Why do pets Run away?

There are many reasons pet run away, Below are just a few reasons:

Reproductive drive: An intact male dog roams when he detects the odor of estrogen on the wind. Why would a neutered male or a female develop reproductive wanderlust? The answer is because sexual urges are generated in the brain, not in the loins. Although castration causes the male hormone testosterone to fall to zero within about 8 hours, a neutered male remains a male, not an “it.” Castration reduces roaming in 90 percent of dogs but for the remaining 10 percent behave as if nothing has changed.

Boredom: Why do dogs climb over and dig under fences? Some say, to get to the other side. People sometimes go to work and leave their dogs tied up or wandering in the yard because they are afraid they will damage the house if left inside. A curious and active dog in a postage-stamp sized backyard is an instant candidate for escape - and thus disaster.

Predatory drive: Another very strong, almost magnetic, force that draws dogs away from their homes is prey drive. Seeking and finding prey is one of the most powerful natural tendencies that dogs possess. The thrills and the sweet victory of the chase are their own intrinsic rewards. Although we provide our dogs all the food they need, this extravagance still does not extinguish the drive to hunt in dogs.

Social reasons: Like wolves, some dogs have secondary homes or dens. Unless physically restrained, they will leave one home and wander over to the other periodically. I once had five clients sitting in front of me during a behavior consultation on one dog. “Which one of you is the owner?” I asked. They looked at each other for a moment or two and then one of them said, “We all are.” Apparently, the dog in question would wake up in one person’s home and wander over to the neighbor’s house for breakfast. It would then go over to a third neighbor’s home for a mid-morning walk and visit yet another neighbor each evening for dinner. This scenario brings to mind so-called “boomerang dogs” that are discarded by one family but keep returning to the original owners’ home.

Physical rewards: Food is a powerful reward for certain dogs. If such dogs learn of a source of food away from their home, they may visit that location whenever they feel a little hungry. One dog discovered that a neighbor always threw out leftover pizza on a Friday night. The dog was always found missing on Fridays.

Thunderstorm phobia: There are some phobic dogs that express their great displeasure by attempting to run away from what ails them. If a dog like this starts to run and run, he will eventually find that the storm abates. The running away behavior is rewarded by so-called negative reinforcement – the frequency of running away during storms increases because it stops something bad from happening (apparently, at least). Thunderstorm phobic dogs sometimes become quite skilled at breakouts, leaping from windows, or clearing high fences in a single bound as if they had superhuman powers.

Fear of owner: Although rare, I have seen this behavior recently in a dysfunctional dog adopted from a pound. The dog loved the lady owner but couldn’t stand her husband. The dog barked at him from the time he set foot into the house in the evening until the time he left for work the next morning. Tragically, the woman died, leaving the dog to either get over his fear of the man or run away. The dog chose the latter approach but was later recaptured and rehabilitated.

In Conclusion: Alway’s try to keep you pet on a a leash. Also, remeber to watch when opening and closing doors in your house. Your pets are valuable to you, take care of them like you would any child.

Some information from petplace.com