Behavior Challenges: Escape Behavior in Dogs
One of the most serious behavioral issues a dog owner can face is escaping, as it can lead to tragic consequences. If your dog escapes and is running loose, they are in danger of being hit by a car or injured in other ways. Additionally, you are responsible for any damage or injury they may cause while loose, and you may be required to pay a reclaim fee if your dog is admitted to a shelter.
To manage and resolve escape behaviors, the first step is determining how and why your dog is getting out.
How Dogs Escape
Dogs can jump, climb, and dig under or chew through barriers, learn to open gates and doors, or use any combination of these methods to get out of your yard. If this sounds all too familiar, here are some steps to help keep your dog contained in your yard:
- For jumpers and climbers: Move any objects near your fence that could be used for climbing. Or, you can add an extension to the top of your fence that slants inward toward your yard. This extension doesn’t need to make the fence much higher, as long as it slants inward at a 45-degree angle. Additionally, coyote rollers (rolling tubes or pipes that prevent climbing and gripping) can be added to the top of your fence and may be an efficient deterrent.
- For diggers: Bury chicken wire at the base of your fence (with the sharp edges rolled inward), place large rocks along the base or your fence or lay chain-link fencing on the ground.
- For all dogs: An enclosed dog run can be added to your yard.
The best prevention method is to only allow your dog in your yard when they can be supervised!
Why Dogs Escape
Knowing how your dog gets out will help you to modify your yard, but you won’t be able to successfully resolve the problem until you understand why your dog wants to escape and address their motivation for doing so. Some of the most common reasons dogs escape are social isolation, separation anxiety, reproductive drive and fear. Some dogs will also escape simply because they are bored. Dogs left in the yard should be left with enriching activities to engage with throughout the day — it should not be assumed that your dog will keep themselves entertained because they’re outside.
Social Isolation
Dogs crave social interactions, so they can become frustrated or lonely if left alone for long periods of time. If you don’t provide appropriate outlets to meet your dog's mental and physical needs for stimulation, they may try to cope with unwanted behaviors, like escaping. Keep your dog fulfilled and satisfied with the following tips:
- Exercise: Take your dog for a long walk, play fetch, tug-of-war or another game they love.
- Mental enrichment: Teach your dog new tricks — aiming to practice for five to 10 minutes a day. This strengthens your bond and improves your communication. You can also explore our enrichment ideas to stimulate their minds and keep them busy while you’re away.
- Social time: If your dog gets along with other dogs, consider taking your dog to a doggie day care or a play group, or ask a trusted friend or neighbor to walk your dog during the day.
Separation Anxiety
Dogs with separation anxiety exhibit unwanted behaviors when they're left alone, including escape attempts that may result in injury and destruction of your property. Your dog may be struggling with separation anxiety if:
- They display behaviors that reflect a strong attachment to you, such as following you around, frantic greetings or becoming anxious when you are preparing to leave home.
- They urinate or defecate, bark and howl or chew and destroy household objects when left alone.
- They escape as soon as, or shortly after, you leave and remain near your home.
- They salivate excessively when you are gone.
- They chew or scratch at the entry and exit points of your home.
There are a variety of factors that can cause your dog to develop separation anxiety, and we are here to help! Learn more here.
Reproductive Drive
Dogs become sexually mature around 6 months old, with some variation depending on their breed. An intact male is motivated by a strong, natural drive to reproduce and will go to great lengths to seek out a mate, including finding creative ways to escape. An intact female dog in heat will likely get pregnant if she escapes and may also seek out mates. Spaying or neutering your dog is the best way to prevent this and will have a multitude of other benefits for your dog and your community, including fewer health and behavioral problems and fewer dogs being admitted to local shelters. Please explore our spay and neuter resources to learn more about low-cost options and find an appointment.
Fears and Phobias
Dogs have a keen sense of hearing, so loud noises like thunder, fireworks or construction may motivate your dog to escape to attempt to get away from these noises. There are a few simple steps you can take to keep your dog comfortable and prevent them from fleeing when frightened.
- Keep your dog indoors and provide a comfortable space, such as a covered crate, where they can go when hearing noises that scare them. Notice where your dog goes when they feel anxious or afraid and allow access to that space or create a similar one. Learn more about this in our article Helping Your Dog With a Fear of Loud Noises.
- Provide your furry loved one a bed to snuggle in and consider leaving on the TV or playing soothing music to help drown out the noise and ease anxiety.
- Give your dog their favorite treat or toy to keep busy and focused on something else.
- Keep all doors and windows closed.
What to Do When Your Dog Escapes
It’s important not to punish your dog after they have successfully escaped. Dogs associate punishment with what they’re doing at that moment, so punishing your dog after the fact won’t eliminate the escaping behavior and may make your dog afraid and less likely to come to you. Additionally, you should never punish your dog if the escaping is a fear-related problem or is due to separation anxiety. Punishing behaviors motivated by fear or anxiety will only make matters worse.
Make sure your dog is microchipped (and that the microchip company has your current contact information — especially your phone number) and is wearing tags on their collar with your current contact and licensing information. This way, if your dog does go missing, these steps will assist with your reunion. If your dog goes missing, we have a comprehensive guide on what to do next.
More Behavior & Training Resources
San Diego Humane Society offers training classes and resources to address a variety of needs for companion animals.
Our training philosophy is based on the behavioral science concepts of positive reinforcement. Training your pet using these concepts will not only help them learn new behaviors more quickly, but it will also strengthen the bond you share.
Please visit our website for a current schedule of training classes or call 619-279-5961.