Dog can't be trusted not to run off

[Anonymous]

Our newest dog is not too new, it has been 2.5 years since adoption.

But she cannot be trusted not to run off. If the front door were left open, she'd run. This has happened a handful of times. We have to kennel her if we are in in and out bringing in groceries. She was an escape artist with an opening in our fence at one point until we secured it. She can't be trusted to be loose anywhere without a fence.

She is high-energy and seems to love us, but loves to run and explore, and doesn't get enough or fast enough daily runs with me. This is a mixed breed terrier type dog.

DH and my other dogs have not been like this. Have you had success getting a dog like this to become more trustworthy to not run off? We've been focused on other various training issues as she is a difficult though sweet dog. The Covid times have been so busy we have not had time for this training issue.

[Anonymous]

That’s how my mom’s most beloved dog died. Hit by a car. I don’t know of any solution.

[Anonymous]

This is pretty normal, especially for a younger and energetic dog (they slow down with age). You certainly can train for it -- e.g., down-stay, recall, staying close to you when off leash -- but honestly the faster and safer solution is to train yourself to keep her contained. You don't need to leave the door wide open when you bring groceries in, or you can leash her or put her in a closed room or crate. Tie her out if you are with her in an unfenced yard. Leash always when on walks. Many many dogs, including my own, are never off leash in an unfenced area.

[Anonymous]

OP are you located on a lot of land or in the city? What are the other various training issues you are working on?

[Anonymous]

I’m glad your DH hasn’t been like this. It’s more difficult to keep them locked up.

[Anonymous]

Baby gates, crate, closing doors, etc.

I've never had a dog that won't run out the front door if it's open.

[Anonymous]

look up "relaxation protocol" and do that training - by the end the dog should be able to lay down calmly pretty much no matter what is going on around it

[Anonymous]

Our dog is like this—if she gets out she stays out until she decides she’s ready to come back. UNLESS, one of our neighbors is outside, then she’ll run to them like an idiot, flop down and ask for belly rubs.

She’s gotten a little better at 3.5, but we don’t trust her—if she wants to go play in the front yard with the neighbor’s dog we put a shock collar on her (it doesn’t even have the prongs on it but just using the beep or vibrate function works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m glad your DH hasn’t been like this. It’s more difficult to keep them locked up.

hahahaha! Yes, that's my ex.

We adopted a similar dog, OP, a real rescue mix from West Virginia who was a hunting dog whose owners left her loose after she had babies and hunting season was over. She's now about eight, and this is the first year she's stopped running away. When we first got her, we hired three trainers, and nothing worked. Every time a door was open, she would shoot through it before we could react. We had a dog walker quit after a week. When friends watched our dog while we were on vacation, she ran away the first morning and was found half a mile away before they knew she was missing. She runs in front of cars, and it's a miracle she hasn't been hit. We called Invisifence to our home, and the salesperson was honest with us and told us that our dog would run THROUGH the fence because she was so driven by her hunting instinct. Our second trainer concurred.

So, dog parks and hikes without leashes will never happen for our dog. We have everything fenced in. Even so, gardeners and friends leave the gate open, and we swear that our dog waits for these opportunities. She has spent the night outdoors. I have cried too many times, thinking she's been hit by a car. But so far, she's okay.

Obviously, I can just commiserate and hope maybe you do a better job at training than we did. I do think that some dogs are just driven to run away and hunt. We love our dog, she is sweet and cuddly when inside with us. Outdoors, she just seems to have her own life - PP, you understand that, ha.

[Anonymous]

OMG

This is literally the second first thing you teach your dog.

This is a training. There are LIBRARIES field with books on how to train your dog not to run.

First day: my new dog would just run outside if you only tried to open the door..

Few days later: you can open the door as wide as you can, the dog will be sitting one yard from the door
inside and will not make a move! NO words or comments needed.

How do you get there? Through training. You do it yourself. No need for other people.
Just google it or look on youtube.

First thing you teach your kids when you go to swim school - how to float so they won't drawn.

First thing you teach your dog or cat when you get him to your new home - how NOT to escape through
the open door because you will have it sometimes open and they can always dart out.

