In the wild, dogs can almost always find their way back to their original starting point whenever they wander or explore. In the city, they have a far more difficult time doing so. The smells are artificial and harder to discern. This is the reason canines often become lost and end up at animal shelters.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the reasons your pooch might roam. What follows will give you a better appreciation for the triggers and thus, a guide to modifying the behavior.

Curiosity And Boredom

Dogs are naturally curious and will explore their environment at the first opportunity. Moreover, they are susceptible to boredom if left without means to entertain themselves. A lot of owners allow their canines to spend the entire day in the confines of their yard. If the yard is small and provides little stimulation, a dog will be far more receptive to roaming.

To Socialize With Others

Like wolves, canines are natural wanderers. To that end, they might consider multiple locations to be their home. This is why they will often wander from their owner’s house and make their way to another “den” or home in which they feel comfortable.

Sometimes, they do so in order to meet other dogs. Other times (though rarer) they roam to socialize with other people, similar to cats that migrate from one porch to another.

Fear (Rational Or Irrational)

Fear is a powerful trigger in canines. It is often the catalyst that motivates them to run away. In some instances, the fear is rational. This might be the case with a physically abusive owner or some other factor that presents an imminent danger.

The fear may also be irrational. This can be the case with thunderstorms and lightning. The response (i.e. running away) is based on a phobia and reinforced because such things eventually subside. The canine believes his running leads to the storm ending.

The Desire To Reproduce

Male dogs that are intact will often roam due to a desire to reproduce. It is a natural response when they smell estrogen. The question is, why do neutered dogs do the same?

To the surprise of many owners, the urge to reproduce is so ingrained in canines that many of them display it even after having been neutered. Estimates vary, but many experts suggest one in ten dogs experience this urge. Those that do will roam.

A Known Source Of Food

Canines love food and will often go to great lengths to gain possession of it. If they identify a reliable source outside their owner’s home, they will return to it over and over.

Hunger is rarely the motivator. A pooch that receives a sufficient amount of food at home will still visit the secondary source when given the opportunity. This source may be a neighbor’s trashcan, a nearby restaurant, or another dog’s den.

Preventing Your Pooch From Roaming

The most effective way to keep your canine from roaming outside your home or yard is to make sure there is a sufficient obstacle to his doing so. That means your yard should have a fence high enough to prevent him from jumping over.

Beyond that, make sure your dog receives plenty of exercise. He’ll be less likely to become bored and look for entertainment beyond your home. Also, if he displays fear of storms or other loud noises, devote time to desensitization training. The more successful you are in keeping your pooch from roaming, the better you can protect him from injury outside your home.

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There’s a wealth of information about dog training, but experts say that one of the best reasons to train a dog properly is to establish a relationship of mutual trust. Unlike other kinds of pets, dogs are social animals that have been bred through centuries to serve and be close to their human owners. Dogs by their nature are pack animals that look to a leader to know how to behave, and a human who doesn’t establish this kind of relationship really fails to take good care of his or her dog.

Good training also sets up a clear line of communication between a dog and an owner. Think of it this way: Suppose you found yourself in a foreign country where you didn’t speak the language. When you try to get something to eat, to get a job or even go to the bathroom, you don’t know how to ask for what you want. All people do is yell at you in words you don’t understand.

Unfortunately for dogs, humans for centuries had an attitude that it was necessary to “break a dog’s spirit” in order to train them properly. This attitude resulted from humans’ sense that they had to dominate their animals in order to control them properly. Thankfully over the last century or so, animal experts have learned much about the natural instincts and behaviors of dogs so that puppy training has advance from this earlier, more cruel attitude.

The best thing a dog owner can do for his or her pet is to start their dog on obedience training as early as possible. The age to start obedience training may vary with the puppy’s personality. Just like human beings, some pups are mature enough at 10 weeks to start training, while others may not be ready until 12 or 15 weeks. If an owner finds after a couple of weeks’ classes that his or her puppy isn’t responding, it’s probably best to suspend obedience training and start again in another month or so.

Dog training for obedience involves the owner and puppy learning a series of basic commands. Among these are “sit, ” “stay, ” “down, ” “come, ” “heel, ” “drop it” and “leave it.” In most cases, these commands are taught with the use of food rewards such as dog food, tiny dog biscuits or small pieces of appropriate human food such as string cheese or baked or boiled chicken. Each of these commands is intended to teach a certain posture to the dog that the owner can use to control its behavior.

If a puppy is properly settled into a home, basic dog training, also known as obedience training, can begin in earnest around 12 weeks, or after a puppy has had all its vaccinations. By this time, a puppy that has been correctly socialized is ready to begin learning how to behave appropriately by following its owner’s instructions.

One thing that is never, never, never appropriate in dog training is to strike, hit or physically abuse a dog in any way. Dogs, especially puppies, quickly become devoted to their owners and physical abuse will destroy that relationship. Always train a dog with firmness, but with patience and lots of love.

Dogs can become more loyal, obedient, and affectionate towards their owners through vigorous puppy training. Enroll your canine companion in some dog training Kelowna today!