Keeping Your Dog From Escaping The Yard

Keeping your pup within the walls of your backyard is important when it comes to keeping them safe and healthy. Our dogs are put at great risks once they escape from our home, making it essential to understand the steps it takes to prevent escapes from happening. 

In this article, we’ll dive into why our dogs try to escape from our yard, and the best ways to prevent this from happening to your furry friend. 

Dogs are curious creatures. They tend to seek out new sounds and smells, causing them to long for what’s outside of their gated yard. Hearing or seeing something new and exciting walk by their yard can be extremely tempting for our furry friends, and it may be tempting enough for them to try to escape. 

Some of the most common pups that have a need to explore are intact male dogs, dogs that are left alone or bored, and dogs that are known to hunt and seek out critters. Each of these possibilities can cause a dog to fight off the constant urge to explore, making a possible escape route really tempting. 

Our dogs are extremely smart when they put their mind to something, making it easy for dogs to find any weaknesses in your backyard’s security. Most dogs that escape their yard have found a broken section in their fence, an area that’s easy to dig out of, or are not tied up correctly. 

In order to keep your beloved companion safe in your yard, there are a few steps to take to make sure your pup is safe and sound. Some of the best ways to prevent your dog from escaping your backyard include:

• Remove all climbable objects in your yard. If there is something next to the fence that a dog could climb and escape, it’s best to remove it to be safe. You never know if your furry friend will try to use this as an escape route.  
• Have your dog spayed or neutered. Intact dogs are known to roam around in search of a mate, meaning your dog will be less likely to feel the urge to escape if they are fixed.
• The American Kennel Club recommends a coyote roller, a metal bar that goes around the top of the fence and prevents the dog from pulling themselves over. Some dogs use their powerful legs to boost themselves up and continue to pull themselves over the fence. A coyote roller will prevent your dog from being able to do this.
• Many dogs are natural climbers, and chain link fences are easy for them to climb up and escape. Consider a wooden fence that is tall enough to keep your pup inside, and does not allow for easy climbing.
• Be sure to regularly maintain your fence. Weak fences are more likely to see escapes, making it important to keep up with any weaknesses along your fence line. Even the toughest of fences can begin to deteriorate over time.  
• Some dogs that are prone to escaping will do best with a dog run in their yard. A dog run is a specially constructed and fenced-off space where a dog can roam at large without the risk of escape. This is common in kennels and shelters.  
• Extra time outside with your dog can help keep them occupied and lead to fewer, if not zero escape attempts. Playtime that involves games, training, or just goofing off can keep their mind focused on you as well as keeping them from having a desire to explore beyond their yard. A mentally and physically stimulated pup is less likely to act out, and this includes escape attempts.

Accidents happen, and there are ways to give your dog the best chance at being found and staying safe if they do happen to escape from your backyard. Some ways to stay prepared include:

• Make sure your dog is microchipped. This is the best way to make sure that your dog can be traced back to you if they do happen to escape from your home.
• Make sure that your dog has a tag with your information on their collar. This is extremely important, as some dogs are not always taken into a facility that has a microchip scanner. This will make it easy for a finder to call you.
• Try to make sure that your dog’s collar or harness has some type of reflective material on it. This will help your dog be easily seen at night, and can help prevent them from being hit by a vehicle.
• Make sure you have plenty of up to date photos of your furry friend. This will come in handy when you need to spread the word about your missing pup.
• Make sure you are aware of all the local animal shelters and clinics in your area. This will make your search easier if you need to call around and see if your dog has been found.

Dogs are wonderful escape artists, but there are always ways to prevent their escapes from happening. Be sure to review the tips we’ve listed above to keep your pup in your yard, and your dog will continue to stay safe and contained!

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