Pet Information > ASK Experts > Dogs > Dog Breeds > Golden Retrievers > puppy running away

puppy running away

20 8:46:34

Question
Hi, Katie.  I'm hoping you can give me some advice.  My puppy is 8 months old, and she's actually a golden retriever/poodle mix (goldendoodle).  We keep her in a kennel or chained up in the yard, because she tends to go visiting other neighbor dogs to play.  Recently, when I let her off her chain in the evenings with the intention of having her go potty and come in the house, she takes the opportunity to run off, and is usually gone for 1-2 hours.  I can't do much in the dark but wait for her to come home.  One of these times she's going to get herself hurt and I worry.  We don't live near a busy road or anything like that, she's actually going to a swampy area behind my neighbors house.  Should I be keeping her contained AT ALL TIMES?  It doesn't seem fair, and we'll even be playing fetch and she'll veer off and disappear through the neighbor's yard.  We do have a shock collar that seems to help with other behaviors, but once she has her mind set on running off, she's gone before you know it, and the collar doesn't do anything.  I want her to have exercise, but at the same time, I can't trust her.  Putting her on a leash just to go potty seems extreme to me, but at this point I don't know what else I can do.  Thanks for your help.

Answer
Kara:

Most of my goldens do not run away, but the minute I brought them home, I would go outside with them, call them and when they came to me pet them and talk baby talk and tell them how cool they were.  You can still do this with your dog, however, start with a really long leash about 20' if possible (make one if you need to)  Keep baby bones or peices of bones or kibble in your pocket.  While on the leash, call her and when she comes to you praise her good and give her a "treat" from your pocket.  Do this only a couple times.  Then do it a couple times every day, until you're sure she'll come to you off lead.  I would not attempt an off lead practice for about 2-3 weeks.  However, keeping her on a leash isn't that bad.  I have a corgi that just WON'T come.  We cannot allow her to be outside without trusting her.  Sometimes she doesn't go anywhere, but she just cannot be trusted and we've tried the lead concept and she still doesn't listen.  So, sometime, a leash or chain outsite to potty is the only solution.  Good Luck