3 Reasons why your Dog Might be Escaping

Many dog owners have to suffer through the stress of an escaping dog. You provide a loving caring home, you've spent a fortune on toys and you exercise them, so why does your dog still try to get out? Here are 3 reasons why your dog might be escaping.

Simply put...They are different to us and their minds work differently. Unfortunately, Rover does not correlate the loving home you provided as being a reason to stay, particularly if you are not there.

Your dog is a pack animal, and your family leaving each day and heading for school and work does not compute in his mind. Dogs stay in packs and don't split up daily as we do.

This can cause great stress for some dogs and manifests in what has been described as 'Separation Anxiety'. It can be very severe in some dogs. Staffies unfortunately come to mind here.

Something that occurs randomly that your dog may try to get away from. Storm Phobia is the big one here! Many dogs can travel kilometres away from home when this 'panic-like' disorder kicks in.

Unfortunately, all the toys in the world mean nothing to some dogs unless you are there to play with them. If your dog is one that needs more stimulation than others he may go looking for other dogs or the friendly old couple down the road who are feeding him as well!

How your dog gets out can be an important factor in deciding on a dog containment fence.

Dogs that dig under fences to escape have to spend a fair bit of time to do it.  They need to come to a stop and go through the process of digging out.

Usually, in these circumstances, most dog owners can choose a basic electric dog fence system.  The need to come to a stop means the dog is not likely to sit in the correction zone through the whole process of digging out.  Consider systems like the Petsafe Deluxe Adjustable Fence.

Usually, dogs that are jumping fences still have to come to a stop to go into the vertical leap.  Again for average temperament dogs, a basic system can be enough. 

However, if you have a stubborn or working dog breed we would suggest going for a system that has adjustable correction levels in case you need to up the correction.  If your dog leaps straight over the fence on the run this applies to you as well! Consider the DogWatch 1200FMD Hidden Fence for all dogs, the SportDog Fence or PetSafe Stubborn Dog Fencing System for large dogs, or the PetSafe Rechargeable Dog Containment System for small dogs.

If you have poor fencing or no fencing at all, we call that a 'run through' zone i.e. your dog runs straight out of your property, barely breaking stride.

Leaving a gate open creates a run-through zone too! If you have permanent or temporary run-through zones, be sure to again select variable setting containment systems and stubborn dog fencing options for larger working breeds.

A dog containment system is a very effective and cost-effective method to stop any type of escaping dog. Unfortunately choosing the right fencing option for your dog is not as simple as dog size (as some retailers would have you believe!). Make sure you consider all the factors before selecting the right product for you.