Does your dog love to explore even when he’s not supposed to? Do you ever find yourself amazed at how many times your dog is able to escape your yard and wander around the neighborhood? Though its comical at times to look out your window and see your pup sniffing around the front yard and wonder how in the world he got there, it can also be dangerous. When your dog escapes your yard he is at risk of being hit by a car, getting in a fight with another dog, and many other harmful and scary situations. But fear not pet parents! We have some simple explanations and solutions to your dog’s wandering nature.
Reasons That Dogs Run Off
There are a number of reasons why your dog may attempt to leave the confines of your yard. See below for some of the most common reasons that pooches wander off.
Reason #1
First, some dogs escape out of loneliness. If your dog is left in the back yard for too long, she may escape because she is looking for you. Others may seek any sort of social interaction, whether it is with you, your neighbor, or another dog.
Reason #2
Many dogs also roam off because they are attempting to guard their territory. If they see a person walking across the street or another dog close to their yard, they may attempt to leave in order to ensure that those “trespassers” are gone for good.
Reason #3
If you have a male dog that is not neutered, he may escape because there is a female dog in heat somewhere in your neighborhood or close by. If he smells her nearby, he will do just about anything to sniff her out.
Reason #4
Lastly, if you have a puppy or young dog, she may try to escape in order to run around and release her energy if left alone in the back yard for extended periods of time. The same is true for particularly active dog breeds such as sporting or hunting dogs who constantly need to be given a task or motive. These breeds of dogs are also keen smellers and will do the best they can to purse a smell once they have locked onto it.
Solutions
Fence
To prevent your pup from escaping, the simplest solution is to build a fence around your back yard if you do not have one already. If you are not keen to the idea of a wooden fence or if your neighborhood does not allow it, an electric fence is certainly better than no kind of fence.
Additional support
If you are a step ahead of the game and already have a wooden or electric fence, but your dog is still finding a way around it (or under it), we recommend placing stones along the fence to prevent digging. Chicken wire buried under the fence can also prevent your pup from digging under your fence.
Attention and Exercise
To prevent your dog from constantly roaming loose it is also extremely important to give your furry friend as much attention as possible. If you play with your dog in the back yard–throw a frisbee, a tennis ball, a toy–and release a lot of your pup’s energy, they will be less inclined to run around and explore when you leave. Walking your dog daily can also help prevent escaping because a walk releases energy but also provides the dog with companionship and will decrease his sense of loneliness.
To prevent sexual roaming, it seems obvious that spaying or neutering your dog with easily solve that problem. Spaying or neutering your dog is also extremely important because it will lessen the number of stray or unwanted dogs that are in desperate need of homes. We at Animal Fair are in full support of spaying or neutering your pets.
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