By Paul Johnston

Some dogs are content to live a lifetime within the confines of their yard with very little restraint. Others get the wandering bug, and dig, climb or jump fences, and break out to explore their world. Some stay close by while others roam far, but any free roaming brings risks to their health and life, and often contributes to unwanted puppies.

The battle to keep a dog contained that wants to roam is half psychological, half physical. One successful escape rewards the urge to try again. Dogs escape for curiosity, sexual activity, exploration, food, hunting, companionship, and to establish dominance over other dogs. Roaming is its own reward, with the dog able to do whatever it pleases.

While the pack mentality and sexual urges are major factors in some dog’s escapes, much of this can be suppressed if the dog is entertained within its own space. Give a dog plenty of things to do. Provide toys, regular exercise, play time, attention, variation and environmental enrichment.

Neutering the dog and providing amusements are keys to calming dogs’ tendency to roam. Males tend to escape more than females, but intact dogs of both sexes are more likely to roam than those that have been neutered.

Owners also should make escape difficult. Set fence posts in cement, ensure fences are tall and secure, and make sure any buried wire containment systems are at a depth the dog can’t unearth. However, some fenced-in dogs become territorially aggressive, as the containment frustrates their social urges, especially those penned in boring environments.

While some dogs dig specifically to escape, digging is a pleasurable activity for dogs and is self-reinforcing as the dirt ‘plays’ back. Other self-reinforcing activities are roaming and foraging in areas where food scraps can be found. Many dogs enjoy these activities on their own merits and seek out opportunities to do these often.

Escaping is a reward, so if a dog gets out of the yard once, it will try 30 or 40 more times to do it again. However, a dog will not repeat escape attempts if it never succeeds.

If the dog goes to one location when it escapes, such as a former home, the owners can try and make this location an unpleasant experience by encouraging the people there to be rude to the dog and not feed it. Also, do not reward a dog when it returns home as this encourages it to leave and then return home again and does not prevent it from escaping in the first place.

With the help of your veterinarian and dog trainer, owners of determined escape artists can try a few other tricks to keep their dog safely contained.

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