Your dog might not know how to spin or do a back stand and it is completely fine, it won’t affect your friendship. But having a dog constantly running away from you and not coming back when called is a big nuisance. Why dogs are running away and how to behave in the situation?
Recall command is boring…
A lot of dogs choose not to come back to their humans because with the time they have learned the sequence: “human calls – I come back – we go home”. If you think as a dog being outside is fun, playing with buddies is amazing, chasing a squirrel is the highest adrenalin rush a dog can get, going home is 👎👎👎 boring… So even though your dog loves you, it is hard to resist other temptations.
Positive conditioning
Make sure, that you prove your dog wrong and teach them that coming to you really pays off. In the Dogo App, you can see the exact steps for teaching the recall command. This is a very treat intensive trick. First start training at home, then take it outside, to a fenced park or garden. If you are in a park call your dog back to you and do not go back home immediately. Put a leash or grab their collar for a second and release. Let your dog explore, sniff and play again. So your dog doesn’t make an association whenever you call them back, you go home. Later put a leash, walk a few steps towards home and again release your dog, to play. Or call your dog to you and play fetch. Or call your dog to you and reward generously with treats and love. Remember that positive reinforcement is key to training your dog to come back to you. You can use your dog’s favorite toy or a special treat as a reward for responding to your recall command. Keep training sessions short and fun to keep your dog interested and engaged. With time and patience, your dog will learn that coming back to you is a rewarding experience.
Dog running away from you
Your dog darts away from you and doesn’t listen to any commands. The street is near, WHAT TO DO? In no means run to your dog. Do the opposite: run away from your dog, cheerfully singing your dog’s name and if you have a stick or frisbee in your hand swing it in the air as if you don’t care. If your dog still doesn’t pay attention to you, then make a loud squeaky, high pitched sound. Most dogs come running pronto.
If your dog is running away from you, stay calm and positive, not to scare your dog. Generally, it is a bad idea to shout “Come Here.” If your dog did not come when called in a normal tone of voice, they are unlikely to come if they think you are angry. Better give a command that your dog has mastered, e.g. “Sit. Once your dog sits down, tell them to sit & stay When approaching your dog to be positive and cheerful, wiggle your body in an excited manner. You are coming to praise your dog for sitting down and waiting and not to spill out your grudges. No matter, how much time it took or kilometers you had to run, reward your dog. Coming back to you and listening to you pays off.
Prevent
If your dog sets off their feet during the heat, spaying or neutering your dog, is a good preventive method.
In general, make sure your dog gets daily enough physical and mental stimulation from you. So your friend doesn’t have to look for an extra curriculum outside. Make sure your garden is properly fenced so they cannot escape into traffic.
You can also keep your dog on a leash when you take them out for a walk. This will ensure that they do not run away and get lost. If your dog is not spayed or neutered, consider doing so. This can help reduce their desire to roam and prevent them from running away.
Be safe
Sometimes incidents happen and even though you did your best, your dog ran away. Have you thought about microchipping your pet? It might be useful to keep track of your lost dog if they unexpectedly go missing.
To make sure your dog promptly and safely is returned to you, we recommend the PetHub service. Add a QR code tag on your dog’s harness or get a QR coded tagged collar. Connect the code to your dog’s profile on www.PetHub.com. If your dog is found freely roaming around, anyone can scan the code and get in touch with you or the PetHub 24/7 Lost Pet call centre. With PetHub’s service, the return to owner went from around 18% to ~ 96%.
Make sure that your dog is returned safely and promptly back home. A lot of nerves saved.
