Why Do Dogs Escape?

[Jefe's owners]

Freckles, that is prey drive. There a a few more drives... Prey drive is more effective though.

However, as some of you say so, I'm wrong. Then I stand corrected, I'll now shut my mouth.

Thanks for your objective contribution Dog logic.

[Teebs]

Freckles, that is prey drive. There a a few more drives... Prey drive is more effective though.

However, as some of you say so, I'm wrong. Then I stand corrected, I'll now shut my mouth.

Thanks for your objective contribution Dog logic.

Thank God!!!!

[my_sibe_owns_me]

:D When you own a sibe tell it not to take its self on 'walks' and see if it listens!

I say come and she looks at me I swear if you look into her eyes she is laughing at me!!!! She knows the word! And thats why she turns and b-lines it Shes a brat....and a sibe.....shes smart enough to know she DOESNT have to come

[SpikesPuppy]

SpikesPuppy, I've had many dogs before. I've had a dog stolen and never saw him again. And I know how heartbreaking it is when they get old or get sick beyond help... and when that happened I took the best decision for them, and I was there hugging them until their last breath. and I hope I'm there for Jefe as well.

You say you've had a dog stolen. I'm very sorry for this. However, this makes it even mroe difficult for me to understand your opinion and position on dogs who are found wandering (taking this from your original thread). According to what I've read from you, had your stolen dog either escaped or been dumped by it's captors, been found wandering and been kept by the finders (because, clearly, a wandering dog is lacking care and is unhappy in it's home environment - remember, the finders don't know it was stolen-), this is perfectly okay? it's perfectly okay to assume without even bothering to think of what the facts might be.

As for old and/or sick dogs, again, if your elderly dog forgot who it was, freaked out and bashed through the fence or window in a panic when it heard a car backfire and was picked up... this is a clear indication of an uncaring, undeserving owner?

I'm sorry for continuing on with this but Im just trying to understand what exactly you mean in all of this. And trying to understand how you can possibly be so callous when you say you have both lost a dog and had dogs 'get old'.

[Rusky]

interesting you mention the old dogs SP. My old darling who just went to the bridge never wandered in her life, one afternoon I was called by the ranger that some people several streets away had my dog.. I couldn't understand it.

She had slipped out the back past our immediate neighbour who was working on the back wall, into the church carpark behind us, these people saw her, thought she was an escaped dog of a relative, got her home realised she wasnt and called the ranger with her registration details. Her new flash disc I just had engraved was sitting on the bench ( we had recently moved) All this took a total of 10 minutes, imagine if I had removed her collar to put the disc on and that had happened

I bought the finders a box of chocolates immediately and thanked them even though they felt guilty for picking her up and driving her off. The scenarios I played in my mind drove me insane, but she was chipped too. I made sure she always had her disc on after that as I realised a little light had gone from her eyes and that she was disorientated.

We need to keep a good eye on old dogs because like puppies and beagles they follow their nose.

Edited October 8, 2006 by Rusky

[Australdi]

Interesting topic!

I've had both houdinis & non roamers...and one who could morph between to two depending on the circumstances and his age & opportunity...

My observations, are that it really does come down to the individuality ie:personality/instincs& drives of the dog.

my first rescue dog was a dobe x GSD....he was a serial jumper! I saw him on many occasions jump 9ft fences without footing them! ....99 times out of 100 he only jumped so he was outside waiting for me when I drove up...mum used to know I would be home in 5 mins, when he jumped the fence! one session of an electric fence did have the effect of 6 mths no jumping, but it eventually wore off.

he wouldn't actually "go" anywhere...just sit on the nature strip or driveway waiting for me to pull up..then jump in the car as I opened the door, no time for me to get out, sit in the back seat & wouldn't get out of the car until I'd taken him for a drive around the block!

The exceptions were....in the first week I "owned" him...(before I knew of his superman ability to leap high fences in a single bound) he took him self off to the local shopping centre (crossing several major roads in the process!!! ) for some fussing & lovin from the local shopkeepers! (luckily he was tagged with my number & they called me)....seems he was shmoozing & being adorable! (yep, he had alot of dobe in him! )

the 2nd was when on the one day the ranger was up at the local park...he decided he'd take himself for a walk! & as the ranger opened his van to get out...my car ride lovin boy jumped right in! :D (ranger almost wet himself laughing!)

and without fail...every bath day! (this was the only time he'd take off on me!!!) the neighbours actually worked it out by his behaviour & I'd get the response...hehehe..."obviously bath day!" from them & it didn't matter how well I hid bath preparation from him...somehow he'd know & over the fence and try to 'hide' sitting at least 2 houses distance from me! ;) all other times off lead (unless under the "ok" release to tear around the park to play with his best mate (a lab) he would stick pretty much like glue at either a heel, or no more than 2 metres away from me on the free walk. (generally though he would assume the position of "rear guard" :D )

my bullie x only ever escaped twice...first time she pushed/broke through the neighbours fence to be with her soulmate (the GSD next door) like romeo & julliet they would swoon at each other across the driveway! :D unfortunately, she came into her first season very early, & way before I expected it..and romeo next door was proudly strutting his stuff that afternoon! ....consequence...the only other time she ever got out, was to dig under the other fence & take her litter of 4 wk olds on a training/exploration run down to the creek to teach them the finer things in life! ARRG! luckily I was home at the time, & 5 mins of sudden silence alerted me that something was going on, so I was in hot pursuit! & luckily directed by some neighbours kids who, smirks on their faces asked if I was looking for a bitch & 5 pups trotting eagerly & obediantly behind her as she walked through their backyard and out the gate that backed onto the park!! (they told me it was quite an amusing parade!)

