hello i have a high energy golden retriever that lives outside he has nice porch and big yard, but i have a never ending problem with him escaping. I exercise him , three walks a day, play with him and take good care of him but once in a while he will escape and he will come back after a few hours or until i find him. I already spent a lot of money on a new gate but he is just too determined and keeps creating a way through. Every time he runs away i end up screaming at him when i find him, tieing him up on a long cable for couple weeks till i fix the gate and think he cant escape and that i can trust him again so i let him free in the yard because i want him to be free and also be able to pee somewhere in the yard if he needs, and there are times when noone is home for 8 or so hours. But again he keeps finiding a way through, till now it was under, now after i blocked the bottom good he is jumping over as the gate is not very high.. This problem has been going on for almost a year and every month or so he finds another way out and i get complaints from neighbors and i am completely fed up and start to think i need to just leave him cable tied permanently. thoughts?
dog keeps running away
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You don't see the problem here? If you scream at him when you get him back, he has no reason to come back.
I had a Plott hound that would take off and show up miles away, on the other side of the river. I caught a little heat on this very forum when I mentioned that I'd praise her when I'd find her but - eventually - she would come back on her own and then - a bit later - she decided she really liked it better and home and she just stopped running away. (This was a dog that could easily jump a five-foot fence.)
There are some other issues, but I'll let some others weigh in on those.
good point, i see what you mean and are likely right i shouldnt scream at him to discourage him from coming back. But i still dont see him stopping escaping if i let him loose again in the yard. Problem is he rewarded when he escapes he goes on a joy ride and often i find him full of mud, breathing heavily and often at the nearby vets office where he loves. On these joyrides hes getting pet from people, get treats, plays with dogs who knows...Since he is rewarded everytime he escapes he has the drive to repeat...I dont wanna take more risks letting him loose as yesterday a neighbor called complained he pooped on their lawn and next time they catch him will call the cops. Besides investing alot more money and effort into replacing with a better gate which i really dont wanna do i am out of ideas...
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Unfortunately this behavior has become self-rewarding because he finds things he likes. People, other dogs, fun things! The only way to fix it is extinguish the behavior.
It does not look like this dog can be trusted to be unsupervised outside. I would suggest building an outdoor kennel with a cement base to prevent digging, and a roof to prevent climbing. Or, you can bury chicken wire beneath the kennel if cement is not an option. Make sure he has a dog house and water available in the kennel, and it's best to put it in a shady location.
If building a kennel is not an option, you may have to consider keeping the dog inside when you can't supervise. Dog proof a room, crate train, whatever you need to do. When dogs are sleeping and inactive (which is what they do in a crate) they can easily hold it for a regular 8 hour workday.
I would not keep the dog tied when you are not at least home and can check on him. Bad accidents can happen. If the dog wants to be outside but you can't directly supervise and be outside with him, a tie out is a good option for added security, but you should be checking on him every once in a while to ensure he isn't tangled.
You should also consider that golden retrievers are incredibly social dogs that always want to be near their people. They are not the best "live outside" dogs, as you've observed. When their only interaction with you is three walks a day, it might not be enough. You can get away with it with more independent breeds, or if you're a farmer or rancher who spends 80% of their day outside with dogs following them around, but for those of us who have jobs that take us away from home for 8-9 hours a day it's probably not enough for our very people oriented pets.
It does not look like this dog can be trusted to be unsupervised outside. I would suggest building an outdoor kennel with a cement base to prevent digging, and a roof to prevent climbing. Or, you can bury chicken wire beneath the kennel if cement is not an option. Make sure he has a dog house and water available in the kennel, and it's best to put it in a shady location.
If building a kennel is not an option, you may have to consider keeping the dog inside when you can't supervise. Dog proof a room, crate train, whatever you need to do. When dogs are sleeping and inactive (which is what they do in a crate) they can easily hold it for a regular 8 hour workday.
I would not keep the dog tied when you are not at least home and can check on him. Bad accidents can happen. If the dog wants to be outside but you can't directly supervise and be outside with him, a tie out is a good option for added security, but you should be checking on him every once in a while to ensure he isn't tangled.
