So we adopted a new dog...and now I know what his flaw is: he's a runner....

[Wink]

We adopted Sir Wallingford or "Wally" about 3 days ago.. He is a min pin/dachshund mix, and he is UNCUT, and about 2 years of age. The family we adopted him from lived on a super busy street and he was prone to digging out and escaping, so they were worried that he would get hit by a car.

We plan on getting him the old sniparoo, and he has proven to be a good dog. However, the other day, one of the kids opened up the garage door and he BOLTED from the house and despite us yelling his name, he was doing the 500 meter sprint erratically through the streets....so he is a runner.

We have never had a dog do that before. usually they just sniff and chill. Do you think getting him neutured will make a difference?

 

[furbabymum]

No. I don't think it will. Neutering calms an animal but it does not change behavior. You had me at Min Pinn. I've had absolutely terrible experiences with them. Of course, I'm usually anti small dog as people just don't take them seriously. There is nothing worse then someone thinking bad behavior is "cute" because the dog is too small to do real damage.

You need to work on your recall pronto. I've a great pyr who likes to run with the wind but he comes when called. Took a lot of work to get to that point. So get the treats and the leash and start teaching that dog to come.

 

[Wink]

yes, I had hoped that neutering would work, but I kinda knew it would not. We plan on working on his recall, but he sure wasn't going for that yesterday. I work out, but no one expects to start jogging the block in ugg boots and pjs. thanks for the advice....this min pin/dachshund is a good one...no yappy bad attitude.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

You can definitely train him not to do that. Let me know if you need some tips.

 

[Godsgrl]

Neutering should help to an extent, as it would take away the urge to wander and find that female in heat. As far as bolting though...I've got one too. We found her at the dump Thanksgiving weekend three years ago, so that tells you what kind of training she had. In the beginning, we kept her on a leash 24/7. We keep a spray bottle near the door, and spray her if she even thinks about looking at an open door. Slam the door on her head if she runs for it. Sounds cruel, but better than getting hit by a car. On a leash outside EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. We still do this to this day. Put up a hook near the door, and keep the leash there. Ours, Sweet Pea, is also a collar slipper. So we (finally!) found a collar that she can't escape. It's a nylon control collar and tightens if she pulls on it.

Sweet Pea can escape from tie outs, so we take her only into a securely fenced area. Even then we have to stay with her while she is outside. Sigh. Another word of advice, leash and collar in the car, and tie the dog EVERY TIME!! It's so fun chasing a dog down the highway because you stopped for something and left the door open. Put your dog in the car, then remove leash and loop it through any grab bars, or the headrest bars. Then reattach to the collar. After a while, it becomes second nature, like buckling your baby in a car seat.

Be careful about where you tie in the dog though. I tied Sweet Pea to the front passenger side grab bar once in our truck. She proceeded to roll down the window and jump out. So be careful with that. I hope your dog makes more progress than ours has. We've gotten a little better than in the past, she doesn't bolt out the door anymore, but given the chance, she will run off outside. At least she only jumped in my neighbor's house (through an open window) once.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

I had a runner. (Well, I still have her but she is no longer a runner). She bolted every chance she got. Walking to my car at the pound day 1 she got out of her harness and made it several blocks. Once, she got out of her collar ran down my street, across a busy Los Angeles street and up a freeway on ramp. Seriously.

I worked with her every single day until she got it. It was frustrating and it took time, effort and a lot of patience but now I can leave the front door open and the gate open and can walk behind the house and take out all the trash cans without even worrying a little that she will go anywhere. She knows the line and stays in the yard.

I started with her on a leash and taught her a "wait" command working with her with at the door to her crate. Then advancing to the door to my bedroom then to the house door then to the gate. The great thing about "wait" is once they get it down you can use it in any situation. The UPS man is afraid of my pit bull? "crate." "wait." and she goes in and stays until called. I dropped a glass in the kitchen and scattered glass. "wait" - no hurt dogs. They all stayed in the living room and waited. Endless uses and no more runners.

Training your dog not to run is just like training your dog to be safe around your chickens. It's a process and it is all about impulse control training. Food training is one of the best ways to start the process for overall success.

 

[verity]

"Wally" hasn't been with you very long -- doubt if he feels 'at home' quite yet or recognizes you as 'pack leader' (this from someone who is rarely recognized as 'pack leader' around here!)

It will take patience but he sounds like a super little guy ---

 

[Fly 2006]

I agree, three days is nothing, you can't expect him to feel settled yet, also a lot of small dog breeds can be independant little things, he will just be off to try and get back to the place he thinks of as home, you will just have to be careful with him until he has settled in, I would definately get him neutered, if he was digging out of his old home to go walk about this could have had a lot to do with it, the slightest whiff of a ***** in heat and he will be off!

 

[Mountain Man Jim]

Getting the dog neutered can help especially if the dog is escaping to roam the neighborhood versus other desires. A while ago we took in the local stray dog, Willy. Willy was known for escaping from the property of two other neighbors so, when he showed up at our gate he had years to escaping experience; Willy was about 10 yrs old and was intact. We quickly learned that Willy was trying to dig his way under our gates as well so, we improved the gates and had Willy fixed. In a few months the desire to escape was gone. I should note that in these few months several things occurred to Willy 1) We improved our fencing, 2) He was fixed 3) Willy’s impulse control was worked on, 4) Willy was integrated into our pack of dogs and our home. So, my tip is, do all of that.

Jim

 

[Fly 2006]

Ooooh, thats odd, why has the proper word for a female dog been removed from my post?