Escape Artists

Just about any dog, given the opportunity, will venture out of his yard and down the block - not because he's a bad dog, but because he's a NORMAL dog. The world outside his yard is far more interesting than the world inside it. Secure fencing and supervision are essential to keep a dog safe and healthy.

photo courtesy of Bea Wachter

Why do dogs escape?
The biggest reason is boredom and lack of exercise. His own yard is boring and his need for mental and physical stimulation is strong. He needs to stretch his legs and go investigating new smells. Some breeds are "programmed" by heredity to need to go far and fast: hunting breeds, northern sled pulling breeds, sight hounds, working breeds. Some were bred to follow their noses: hounds and terriers. Dogs need jobs.

BOREDOM AND LACK OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STIMULATION

Increase exercise!
A tired dog will nap on the porch. A frustrated active dog will look for a way out. Spend more time with him! Hire a dog walker. Take him to training classes and exercise his brain. Put his talents to work: get involved in agility, flyball or search and rescue. Enroll him in doggie daycare.

Make his world more interesting!
Give him brain toys and chew bones. Hide stuffed kongs Easter egg hunt style. Scatter his breakfast in the lawn so he has to search and find it. Create a digging pit. Spend more time with him in the yard playing ball or hide and go seek!

Maybe he just wants out of the yard - and would be happier coming in the house!
Where does your dog go when he gets out? Does he wait for you on the front porch? Sometimes the most inexpensive and best solution is a dog door! If the dog has free access to come inside and sprawl on the kitchen floor or lay at your feet whenever he feels like a change of scenery it may solve the whole escape issue.

THE CALL OF THE WILD.

The largest percentage of roaming animals are intact - spay and neuter! It can reduce wanderlust and help make your dog more content to stay home, but only an adequate fence will keep him in your yard.

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From a study by B. Hart, U.C., Davis: NEUTERING a male dog can result in a 94% reduction in roaming!

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photo courtesy of Bea Wachter

Pre-adolescent and making a choice - come? or not?
What will you do if she doesn't? If you don't have a plan and there is ANY risk to her safety, don't put her in this situation. Adolescent dogs, neutered or not, are more apt to roam than mature dogs. Mature dogs who do roam probably got hooked on the thrill of adventure as teenagers. Developmentally, they hit the "flight instinct period" of adolescence (6-18months.) They want to see the world. Prevention is key. Don't let them discover how much fun is waiting for them. No opportunities! Take them for lots of walks and runs - on leash with you. Attach a trailing long line as life insurance when playing fetch or frisbee. When the the "call of the wild" is stronger than the time you've spent training for a really reliable come-when-called, you can pick up the line for instant control. Running down the street with the wind in his ears must never be an option.

LEARNED BEHAVIOR
Successful Escape Creates a Compulsion to Try, Try Again

"He could go over it, he just doesn't know he can."
Once a dog makes it over the fence and has fun running around the neighborhood, he will be compelled to test every fence alteration you make in order to see the world again. If you think your dog is likely to try breaching the fence, don't put off reinforcing it until after he proves that he can. A 4-foot fence is barely a hop for a doggy athelete. If you have a large breed dog, 6 foot is the best height, 5 foot minimum. If you can't afford to replace an existing fence, buy extenders for your fence posts and raise the height all the way around.

What you don't want to do is raise it a little, hoping it will be enough. Raising the height a little at a time will simply teach him to reach further, jump higher and try harder. If the entire fence is inadequate and you plug a hole or raise the height only in the area he escaped from, your dog will simply go to another area in the fence and try again. If you set this pattern in motion, your dog will become more and more persistent and proficient at escaping. Success in beating the system becomes as reinforcing as the run!

Dog friends, squirrels, cats, kids coming home from school ...
Any of these could tempt a bored or lonely dog to test the boundaries of his fence. Friends to play with, things to chase. Maybe he's just looking for company. Before you read on to the "solutions" part of this article, please address the source of your dog's need to run away.

