Doggone Etiquette —

The Runaway

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:

Have you learned the tricks to opening doors so you can escape the humdrum family life whenever you feel like it? Do you lie in wait for someone to leave a door open just enough to get your nose into the space so you can push it open and squeeze out? Or do you just follow closely behind the kids as they go out the door and sneak out with them? Well, my dear doggie friends – then what do you do? No doubt you get into a whole lot of mischief. Let’s show your VIPeople how to keep you IN – and therefore OUT of trouble.

A Word to the Dog’s Owner:

This is serious. Too many dogs manage to escape the safety of their home, or home turf, and join the ranks of lost dogs. How they get out is often just a matter of canine smarts. They keep an eye on the exits and take advantage of an outside door left ajar, or a screen door that doesn’t latch or a gate left unlocked. When your dog learns how to work sliding doors by pushing at the opposite end, it’s time to be sure everyone in the family knows to keep that door locked.

A dog that manages to sneak out of the house may only find itself in a safely fenced-in yard, which is exactly where it wants to be. This is often the case when a dog is undergoing a bit of separation anxiety and it will contentedly remain on the property awaiting the return of its special person. However, there are some dogs that escape and simply take off! Beagles are just one example of breeds known to be wanderers, enjoying the freedom of hunting on their own, wherever that “hunting” may take them.

True runaways are relatively scarce although quite often an adopted dog is thought to be. Look at it from the dog’s viewpoint. It’s usually because the dog is attempting to “go home” to wherever it may have lived previously, even if that was on the street. The dog has not settled in and fully accepted its new home and family as a permanent situation. Such a dog needs intensive training with warm, smiling, happy rewards for every time it is a good dog.

In addition to your special attention given to keeping the doors closed, you need a quick, correct response to “Rufus, come!” That come on recall command is vital for every dog to learn, but is all too often misused. For example, calling the dog to “come” in order to punish him, or in an angry voice, simply turns Rufus into a “deaf dog.” It is amazing how quickly almost every dog can learn that lesson!

No matter if your dog is exactly where you know he is at every moment, in addition to wearing the town license tag, your dog should be micro-chipped. This microscopic insert has returned more lost dogs to their rightful owners than we can count. Today a lot of boarding kennels, as well as certified pet-care givers, are more comfortable being told the dog has this safety precaution.

All of this information is especially important to consider at this time of year when guests may be going in and out of the house, or you may be visiting nearby or traveling on the road with Rufus in tow.

A lost dog is a heartbreaker for everyone, but especially for the poor dog.

Until next time – BE GOOD!

- Bardi

Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh Terriers for 30 years, during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog Fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me!, which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award in 2008.