How Can I Stop My Dog From Running Off?

There are so many sad stories about dogs that have run off when they weren't wearing a leash. You hear stories from frustrated owners all the time who say their dog got away because he wasn't wearing a leash. How can you stop this problem?

There are possibly two problems here. One problem is bolting. This usually occurs when you open the door for some reason and your dog seizes the opportunity to take off. Of course your dog isn't wearing his leash because he's been hanging out in the house. So you're left to run after him and pray that he doesn't get hit by a car before you can catch him.

The other problem is that your dog doesn't respond to you and come when you call him.

Let's take one problem at a time.

If you have a dog who bolts then you know how frustrating it can be. Your dog is probably not trustworthy around the door at any time. Anytime someone goes in or out your dog may be standing there, ready to slip through. There are a couple of ways to approach this problem but the best way is to teach your dog some door manners.

Teaching your dog door manners means that you should teach your dog to sit when he goes to the door. Whether someone knocks on the door or you are planning to exit through the door, if your dog goes to the door he should sit and stay there until you release him.

To learn door manners your dog will need to already know how to sit when you ask him and he should know the stay command. You can have someone knock on the door or ring the bell. As soon as your dog heads to the door you should tell him to sit. He may be too excited to sit, in which case you should start over. As soon as your dog sits you should praise and reward him. Even if he only sits for a moment you should make a big deal about it and give him lots of praise. As you open the door to let the other person in you should give him the stay command. This is a big step! Keep praising your dog for every second he remains sitting. Then close the door and give your dog a big reward.

It will take many repeats to get this lesson through to your dog. Gradually you will be opening the door in a normal way and counting on your dog to remain sitting while you do so. You will also need to practice going in and out the door yourself. Go through the same routine. Tell your dog to sit and stay when he's at the door. You can release him just before you close the door. Then come back in and give him lots of praise and rewards.

If you keep doing this for a while your dog will get better about his door manners and will stop trying to bolt through the door when you're not watching.

As far as not coming when called, you can take care of that by teaching your dog to come. Your dog should be wearing a flat buckle collar. You need a long lead (12-15 feet). You can start with your dog in a sitting or lying down position. Say his name and tell him to come to you. Then, give a tug on the lead and pull him into you. Give him lots of praise and rewards. Practice this until your dog starts getting the hang of it. You will need to practice in an enclosed area, especially when you start practicing off-lead. Later you can practice in a friend's enclosed yard and other safe places. That way your dog will be facing more distractions but he will still be safe if he doesn't come to you. Eventually your dog should be coming to you very quickly as soon as you tell him to come.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Can-I-Stop-My-Dog-From-Running-Off?&id=8154635