Dog is one of smartest pet, hence it will be easier to train it than other pet. You even be friend with dog when you train it well. The love you have lavished on your dog could be back to you. The dog will protect you or even be loyal to you. But everything would be ruined once you treat your dog very bad such as not giving the food regularly or being careless of it.
The worst thing your dog could do is running away! You certainly don’t want this nightmare happens to your dog. Or even though you have done your best to keep your dog inside, your dog instinctively keep going out and not go back home. No need to worry until you find these 9 ways to stop your dog from running away, here you go!
1. Start to Train Your Dog at Very Young Age
It doesn’t mean you must adopt a puppy rather than an adult dog. You still could adopt an adult dog and train it as soon as you start adopting it. However, train a puppy is much easier than an adult dog. Just like human, a dog develops its personality at young age. While it’s developing, it’s your chance to train it or at least let it know its home. As your dog grows up, it will remember where it belongs and come back how far it goes. Read also Common Household Items That Terrify Your Dog and Reasons Why Your Dog Refuses Your Command
2. Get Some Snacks Ready
Instead of trying to make food by yourself, it would be better to buy snacks at pet shop. There are many good dog snacks at pet shop. You may compare them what’s best for your dog. Try to give your dog the snacks selectively. Pay attention to what your dog needs and the ingredients of the snacks. Prioritize your dog’s health.
Once you have selected the good snacks, move them to different plastic bags and hide them from your dog. While you train your dog, give your dog different snack that represents what you train. For example, you give your dog snack A for sitting, snack B for following you, snack C for giving its hand to you, snack D for staying and of course snack E for coming back home. Never try to combine each snack as it will get your dog confused and ruin what you have trained.
3. Call Your Dog When it is Around
Before you call your dog often, make sure you have named it. First time, you dog may don’t recognize the name that you have given. Try to call your dog by its name many times, then your dog will get used to it. Use simple verbal like “come!” following with its name. You may do this training in a narrow room without any distraction such as TV, tiny ball or other pet. Make sure you have tightly closed the door of the room, so your dog couldn’t go anywhere.
4. Praise Your Dog Once It Comes to You
Does your dog come by itself, not even called? That’s a good sign! It means your dog starts to recognize you well. It’s your chance to build the bond. Praise your dog every time it comes to you and touch your dog gently. Don’t forget to give the snack as the sign of what it does to you is good. It’s a good time to let it know the environment of your house.
5. Try to Walk Away From Your Dog
After you praise and feed your dog many times, your dog would follow you wherever you go. The next step is trying to walk away from your dog. You may do other activities like washing car or watching TV, get yourself busy at home. It will help your dog to know more about the environment. Let it follows you until it stops or get distracted by other things at home.
When your dog stops following, you can call it again by its name. If your dog comes when you call it once, which it is a good progress, keep your distance to your dog, and don’t even try to give it snack and you can go to the next step. But if your dog comes when you call it many times, or you even have to call it louder, praise and feed it when it comes to you.
6. Try to Walk Outside
Now, it’s time to test your dog. Try to go to the front door of your house. You can do it when you want to take newspaper or incoming mails in the letter box. Let it follows you. Your dog will only follow you. But if your dog keeps going outside when you come inside, call your dog, and it will come to you shortly. If you don’t want to call it, that would be fine too. Don’t be surprised if you find out your dog sits waiting for you to open the front door. Don’t forget to praise and feed it when it comes back home. Read also Why Dog Suddenly Stop During a Walk? and Best ways to Make a Dog Get Along with Other Dogs Peacefully
7. Use Simple Verbal Command and Sign Language
When you find out your dog gets used to go outside, you need to give it a simple verbal command like “stay!” following with sign language to represent the action. The common sign language for commanding to stay is pointing your dog’s head with your forefinger then get it lower to the ground. Do it every time your dog wants to go out.
If you’ve make it stay, the next step you need to do is giving the additional command to turn back around following with sign language to represent the action. Do it many times until your dog understands what’s good and what’s bad.
8. Give a Chance to Your Dog for Socializing
Sometimes, Socializing and Interacting with other dogs are one of reason why dogs run away. Take your time to walk with your dog outside. Use bridle to control your dog while having a walk. Come to other people who also have a dog. If your dog enjoys it, let it socializes. But if your dog starts attacking other dogs, prevent it by the bridle and take it to other place in order to calm it down.
9. Neuter Your Dog
One of many reasons why your dog runs away is chasing the females, if your dog is male. You could prevent it by neutering your male dog. Indeed, there are pros and contras of neutering male dogs. One of the pro is you will also prevent the birth of unwanted puppies that increases the total of free-ranging dogs on street. However, one of the contras is your dog will probably get hemangiosarcoma, a cancer of a dog’s body if there is no reproductive hormones.
If you think neutering your male dog is a cruelty, you may adopt the female one. So if your male dog chases the female, it doesn’t need to go outside, your female dog will breed and you get new puppies. The choice is yours.