Do You Own a Door Dashing Dog?

Let’s talk a bit about a problem many dog owners, myself included, have to deal with that causes more stress and worry than about any other issue of dog ownership. What am I referring to? Those dogs that dart out the door at the slightest chance, and then run off to parts unknown. In other words, a door dashing dog! Sometimes the dog returns after a few hours and other times they end up becoming lost, or in worst case situations they are hit by a car on the highway. I have lost dogs to the highway in the past and I never want it to happen again so here are a few precautions in case you have to deal with a door dashing dog.

Precautions For a Door Dashing Dog

The first precaution you should take is to train the dog to the point that you have a rock-solid “Come” command. This is the most important command of all, for everyone’s safety. It can be difficult initially, because Fido can find tons of exciting things to get involved in, and just doesn’t want to leave them! You just have to make being with you more rewarding.

If you have some trouble with the “Come” command, are you always making it a pleasant experience for the dog? Think about this excerpt from Dog-Obedience-Training-Review.com:

Maybe your dog has responded well to your command in the past but was inadvertently punished for her good behavior. This could mean that you called her over then immediately locked her in a crate, or called her over and plonked her straight into a soapy bath (which she hates!).

Fenced-in yard: I spent years trying to find a safe, reliable method for keeping my housedogs within my fenced in yard before I came upon the best thing for keeping my dogs within the confines of my yard—the electronic invisible fence system. It has proven to be the answer to my prayers as my dogs would jump over the chain link fence or dig under on their way to a romp through the neighborhood. Now they stay within the area the invisible fence covers and I do not have to stress out about them when I allow free access to the yard, even when I am gone for several hours. Claims are that the invisible fence is 99% effective.

Another of the great precautions in case you have a door dashing dog is having the dog micro chipped. You may not always be there when your dog finds the opportunity to skedaddle — things happen!! Your vet can insert a chip under the dog’s skin in a simple procedure. The chip contains all pertinent information such as who owns him, where he lives, if he has had his shots, your phone number, and more. It is then a simple task locating your dog if he becomes lost. The microchip constantly sends out a signal that can be tracked to his precise location for a quick recovery.

Using the old tried and true method of attaching an identification tag to the collar also works but does not guarantee your dog’s safety, or that he will be returned if found. I still use it as a back-up but for those with dogs that like to “go over the wall” whenever given the chance, the microchip is your best option for getting the dog back.

Do you have a door dasher? Please share any tips below that you know that help with this problem.