The fear that your best friend goes away is something you can prevent if you learn how to train your dog not to run away. Here are some useful tips that will help you keep your dog at home. It is no rocket science, but it requires patience and constancy. You may also need to assess the place to see if there is anything you can put (a fence or a new door) so that your dog stays at home safely.
Whichever is your approach, do not forget to have your dogs’ identification batch updated at all times. Somebody will find your pet if he escapes, and it is better to give them a way to reach you. The dogs that are found in shelters or disappear forever, usually have no identification tag. That makes it harder to guess who owns the dog.
Make your Dog Aware of your Surroundings
One approach on how to train your dog not to run away is to make your dog aware of your surroundings. Most dogs don’t want to run away. They actually just get lost. Especially if they never go for a walk and stay at home most the time, they won’t be able to find their way back in case they end up at an unfamiliar place.
Think of it as you getting to know the city. At first, it is not familiar to you, but as you continue to live in a particular place, it gets more and more familiar. Dogs feel the same about new places.
The best approach to prevent such unfortunate events is to teach them where they are. Go to the park or the store while you walk your dog. That way, they will learn where you live. This may also be an excellent idea when you just moved to a new home. Your dog should be familiar with the new place!
Useful Commands
There are some useful commands on how to train your dog not to run away. Make extensive use of:
- Come
- Follow
- Near
- Sit
- Stay
These commands will help you to prevent your dog from escaping while you are with him.
Controlling Triggers
Identify the triggers that would make your dog want to run away. Then, use training techniques to gain control over its urge to escape, or it’s over excitement. For example, a trigger can be a cat that walks around the neighborhood. As soon as your dog has the chance, he will run away trying to catch him.
Other triggers include loud noises, other animals, or a particular set of lights. Find a substitute for the particular trigger that is causing you issues and start working on how to train your dog not to run away by closing its urge to follow such stimulus.
More Tips
Other tips to prevent that your dog from running away include:
- Keeping the area secured (all fences closed)
- Get enough activities for your pet to keep it entertained.
- Do not change habits without proper training.
Preventing your dog from running away is easy. Just don’t neglect it and you will have no problems with it.
Dog Health
A good recommendation for preventing your dog to run away that can add health points to his count is to have it neutered or spayed. Dogs have instincts, and they are not easily controlled. Most male dogs will feel the urge to mate at some point. They will run away to find another dog to fulfill its urge.
If you opt for neutering your pet, then follow your vet’s advice. Besides getting rid of the possibility of your dog to run away, there are other health benefits, like for example:
- Female dogs live longer because they are not prone to suffer breast cancer or a uterine infection.
- Male dogs avoid testicular cancer, which is less common, but still a possibility.
Also, your dog will behave better, and there will be no chances of an unwanted litter.
Fun / Interesting Dog Facts
Runaway dogs cause primarily two issues: more dogs and crowded shelters. As for more dogs, the solution is to neuter your pet. This will avoid having over 60 thousand more dogs in the following 6 years. That is the worst case scenario if you leave two dogs having litters and their litters having more litters whenever they can.
Did you know that 30% of the dogs that end up at an animal shelter are purebred dogs? Those numbers are impressive, and make us think that most pet owners are not aware of how to train your dog not to run away. If you get a dog from a shelter, make sure you start teaching your beloved pet some healthy habits. Keep him engaged to stay with you for the longest time.