Daims...well he was the one who had the changeable character (perhaps because he was entire...or maybe because he was also a sly prankster) as both a youngster & an oldie...he was a home stayer...even when our back gate was smashed by burglers, he and the jack russell in the back yard only went to the front verandah to bark at the sharpei inside the house. alerting the neighbours who called the ranger, who instantly recognised what had happened when he went to put the dogs back into the back yard...and he then called the police!

seems the would be burglers kicked in the back gate to let the dogs out & hung out of harms way on the carport whilst doing so...then went to break into the back door..and found another guard dog on the inside of the house and decided (wisely IMHO to give up before they became breakfast! ) Police thought it was highly amusing!

As an oldie, when we came down to tassie, at first there were no side fences..but he'd keep himself to the property and performed his "border patrols" & didn't wander (however, he was always confined to the house when I had to go out)....the only times he ever took off on me were a couple occasions where he decided to have a play run...ie: I sneek out because someone left the gate open, or I'm on an offlead run at the race track...I get far enough ahead so I can pretend I'm deaf....but I'll sit & wait for mum to almost catch up with me (can't have her falling too far behind, because that would spoil the game! ;) ), then run off again! until he'd finally tire of the game & would "allow" himself to be caught! & with those "innocent" dobe eyes look at me as if to say...what took you so long! . his recall was a 99 out of 100 affair...usually he could be recalled from 4 - 5 furlongs +...but sometimes decided (luckily only on a couple of occasions) that the deaf running game would be more fun! (maybe he decided that mum was getting a bit podgy & needed the exercise! ) BTW...Daims was highly trained, and had excellent recall...but dobes occasionally like to test the limits of what they can get away with! ;) & can be bl@@dy sneaky when they feel inclined!

Zillah (the ADD teenager) so far hasn't had the inclination for escape yet (touch wood) but I don't give him many opportunities yet, as his training has a long way to go before I'll "trust" him with off lead work outside of the back yard...and most of his backyard sessions are of either supervised duration, or in the company of a home stayer dog. However...boy can he jump! (over the rottie x or the couch)...but he hasn't tried jumping one fence yet!

so...IMHO...it the dog's personality, instincts & whims of the moment can all assert influence & motivation at times.

cheers

Aus

[Jefe's owners]

You say you've had a dog stolen. I'm very sorry for this. However, this makes it even mroe difficult for me to understand your opinion and position on dogs who are found wandering (taking this from your original thread). According to what I've read from you, had your stolen dog either escaped or been dumped by it's captors, been found wandering and been kept by the finders (because, clearly, a wandering dog is lacking care and is unhappy in it's home environment - remember, the finders don't know it was stolen-), this is perfectly okay? it's perfectly okay to assume without even bothering to think of what the facts might be.

The Dog, actually a large puppy, was taken from our backyard and was never seen again. One of the neighbours saw somebody jumping our fence, that's how I know it was stolen. A more adult dog would not allow anyone jump in our backyard. This was our fault as we failed to secure what it was a very handsome GSD puppy.

As for old and/or sick dogs, again, if your elderly dog forgot who it was, freaked out and bashed through the fence or window in a panic when it heard a car backfire and was picked up... this is a clear indication of an uncaring, undeserving owner?

I had a GSDX that was affraid of fireworks, gunshots, backfires, etc. He always tried to run INSIDE the house, as it fell secure there. If the house was closed, he would run inside his "Kennel" (Backyard coffe table purposedly located in a corner for him to hide). I still don't understand why he would want to run away though.

I'm sorry for continuing on with this but Im just trying to understand what exactly you mean in all of this. And trying to understand how you can possibly be so callous when you say you have both lost a dog and had dogs 'get old'.

No reason to be sorry. The dog got stolen... there's not much you can do about it other than keep looking for it, and that's what I did, but never found it. I also had a dog poisoned by my next dog neighbour... just because her cat was affraid of it. Also had a GSD puppy accidentally poisoned with rat poison placed by other neighbour... I failed to secure the dog, as it was too puppy and too curious. Shit happens? Yes!, but I should have seen the posibility comming. Lesson learned.

I had another GSDX that lived with us 17 years, he outlived three other dogs... when he was about 12 he started loosing his mind... he would cry and bark for hours to be left out to the street (common practice where I grow up), and when you left him out out of the backyard he would run to the front door to be left in!... it was like that for the last 5 years of his life, two and three times a day, no matter it was day, night, sunny or rainy... he eventually developed a bone hip tumor, which was not operable, he started having problems walking, and we employed pain management strategy while it had some effect on him. One day this was not enough, he started suffering, and he would have little appetite... his quality of life was no longer good, the only fair thing to do out of respect and love for a good friend as to terminate his life.