You should also consider that golden retrievers are incredibly social dogs that always want to be near their people. They are not the best "live outside" dogs, as you've observed. When their only interaction with you is three walks a day, it might not be enough. You can get away with it with more independent breeds, or if you're a farmer or rancher who spends 80% of their day outside with dogs following them around, but for those of us who have jobs that take us away from home for 8-9 hours a day it's probably not enough for our very people oriented pets.
hi thanks for the reply, unfortunately building a kennel is not an option. I stopped keeping him in the house because of the hair and mess he would bring in the house but your prob right and i should start keeping him more inside again and tie out once in a while. He doesnt need a crate as he didnt destroy the house or anything, it was just all the hair and dirt that i wanted to keep out. I give him lots of love and attention and I thought keeping him outside could work and i thought after all the times he escaped and i would return to tieing him up, he would learn escape=loss of freedom. But for some reason he doesnt learn this lesson which has been driving me crazy. I worked so hard to fix the gate and try to teach him that its bad to run away but thinking now i should just give up
thanks
Ok so I say you are family but I leave you outside and away from everyone else. Then I go off an leave you alone.. If you wander off I scream at you and tie you up but when you do get out you find nice people who pat you give you attention and treats...
Seriously would YOU want to stay with anyone who treated you like that???? If not why do you think your dog is ok with it.
If you dont want the dog to be part of the family maybe you should consider re-homing, your dog is obviously looking for company and comfort/attention that he isnt getting at home.
To be honest youre lucky your neighbours are only complaining and threatening to call the cops (I take it your in the States) because they could have shot or poisoned your dog by now.
Which ever way you look at this your dog is the looser ...and he shouldnt be.
Seriously would YOU want to stay with anyone who treated you like that???? If not why do you think your dog is ok with it.
If you dont want the dog to be part of the family maybe you should consider re-homing, your dog is obviously looking for company and comfort/attention that he isnt getting at home.
To be honest youre lucky your neighbours are only complaining and threatening to call the cops (I take it your in the States) because they could have shot or poisoned your dog by now.
Which ever way you look at this your dog is the looser ...and he shouldnt be.
First off you dont know me and my relationship with my dog. I give him a lot of attention and love. More than most people. There shouldnt be something wrong with keeping a dog outside , he is not a human he is a dog- descendant of wolf. And most of the time i think he prefers being outside. And for the times i am away up to 8 hours what can i do, people have jobs and cant be home with their dog all the time. Trust me last thing i want was to tie up my dog. I wanted him to be free which is why i worked so hard at it for an entire year, instead of just keeping him tied up and not working at it like a lot of people do. For you to say that i dont want the dog as part of the family is very ignorant.
With this attitude, a dog isn't for you. In fact, with this attitude, a cat isn't for you.
Most dogs shed. How much depends on the breed. And those who don't often require regular trips to the groomers to keep their coat from getting matted (or a competent owner who can, groom and clip the dog themselves).
Taking dogs for walks means things, dirt etc gets brought into the house. It happens. There's a leaf at the top of the stairs (I live in a first floor flat). No idea how or got there.
Dogs have accidents occasionally. They get sick and the vomit or diarrhoea (or both) needs cleaning up. My chihuahua threw up on my couch just yesterday. She got an "Oh, dear! Poor baby!" Like you might say to a child, and I cleaned it up, no fuss, no screaming, no anger.
My lurcher has escaped twice from my house, when the door has been left open. She ran off on walks and took herself off for 2hrs at a time. I didn't scream at her for running off and ignoring a recall. I went OTT with the priase and the treats and thanked every one of my lucky stars that she hadn't ended up as roadkill.
Because therein lies the problem. You're talking of neighbours complaining, but he is in far more danger than a grumpy neighbour complaining. He could be run over by a car, drink antifreeze, eat some poisoned food, or, as @pandora mentioned, he could be shot by a neighbour who's sick and tired of your dog using his lawn as a toilet.
Well. the whole wolf thing has been totally de-bunked so dont even go there.
Goldens are pet dogs bred to retrieve and be good family pets.. They are not wolves..
Youve explained your problem here and asked for opinions and thats what you got , no point throwing a tantrum just because I didnt blame the dog and tell you all the stuff you wanted to hear.
Im telling you ( mildly) what your neighbours think..
Yes people do work and have dogs but they take proper measures to make sure their dogs are safe and cared for in that time. They do not allow their dogs to bother other people.
Treat your dog as you would a 5 year old child .. You wouldnt leave a child outside all day and hes decended from a cave man according to your theroy.. You wouldnt leave a 5 year old alone for 8 hours without supervision..
Dogs make mess ,but as adults we have decided to bring them into our lives and its our responsibilty to make sure we take care of them if you dont want to do this dont have a dog,, simple.
Maybe when your neighbours call the cops you will listen to them.
Goldens are pet dogs bred to retrieve and be good family pets.. They are not wolves..
