Household Escape Artists

Written by Colin Seal

05/26/2014 Dog Bark Collar, Barking Dog Collar

Canines are escape artists by nature. Escaping is a serious problem for both you and your dog, as it can have tragic consequences.
If you have an off-leash dog in your yard, he is in danger of being hit by a car, getting injured in a dog fight or being hurt in several other ways that we wouldn't want to imagine. Escaping your property may lead to this and I’ll explain why they do it.

Why do dogs escape?

There are several possible reasons why your dog would love to escape. It doesn't always mean they want to run away but if you try and look at things in their perspective, you can solve the problem easily. Below are a few reasons why they escape and what we think you should do about it.

Sexual Drive

At 6 months of age, dogs become sexually mature. An intact dog is driven by a strong sexual drive to seek out a female dog. This is one of the hardest situations to prevent because the dog’s motivation is very high that they are able to device several creative ways to escape your property.

Solution: Have your dog neutered or spayed.

Social Frustration or Isolation

If your dog is bored and lonely in your yard, they may resort to escaping to try and find other dogs to socialize with. This is usually caused by several obvious reasons.

• Being left alone for extended periods of time.
• A plain environment without toys or playmates.
• The active type of dog that needs to do activities such as herding or sporting breeds.
• Adolescent age needs to let out his energy.
• The temptation of fun interaction in a place such as a dog next door.

Solution: Dog walking, playing, training, toys, leave dog indoors when unable to watch over them, taking them to work.

Separation Anxiety

It’s a given factor that we love our dogs but they love us even more. Our world is composed of tons of different things that we work on and we have a lot of friends that we can hang out with every day. Their world is us. We mean so much to them and over time, they will become so attached that at the slightest sign of separation, they will gain motivation to escape. If they are suffering from separation anxiety, they may escape shortly after you leave, displays a strong attachment to you, and remain near your home after you escape. The last one is usually heartbreaking because you see them looking sad, waiting for you and immediately snap into excitement when they see you coming. Here are a few causes of separation anxiety in dogs.

• Spent time in a shelter or boarding kennel.
• A change in schedule resulting in leaving your dog alone more often.
• Death or loss of a family member or another pet.
• A recent move to a new house.

Solution: Desensitisation and Counterconditioning 

How do dogs escape?

As I mentioned, when a dog experiences one of the reasons above and is given the right kind and amount of motivation, they can get very creative in trying to seek ways to escape. Some dogs are big enough and have the leg power to jump over your fences or even try to climb over them by finding something to push their body over it. Some may dig under the fence, chew through them or even learn how to open the lock. I’ve definitely seen a lot of dogs smart enough to learn how to open gates which are an amazing sight but this is a problem for both you and your dog.

Common Solutions

For digging dogs, you may need to bury your fence or chicken wire deep underground and cover the base of the fence with rocks or other obstructing objects to prevent them from digging. Some DIY knowledge may be required and a good amount of cash if you need new materials and hire the people that can do it for you.

For dogs that can jump or climb the fence, this may require you to extend your fence upwards which may obstruct your view. You may also reinstall your fence tilting inwards at about a 45-degree angle to discourage your dog from jumping and preventing them from climbing. This can also take some DIY knowledge and a good amount of cash if you need to hire someone to do it for you.

Punishment is a common solution for some dog owners but should never be done. Punishing your dog after he is out of your property will associate the punishment with what they are doing at the time of the punishment. This will not eliminate escaping but will only make the dog afraid to come to you. You can also make your problem worse if you punish a dog for escaping caused by a fear-related problem. This is why we need to understand why they are escaping before applying a solution.

Chaining and caging are also some of the most common solutions for an escaping dog. Although it is effective, it should only be the last resort for an escaping dog. It should not be a permanent solution because its cons outweigh the pros that it offers. It deprives your dog of the exercise and freedom it needs and can even end in an injury if done improperly.

The Universal Solution

The best possible solution you can implement to prevent your dog from escaping which is both effective and does deprive your dog of its freedom is an Electronic Dog Fence. It can contain your dog safely and can work for multiple dogs if needed. Installation is very easy for an individual with a bit of DIY knowledge. It is cost-effective when compared to traditional fences and offers long-lasting effects. Not only are they easy to set up but they are also easy to uninstall if you’re moving to a new home. An Electronic Dog Fence is your best permanent solution to a resident escape artist.

Despite the effectiveness of Hidden Dog Fences, the solutions above should not be ignored. Your pet still deserves to socialize, get enough toys and receive training and playtime but it doesn’t totally stop them from escaping. Fear related problems should still be addressed and training your dog to the dog containment fence should be properly executed and not end up in scaring your dog. We can help you select or set up a custom dog fence kit that suits your dog problem needs and property layout.

Here for you and your dog,
Colin Seal