Chow Chow

Question
My female chow, 3 years old, runs out of the yard every morning when I open the gate to leave for work; resulting in me running after her as I do not want her to get into a fight or get hit by a car.  She does not respond when I call her back.

Answer
Get a leash long enough to allow you to tie it to the gate before you open it. This will stop her from dashing out of the yard when you open the gate.

Once you are outside and have closed the gate, you can untie the leash or whatever restraint you have chosen for this purpose, and let her run free in the yard. That sounds like the norm from what you said.

In the short-term while you decide what to get for that purpose, you should have some sort of favorite treat ready should she get free again, or if later she gets free of the restraint.

She should be able to smell whatever treat you have a mile away. If she really wants it, she may instead come to you for the treat she smells, rather than run off, and you can put her in the yard when you close the gate. Once she's back in the yard secured, toss her the treat. This will associate a good thing with staying in the yard.

If she makes a break for it, show her the treat,while calling her, but do NOT give it to her, unless she returns. When she does toss the treat inside your yard. When she runs for it, close the gate, and leave for work.

In the long-term, you might want to get some training tips from a dog trainer or read up on how to effectively train your dog to obey basic commands. It is somewhat important for your dog to know and obey basic commands in order to maintain a healthy relationship between you and your dog.

Otherwise, her inability to understand and obey those basic commands will cause you great frustration.