Typical causes for running away or chasing
1. Running away
- Separation anxiety
- Fears and phobias
- Sexual drive
- Games, investigation, social contact
2. Chasing
- Territorial protection
- Predatory instincts
Separation anxiety: Excessive attachment to the master incites the dog to run away in order to find him. The dog usually attempts to escape within thirty minutes after the master's departure. An exception to the rule occurs when the master is in the yard, or is out getting the mail, and the dog wants to join him. If the dog escapes, whether the master is present or not, the behavior probably does not emanate only from separation anxiety, but rather from other related causes.
A typical case of separation anxiety would have the dog sitting by the door, waiting for his master to return. If the design of the house and yard does not allow for escape, the dog will vent his anxiety by barking, wailing, or by destroying his environment (digging up the fence, for example. Other signs of separation anxiety will show up, like a dog following his master all over the house, overreacting when greeting people, or by panicking when the master is no longer in view. Before a departure, the dog becomes nervous. These dogs are very attached to their masters and will demand more attention, such as being petted and stroked on demand. Furthermore, they become very anxious when interaction with the master is impossible. The dog´s anxiety level must be reduce, especially when he is alone. Please consult the pages in this manual which deal with separation anxiety. Increasing exercise and education time, and modifying your fence will ensure that the dog will have little chance of escaping.
Fears and phobias: Some dogs escape when they are afraid. One of the stimuli which trigger fear is a loud noise, such as thunder, or a firecracker. The dog wants to hide in a safe place to get away front the stimulus. At first, the noise will trigger the escape. If the source of his fear (the noise) occurs on his turf, he could come to think that the yard itself is a bad place, and will come to fear the yard instead of the noise. For many dogs, only a few the yard instead of the noise. For many dogs, only a few experiences in a specific area are enough to trigger a generalization effect. In a few extreme cases, the dog will be afraid to go oust side even though the family is present; he will got out briefly and will want to go back in right away.
To solve this probl em, the fear-causing stimulus must be isolated. This fear will the be diminished by reverting to the desensitization and counter-conditioning approaches described at the beginning of this Section. We suggest that you consult an ehtologist or behaviorist veterinarian. You must make sure that the dog cannot escape by reinforcing an existing fence, or building a new one if necessary. You must avoid having the dog come into contact with the unwanted stimulus. If necessary, medication should be given to the dog.
Sex drive: Running away caused by the sex drive is a type of problem found with non-spayed males that roam around, looking to join a female during a period of receptivity. If the dog gets severely scolded for running away because of this sex drive, aggressive behavior could ensue. Types of running away patterns vary from dog to dog. If the dog can sniff a female in the area, he will run away more often. The dog will escape whether the master is there or not. However, if the dog is scolded for escaping, he will then wait for the master to leave to run away. The dog must be prevented from leaving his territory during heat period. To increase the effect, practice the exercise when the dog thinks you are absent, although it is probable that the dog will not be 100% reliable when left alone.
