you yelled or punished, she's now afraid to come back. You have to fix that, and patience is the only way.

I bought a 30 foot training line, and took my dog out in a park/field. He took off, and I called him..and gently "reeled" him back in with the lead. When he got to me, he got a treat. We did this for 10-15 minutes every day. It rapidly got to the point, where I barely said his name and he came.

Now, I would never let him off leash when I'm outside, but I'm pretty confident he'd come to me. Additionally, I always have some sort of treat on me when I'm with my dog. He may not come to his name, but he's never going to ignore the word "Cookie".

Same thing works in the house. We "play" at him coming to his name, and there's always a treat in for him, and lots of praise and petting. Even when he gets into something, he's been taught to "drop it". If he drops it on command, despite the fact he's gotten into something, he gets praised for the "drop". I also show him the bad thing and tell him "no".

Answer 7

first off, don't keep her chained up outside. Second, pet her ALOT. Try to bond with her. If you're watching a movie, hold her in your lap. pet her ALOT. Just show her you love her and she will be so attached to you that she won't want to run away. She will see herself as part of the "pack", not a seperate entity.

Answer 8

This might not be very helpful for your question but, if your dog keeps running away, take her to your vet and get a microchip implanted into her. If she runs really far and someone finds her and takes her to a vet they can scan the chip, then they will call you and tell you that they have your dog.

Answer 9

Check out some dog training books at your local library.

Answer 10

It's really what all does do!
They run away when they are out in the open.
Build a fence.