I am going to say it right away: it is not because they don’t like their home or you as their owner. Dogs have unique personalities, needs, breed traits, and habits. It’s possible to change some habits, while others can only be redirected. Running away from home is something that, in most cases, has to do with the dog breed’s traits. Whether it’s a lack of activities or simply prey drive, dogs will want to run from home and do something fun!
1. Lack of Mental and Physical Stimulation
When it comes to mental and physical stimulation, it means a dog is bored all day long or it has very little fun time. So, a dog runs away to seek adventure. You might think, “But my dog has a backyard to run freely!” It takes more than that for some dog breeds.
Being in the yard all day long is better than being inside for most dogs, but even that gets boring after a while. There’s nothing to do but look at the people passing by. That’s when the “boredom barks” start. And if you don’t have proper fencing, most dogs will either jump over or dig under the fence and explore the world.
What to do?
Make sure your dog gets enough daily activity, not just a few minutes of playtime when you come home from work. Give them toys while you are away, hide treats around the garden, or give them a proper run or playtime in your free time. At least one hour of good exercise is necessary for some dog breeds.
If nothing helps, and if you can afford it, you can get another dog or a dog-sitter for a few hours a day while you are away.
Two dogs are better than one.
Photo by Angelbattle bros
Some dog breeds have lots of energy and need more mental and physical stimulation. We call them “high-energy” dog breeds, such as Border Collies, Belgian Malinois, Weimaraners, Shetland Sheepdogs, etc. In most cases, these dogs belong to the herding or sporting AKC groups.
2. High Prey Drive
Some dog breeds, such as Scent hounds (Bloodhound, Basset Hound, etc.), can’t help but follow a scent they caught on. People bred these dogs for such purposes – tracking an animal and helping hunters find it and catch it. And these dogs are not a new dog breed. They’ve been around for thousands of years, which means we can’t just turn off their millennia’s worth of instincts just because it’s our pet.
Generally speaking, Hounds and Terriers have a high prey drive. You can expect them to run frequently out of sheer curiosity. That is why you should not walk these dogs off-leash in unsecured areas. It’s not just that they might hurt a small animal, but they might get hurt as well. A dog following a scent or chasing an animal has no perception of cars, motorbikes, or other incoming vehicles.
Of course, other dogs can have a high prey drive, regardless of their breed. In fact, all dogs have a certain amount of prey drive because that is one of their ancestral traits. DNA. It’s the same as why they mark territory, sniff each other’s behinds, or dig.
What To Do?
The first thing to do is to understand that a prey drive is a behavior inherited through genetics that motivates them to chase small animals. It’s a normal thing, and all dogs have it in their genes. The difference is how high it is and what to do when it is quite high. The answer is: redirect.
All dogs have a prey drive, no matter the size or breed.
Photo by Haley Redshaw
The detailed explanation of how to redirect prey drive is in the article What Is Prey Drive And How To Channel It? The essence is that we cannot fully eradicate this behavior but mitigate or prevent it. Some examples are doing dog sports to keep your dog’s nose working.
3. Intact Males and Females
Finally, a reason a lot of people who have intact males or females have experienced is when the heat cycle arrives. Both males and females will leave their territory in search of a potential mate. It is more common for a male to do so, but a female will escape in search of males as well.
If you notice your dog escapes periodically, usually around the same time of the year, and it’s an intact male, there is a high chance he is searching for a female following a scent she left behind. Female dogs usually go into heat two times a year, but small dogs might go into heat three times a year.
Males can scent a female in heat from a very long distance. There isn’t scientific proof of how far they can scent a female in heat, but if the weather conditions are right (wind, humidity, etc.) the distance can be 1 to 3 miles (1. to 4.8 kilometers).
Small female dogs start their first heat cycle when they are around 6 months old, but large dog breeds start their heat cycle when they are 1 to 2 years old.
Photo by Ripton Scott
What To Do?
If you had an issue of a dog escaping because of the heat cycle, you know how difficult it is to stop them from doing so. When the time comes, both males and females will do whatever it takes to escape and find a mate.
So, the logical conclusion would be to neuter or spay your dog. This completely stops the unwanted escapes. But what if it’s not just that? What if the dog runs away for other reasons too? That means you have to think about the first 2 reasons why a dog might run away mentioned in this article.
If your dog runs away no matter the time of the year, digs ground, barks at the passing cars, animals, chases cats and squirrels in a “hunting mode”, and so on, spaying and neutering won’t help.
First, try to make sure your dog gets enough quality playtime and enough exercise. Also, make sure you have a high enough fence. After you dismiss all other reasons, talk to your vet about spaying or neutering. It’s a surgical procedure, and you need advice from a licensed veterinarian who will examine your dog and give you a solution that suits your dog best.
Cover photo by Donnie Ray Jones
