Help! My dog keeps running away. How do I stop her and keep her safe?

This is a training process that you need to do with her, you need to teach her to stay near you on command, this is usually done based on a reward system (treats) but it can take quite a long time to achieve this, when you are training her she should still be on the lead of course.

Oh no! How scary! To prevent this from happening, you need to have very consistent recall from your pup at all times, in all circumstances. Dog training classes help teach you these skills, because it's all about you being consistent. If you don't want to do classes, you'll have to do your homework online using this tool: www.dogstardaily.com, which is a great veterinary behavior dog training website. Good luck!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like Toffee may not know his boundaries well, and assumes he can run everywhere once he's outside. I recommend training him on a leash to show him where his boundaries are. For example, walk him on a leash around the perimeter of your property, and never beyond. You can make him sit at the edge of your property, and give him a treat. Do this at multiple points around your property. Since he has run off before, he may not learn the true edge of his property. The safest thing to do is to take him out on a leash and not let him run freely. He is otherwise at risk of getting lost, or even hit by a vehicle. I hope this is helpful.

If Ginger isn't reliable off leash she shouldn't be allowed to be off leash for her own safety. If you don't have a fenced yard but still want to let her run around, a long leash of about 20-30 feet can allow her to run around while still giving you control to stop her. You can also use this length of leash to solidify recall commands and teach boundaries. An electric underground fence may also be beneficial to help teach boundaries without an above-ground fence present.

Unfortunately it sounds like your dog needs some structured training. I'm sure it was a horrible experience for you when she escaped. As owners we are totally responsible for our dogs and anything that they do, so she needs some help as next time you might not be so lucky in terms if the consqequences of her being loose and uncontrollable. In this instance I would encourage you to employ the help of a local and well regarded dog trainer. Huskies require strong and direct leadership so I recommend getting a trainer to help you deliver this. They will not only train the dog, but will train you in the best way to react to her and channel her energy. In the mean time I would invest in a collar or another harness as a fail safe in case she gets loose again.

Some dogs cannot go off leash outside. I would keep her on a leash until you can have the fence installed in the summer. Once the fence is installed you can work with her a lot easier to try to get her to listen to come back to you when called. My concern would be that she would run and get hit by a car, attacked by another animal or run after someone (even if she would never hurt them it can still scare someone). I would try to get a trainer to work with you now since she is so young. If you have a trainer and are consistent you may be able to have her off the leash one day. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Unfortunately it sounds like Poncho has a mind to explore. Unfortunately this leaves her susceptible to all manner of concerns including snakes and cars. Keeping her restrained with a chain may be what is needed at this time, be sure she has plenty of fresh water and shade if she is restrained outside, and using a running chain rather than one attached to a fixed object can allow a bit more freedom. Regular walks and play with the family can help to calm the roaming urge, and encourage Poncho to stay more home-based. Keeping Poncho on a leash when you let her outside would be beneficial, and you may want to consider an invisible fence system for her too.