Youve explained your problem here and asked for opinions and thats what you got , no point throwing a tantrum just because I didnt blame the dog and tell you all the stuff you wanted to hear.
Im telling you ( mildly) what your neighbours think..
Yes people do work and have dogs but they take proper measures to make sure their dogs are safe and cared for in that time. They do not allow their dogs to bother other people.
Treat your dog as you would a 5 year old child .. You wouldnt leave a child outside all day and hes decended from a cave man according to your theroy.. You wouldnt leave a 5 year old alone for 8 hours without supervision..
Dogs make mess ,but as adults we have decided to bring them into our lives and its our responsibilty to make sure we take care of them if you dont want to do this dont have a dog,, simple.
Maybe when your neighbours call the cops you will listen to them.
i agree he is in more danger from god forbid him getting killed than a complaint from the neighbor why every time he runs off i go into complete panic and go off looking for him. I still dont abide by the opinion tho that all dog should be kept inside tho. Depends on the dog and family. Yes the main reason i kept him outside was because all the hair but I also believe many dogs are happier being out around nature, fresh air, seeing people and animals walk by.. Esp when i am not home i am sure he would be more happy outside than locked in the house bored with no stimulation at all. I will tho start keeping him in more as you guys have helped me realize that i dont have a better choice under my circumstances.
thanks
thanks
So get a dog walker to come in and break the day up for him.
Ask relatives or friends if they'd mind letting him out for a quick game of Fetch in the garden.
Leave him with a stuffed Kong or other treat dispensers as boredom breakers. Have a frozen Kong in the freezer and ask the dog walker/pet sitter/relative to give him it before they leave him.
Scatter treats or food around the house so he has to hunt for his food.
Leaving him outside to watch people and animals go by, might sound like a good idea, but it's helping his barrier frustration and giving him extra incentive to leave your property. What if someone came on to your property and stole him? Before you think it's unlikely, only yesterday we had someone on another forum in bits because her dog was taken from her patio. She hadn't slept for two days and didn't know which way to turn. And a few years ago, a friend's chihuahua was stolen from the friend's back garden and held for ransom.
Last year I adopted a beagle. His owners had much the same attitude as you. They loved George to bits, but they kept him outside in their large garden where he could see people walking past the gate and he would bark for attention, people gave him attention then he decided it would be great if he could play with these people or dogs and he would escape. The animal ambulance brought him home several times and several times he narrowly escaped death on the main roads.
Eventually the owners agreed that the best thing would be to find a new home for George and he came here ...he was a menace.
We have had to start from the beginning with an 18-month old dog who has no lead training no manners, no idea of stay ,sit, come, leave, nothing.....
Most people would have given up on a 20 kilo dog that has snapped a 50 kilo rated lead, he wrenched our arms, wrenched our backs,has stolen food, chewed reading glasses and tried to escape constantly , he barked at every dog or person he saw because he thought this was the way to get attention and we have had to train that out of him.
But with routine and training we have managed to turn George around and he is now a beautiful dog, his manners are not 100% but we are working on it.
The fact is leaving a dog to its own devices might sound great for the dog but it does not allow them to fit in with the strict rules of our society and when a dog doesn't obey those rules they are in danger..
Because they are unaware of those rules and dangers it is up to us as responsible owners to make sure that we prevent them getting into danger in the first place.
I hope you will find a way to make this work for your dog and your neighbourhood
Eventually the owners agreed that the best thing would be to find a new home for George and he came here ...he was a menace.
We have had to start from the beginning with an 18-month old dog who has no lead training no manners, no idea of stay ,sit, come, leave, nothing.....
Most people would have given up on a 20 kilo dog that has snapped a 50 kilo rated lead, he wrenched our arms, wrenched our backs,has stolen food, chewed reading glasses and tried to escape constantly , he barked at every dog or person he saw because he thought this was the way to get attention and we have had to train that out of him.
But with routine and training we have managed to turn George around and he is now a beautiful dog, his manners are not 100% but we are working on it.
The fact is leaving a dog to its own devices might sound great for the dog but it does not allow them to fit in with the strict rules of our society and when a dog doesn't obey those rules they are in danger..
Because they are unaware of those rules and dangers it is up to us as responsible owners to make sure that we prevent them getting into danger in the first place.
I hope you will find a way to make this work for your dog and your neighbourhood
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Dont let her run away,
easy fix.
don't let her. Never let her off leash..
easy fix.
don't let her. Never let her off leash..
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