It takes discipline and prize and sometimes other methods but never cruelty and always smart witty ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m glad your DH hasn’t been like this. It’s more difficult to keep them locked up.

hahahaha! Yes, that's my ex.

We adopted a similar dog, OP, a real rescue mix from West Virginia who was a hunting dog whose owners left her loose after she had babies and hunting season was over. She's now about eight, and this is the first year she's stopped running away. When we first got her, we hired three trainers, and nothing worked. Every time a door was open, she would shoot through it before we could react. We had a dog walker quit after a week. When friends watched our dog while we were on vacation, she ran away the first morning and was found half a mile away before they knew she was missing. She runs in front of cars, and it's a miracle she hasn't been hit. We called Invisifence to our home, and the salesperson was honest with us and told us that our dog would run THROUGH the fence because she was so driven by her hunting instinct. Our second trainer concurred.

So, dog parks and hikes without leashes will never happen for our dog. We have everything fenced in. Even so, gardeners and friends leave the gate open, and we swear that our dog waits for these opportunities. She has spent the night outdoors. I have cried too many times, thinking she's been hit by a car. But so far, she's okay.

Obviously, I can just commiserate and hope maybe you do a better job at training than we did. I do think that some dogs are just driven to run away and hunt. We love our dog, she is sweet and cuddly when inside with us. Outdoors, she just seems to have her own life - PP, you understand that, ha.

[Anonymous]

Okay.. to get you started OP.. and truly, any dog can be thought this regardless of the age.. ANY DOG>
search youtube...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m glad your DH hasn’t been like this. It’s more difficult to keep them locked up.

hahahaha! Yes, that's my ex.

We adopted a similar dog, OP, a real rescue mix from West Virginia who was a hunting dog whose owners left her loose after she had babies and hunting season was over. She's now about eight, and this is the first year she's stopped running away. When we first got her, we hired three trainers, and nothing worked. Every time a door was open, she would shoot through it before we could react. We had a dog walker quit after a week. When friends watched our dog while we were on vacation, she ran away the first morning and was found half a mile away before they knew she was missing. She runs in front of cars, and it's a miracle she hasn't been hit. We called Invisifence to our home, and the salesperson was honest with us and told us that our dog would run THROUGH the fence because she was so driven by her hunting instinct. Our second trainer concurred.

So, dog parks and hikes without leashes will never happen for our dog. We have everything fenced in. Even so, gardeners and friends leave the gate open, and we swear that our dog waits for these opportunities. She has spent the night outdoors. I have cried too many times, thinking she's been hit by a car. But so far, she's okay.

Obviously, I can just commiserate and hope maybe you do a better job at training than we did. I do think that some dogs are just driven to run away and hunt. We love our dog, she is sweet and cuddly when inside with us. Outdoors, she just seems to have her own life - PP, you understand that, ha.

Agreed with the eyeroll. Advice on this board needs to be taken with a HEAVY grain of salt; there are a huge number of people here who have totally uncontrolled dogs and seem to just...roll with it, like it is uncorrectable behavior if a trainer can't help you in 1 hr a week with treat rewards. It's an obvious safety issue and it's been 8 YEARS and apparently just futilely attempt to positively train this dog and hope for the best? This is NOT a success story. Frankly, this sounds like a miserable life with a dog who has you held hostage. OP, yes you can train this out of your dog but you are going to get a ton of enablers with poorly behaved dogs here telling you otherwise.

[Anonymous]

This is a function of age and breed. I will never, ever trust my beagle to simply hang out in the front yard. It's asking too much of the breed. When she was age 4 and under, she was never off a leash, ever and if the doors to the house were open, we took it for granted she would dash out. Some breeds are like that. Now that she's 9, she's more sedentary and homebound, but still, I would never trust her to be a porch dog.

[Anonymous]

I have two dogs and wouldn't trust either of them not to run off. I don't think it's that unusual. Especially when bringing in groceries.

I have worked on training them but would never trust the training.

If you have at risk dogs, you should always ensure they have an ID collar on them and you take appropriate steps (sounds like you are) to kennel, put out in the back yard, lock in another part of the house, etc. when using the front door.