You are doing everything you can for your dog but he still runs away from the home on a regular basis. Why do dogs run away? There are actually countless reasons. But, these 6 are the main ones and all the others are variations or combinations of these 6 hence they are the main thing to know here. By knowing why your dog does this, you will be able to prevent it and keep your pet at home.
Why Do Dogs Run Away: 6 Main Reasons Exposed
He is scared
When a dog is scared, he may get fight or flight or freeze behavior. If the flight is present, he will run away. For instance, if something loud like a gunshot scares your pet he will run away. Why do dogs run away? Well, they are scared most of the time. Keep in mind that anything too loud can cause him to run away. Some of the best examples include fireworks (the most common reason actually), gunshots, big crowds, and thunderstorms.
Just because something is loud to your dog doesn’t mean it is too loud for you. Humans can hear between 20 and 20.000 vibrations per second. Dogs can hear between 15 and 50.000. Hence, they hear much better than we do. This means that the noise you are comfortable with will scare your dog and he may decide to run away.
Your dog is bored
A dog who is bored may decide to run away. All dogs are extremely curious and they want to know what is in the next street and far away from home. When a dog is bored which is extremely common these days he will simply run away in order to indulge his curiosity. He will usually come back after some time but this is not something you should allow to happen.
Keep your dog busy at all times. You can get another dog or you can play with your pet on a daily basis. You two are friends so you must spend some time together. Give him plenty of toys so he has something to play with when you are not at home. If you work too much, a dog day care is a thing to go for.
Due to mating instinct
All dogs will want to start reproducing at age 6 months. Some may need more time while others need a lot more time but this is generally a period when they will start looking at the opposite sex with different eyes. When a dog is in the heat he can run away from home. He will always find a way and he may refuse to obey you. This is perfectly normal.
Female dogs will run away almost always. Male dogs will run away if they sense the female dog in the heat. One way or another, this is a common reason here and something you need to know about. Dogs who are not fixed are more likely to run away due to this reason. Securing them and fixing them is the only set of things you can do to try and prevent this.
New territory
Believe it or not, this is another reason and it is reasonably common. If you travel with your dog you will take him to different places. For you, this is fun and interesting. For your dog not necessarily. He will notice different smells, distractions, and unfamiliar terrain as well. This can scare him or he will just want to go home. As a result, he will run away.
Not all dogs will run away when you two are on vacation but most of them will be stressed. You need to teach your dog that traveling and visiting different places is a fun and nice thing. Don’t lose your dog from the sight and try to spend as much time with him as you can.
Separation anxiety
This is a huge problem today. Many dog owners must work, travel or just leave their dogs home alone. This can cause separation anxiety. Most dogs will show some signs like chewing the furniture, being sad, depressed, or anxious. But, some dogs will run away. You will have to recognize the signs if your dog suffers from separation anxiety and you will have to deal with them so you can help your dog as soon as possible and prevent more severe complications.
A good thing is that 7% of dogs won’t come home. All the rest will. You will have to consider using an ID tag and a microchip so the people who find your dog can return him to you. Always start looking in your neighborhood. All dogs who run away from their homes stay nearby so you can find them if you start looking as soon as possible. He can be literally 3 minutes from your home.
He wants to hunt
Some dog breeds have been created for hunting only. The best example would be American Foxhound. Well, they still have those instincts and they will want to hunt. They think of it as fun and appealing action. But, a dog cannot hunt in your home or backyard. As such, he will run away and find an area where he can hunt.
They have a very strong sense of smell so they can smell a wild animal from far away and they can decide to go hunting right now. Training and securing your dog are the things you have to consider if this is the case. Walking him in the wild may be another thing you will want to do.
The final word
Why do dogs run away? They do it because of one of these reasons. This can be a huge problem. You will need to stay calm if this happens and you will have to start looking for him. A much better thing to do is to know these reasons and to start with prevention. In that case scenario, your dog will be much safer and you will keep the stress away from your life.
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