Have you seen a lot of stray dogs wandering around? Do you know why they end up at the street? I think some of them are abandoned and some are run away dogs. Maybe there are some other reasons which we don’t know why. As animal lovers, we don’t like to see the dogs end up like that, right? However, there are some situations which can lead this to happen.
We often think that our dog loves us, at least, that’s what we believe. We have raised our dog well, treat him lovingly and we believe that he likes it. But, still there are dogs who run away in spite of all nice treatment they have. A dog who runs can get hit by a car, attacked by other animals, stolen, killed or end up in a shelter.
Let’s find out the reasons of why a dog runs away from home. When we find out the reason, then we can prevent this to happen in the future to our dog. So, here are Reasons of Why A Dog Runs Away From Home
1. Boredom
If you leave your dog all alone for the whole day. Without any excitement to anticipate, your dog will likely feel bored. That is one of the reason why he runs away from home. Not only dogs but human being also feel the same way if there is nothing to do. So to avoid this boredom, we can provide these 3 things for the dogs.
- Enrichment
Do some games with your dog related to brain games like puzzle toys.
- Entertainment
If your dog is entertained, he will be occupied with whatever he is doing now. This kind of entertainment can come from socialization with other pets or with you. Try to spend time with him every day. Not only to entertain him, but also to create a closer bonding with your dog. If you have a high energy dog, consider to have another pet so he can socialize without you.
- Exercise
This is another way to get rid the boredom. Take your dog for exercise. It can be in your yard, playing stick catching, or Frisbee or playing hide and seek. You can also bring your dog along while jogging to the nearest park. Or take him out to exercise and the dog park. He is exercising, socializing and playing with other pets at the same time.
2. Mating
It is a nature call for every creature in the world to mate. When it is time for your dog to mate, he will be restless and will likely to roam in search of his mate. Even though you have a well-trained dog, he can be overwhelmed by this nature call. If you want to prevent this nature call ruin your dog’s well manner, you may consider to neuter or to spay your dog.
There is a research says that neutering will decrease sexual roaming in about 90 percent of the cases. Your dog can be spayed as early as eight weeks, but some advices to wait until a dog reach 6 months old for full development.
3. Adventure
Ever wonder why your well treated dog still want to run away from home? It depends on your dog’s type. Sometimes, a bird, a squirrel, or a rabbit can catch their attention and it is their nature to sniff and smell them with curiosity. A Siberian Husky has a desire to just run. That is in their blood. They don’t care where they are, they just like to run. That’s their call. So, depends on your dog, you might want to supervise them when they are outside. Or make your yard dog-proof to avoid this thing to happen.
4. Opportunity
As mentioned above that there are some breeds who are naturally a runner, there are also some breeds who are calmer. However, those four-legged friends always like to roam. Hence, give them some space to roam around. They need it. They like to be active in exploring and discovering related to their sense of smell and sniff. Check your fences if they protect your dog from escaping. Fix the broken gate to prevent them from jumping out to the street and don’t let the window or the door open as your curious dog might want to explore the outside world.
5. On chase
If your dog likes to chase, it’s very important to take extra care to keep him sound and safe. He can be very excited to see small birds outside that he spontaneously runs to catch them. Sometimes they run very far away just to chase a stray cat and he finally lost and can’t get back home. Dog proof your yard. Train your dog with obedience, install a shock collar if needed. Please read How To Train Your Dog Using Shock Collar to give you more insight if you decide to put a shock collar to your dog.
6. Feeling scared
There is an experience that a thunder and fireworks can make our dog jumps in fear. Not only the small dog, but the bravest and happiest dog can also experience fear if they face loud noise, bright lights and big crowds. If you are having a blast party involving those things above, it is recommended you keep your dog away from the party zone.
If you have a dog who easily scared with everything, maybe you can take some prevention like having collar on the neck. This is to anticipate his reaction if you take him outside. You can also practice recall training every chance you have. This is to make your dog easier to respond on to you when you call his name even though they are panic. Then, try to create a safe environment for him so he can be there whenever he is scared of thunder or any other things.
7. Moving to a new home
When you are moving to a new home, don’t forget to introduce this new environment to your dog. Let him explore to get to know that this is his new home.  Otherwise, he will run away to go back to his old house.
8. Separation anxiety
Your dog loves you very much that he can’t be separated from you. It might happen to your new puppy where he thinks that you are his safe place. The older he is the stable he becomes to be separated from you. If you don’t work on getting this feeling solved, there is a chance your dog will run off to find you. For you who have to work outside, please read How To Make Your Dog Happy At Home When You’re Out To Work. There is some ways to make your dog feeling happy to be at home without you
So, how will you prevent your dog from running away?
Here are some suggestions for you:
- Dog proof the house and the yard. You can find tips and trick of it in 13 Simple Ways To Dog-Proof Your Home and in this 9 Easy Tips To Dog-Proof Your Backyard
- Create the games of finding treats that will occupy your dog’s time and to make him bus. See it in 9 Popular tips to keep your dog happy playing indoors
- Provide toys.
- Freeze the treats into ice blocks and let your dog licks it as it melts
- Playing outside with your dog every single chance you have and tire him out.
- Put the collar with identification and tag
- Install microchip in your dog
- Praise him whenever he gets back home after he runs away. Do not punish him which will make him reluctant to go back to you. Here is How To Train Your Dog Not To Run Away From Home.
- Always treats him nicely with hug, praise and delicious treat. Show him your love which makes him happy.
So, those above and 8 reasons of why a dog runs away from home. And if you don’t want that to happen to your dog, try to find the cause and fix it.