For dogs who go over:

• A bigger fence: taller, solid, with vertical boards
  Behind a secure fence, you have control over who or what has access to your animals. A solid fence will reduce the frustration of seeing what he can't reach - like that jogger, squirrel or neighborhood cat. Vertical boards reduce footholds. Avoid cyclone fencing if your dog is a climber.
• Install a pergola or slanted portion angled in to thwart his ability to get over the top.
• Install a hard to see "wobbly" extension to the top of your fence. Inexpensive, field fencing wired to an existing fence. The top 1 foot is not strong enough to support the dog’s weight and bends when the dog gets up that far, so the dog can’t get any leverage to get over it or judge its height to clear it.
• Coyote rollers - a spinning PVC pipe mounted along the top edge of the fence. When he grabs the top edge of the fence to shinny over, it will dump him back into the yard.
• Lower the ground level inside the fence
  I've seen some very creative "sunken garden" effects to lower the "take-off point" where the height of the fence couldn't be raised due to zoning ordinances.
• Plant a foliage blind, shrubbery, rocks or other landscaping to clutter up the take off point. He may not make it over if he can't take a run at it.
• Remove any ladders or step stools. A wood pile, picnic table or garbage can situated too close to the fence can provide a jump off point to get over the fence. Make sure you aren't accidently creating a launch pad!
• For serious escape artists, install a radio controlled fence **in addition to a solid fence. The dog wears a collar which delivers "stimulation" (electric shock) or Citronella (burst of aerosol lemon scent) which go off when the dog gets too close to the fence where a radio frequency wire has been buried along the perimeter. Outside the City limits, you might run a visible hot wire along the edge of the fence. Farmers use these to keep livestock from pushing through fencing. They can be mounted high for jumpers and climbers or low for diggers. Once the dog believes that the fence will "get him" if he gets too close to it, you may not need to leave the fence turned on.

** PLEASE NOTE: These fences alone do not protect your dog from roaming dogs or people who might come into your property.

For dogs who go under:

• Rocks, landscape timbers, railroad ties or better yet, a concrete footing along the bottom of the fenceline. If you have more time than money, inexpensive chicken wire can be attached securely to the bottom of the fence and buried in an L-shape, down a couple of feet and into the yard 4-5 feet and covered with dirt. The dog can dig to the wire, but not under it.
• Visit this website for photographs of dig guards.

For dogs who go through:

• If your dog is eating through your wooden fence, go to your local horse feed store and buy the chew stop product designed to keep horses from chewing wood. While you are there, buy a couple rolls of heavy hog wire fencing and use heavy U shaped nails to attach it to the posts, full length, top to bottom of your fenceline. Attach it to the inside so your dog can't get to the wood and create holes she can see through. Ultimately, a solid wood fence so the dog can't see the world go by will reduce stress and adrenalin junky patrolling. You might also consider leaving some sort of buffer zone between 'her yard' and the edge of the property where people walk. Increase exercise - working dogs are genetically programmed to work long hours expending a lot of calories per day. Spay/neuter. Most destructive behavior and need for escape is based on pent up frustration and boredom. Do you bike ride? There are cool attachments you can put on your bike - see links on this page.

Last resort:

Short term tethering. If you've tried all of the above and your dog is still a Houdini, for his safety, you may have to consider tethering him. You should not leave your dog tethered unattended!! A chained dog can become tangled, causing injury or death. Tethered dogs should be contained within a securely fenced area to keep them safe from loose animals and strangers, and situated away from traffic patterns. Persistent tethering can contribute to barking, digging and aggressive behavior.

A trolley system is better than a fixed chain, giving the dog more freedom of movement. It is also easier on the lawn.

See also:
Door Dashing
Follow the Leader
Permission, the Ultimate Pack Leader Tool
Does Your Dog Get Enough Exercise?

Regardless of how well contained your dog is, be sure he is wearing
his license, ID tag and has a microchip - just in case!!