How can I be so callous? I don't know... I don't think I'm callous. I did suffer when they died, dissapeared, etc... it broke my heart, but I also lost my father when I was very young, which as you can imagine was really hard in comparison to losing my beloved pet. I learned early on my life that no matter what, LIFE GOES ON AND IS NOT WAITING FOR ME TO MOVE ON. The sooner I recover from my wounds and get up on my feet, the sooner I'll be ready to take on life in the face.

When you lose a pet, which can be as a child for some people, there's nothing else you can do, its gone. At the end of the day, in the big and simple context of life, its a dog. The way I see it, is ok to grieve their lost, but I much preffer to remember the good things I shared with them. Hence I can always smile about it.

If our dog dies tomorrow, yes, we'll suffer, we will learn the lesson if there's one the be learned, but as we have so much love to give (me thinks), and a good home to offer (me thinks again), I would probably rescue another dog, which deserves a second chance, sooner rather than later...

This is part of my life philosophy, and I understand it might shock some people. I don't expect people to understand it or share it.

Edited October 9, 2006 by Jefe's owners

[SkyesongTollrz]

>>When you lose a pet, which can be as a child for some people, there's nothing else you can do, its gone. At the end of the day, in the big and simple context of life, its a dog. <<

Are you suggesting that people who lose a dog (or a child) shouldn't be allowed to grieve??? That they should just get over it because it's just a dog? OR a child??

You know, I've been reading these threads, and I suspected that you are a moron, but now it's been confirmed and pointed out in big neon letters.

[Jefe's owners]

Are you suggesting that people who lose a dog (or a child) shouldn't be allowed to grieve??? That they should just get over it because it's just a dog? OR a child??

No, I'm not suggesting that. What I'm suggesting is that I would not grieve for long, and that for me, its just a dog, and that I would not compare a child to a dog. Not in a million years.

As I wrote before, it is the way I see life and death and grieve... you don't have to share this view, and I can understand you find it difficult to understand. There was no need for the abuse though.

This will hurt and you will hate me (if you don't already), but that's fine as I'm a morron, idiot, tosser and other things on private mail... and I won't lose sleep over it

If you had to choose who lives and who dies, between your child and your he-is-like-a-child-to-me dog. Which one would you choose?...

Yeah I thought so too.

At the end of the day its just a dog...

Edited October 9, 2006 by Jefe's owners

[BasTyra]

Lol skyesong.

Anyhoo... my dog Griever is definitely not 'properly' trained. He can be a cheeky little shit at times.

If I open the front door, however, he will run out to pee on the lightpole out the front, but then he comes straight back.

Nothing to do with training, he's just a mama's boy who still suffers from a little separation anxiety and doesn't want to be far from me for extended periods of time.

Another example would be when the cleaning guy came and left the front door wide open while he did the carpets. I came out the front to find griever wandering about the yard, sniffing the guys cleaning equipment and peeing on plants. He was as carefree as can be and had no intention of running away, yet as I said earlier he is most definitely not properly trained to stay at home. He's just a little ole scaredy cat who wouldn't dream of going off adventuring without his mummy.

I think the reasons for running off/not running off are different for every dog.

[BasTyra]

If you had to choose who lives and who dies, between your child and your he-is-like-a-child-to-me dog. Which one would you choose?...

Argh I hate when people use hypotheticals such as these in an argument.

It will never happen, so why even use it as an argument.

Or how about when the magical genie pops out of the flask and tells me I have to choose between my dog and my child, I tell him to piss off?

[Jefe's owners]

-

Edited October 9, 2006 by Jefe's owners

[SkyesongTollrz]

If you had to choose who lives and who dies, between your child and your he-is-like-a-child-to-me dog. Which one would you choose?...

Yeah I thought so too.

At the end of the day its just a dog...

That's like asking which one of your children you would save. Stupid hypothetical, which has no place on a forum of dog lovers. But if I had to answer your question, who would I choose? Neither. I'd find a way to save them both, risking my own life if necessary.

You seem to have stumbled over the wrong forum. This is a forum of dog *LOVERS*, not a forum of people who think it's "just a dog". Most people here live for their animals and go to extraordinary lengths to save their lives and to provide for their animals.

[Jefe's owners]

Don't think for a second that I don't love my dogs, and that I won't go the extra mile to provide for them. You don't wanna get there.

Its not so hypothetic as you think... how many time does this happen here in Australia with the yearly bush fires? and houses made of wood... not so unlikely.

I would never risk leaving my child orphan for saving my dog... but hey, those are my priorities... and I don't have kids..

And no matter what you say... it is not the same as asking which of your two childs would you save... they are not the same. But again, that's the way I see it.

Edited October 9, 2006 by Jefe's owners

[SpikesPuppy]

The Dog, actually a large puppy, was taken from our backyard and was never seen again. One of the neighbours saw somebody jumping our fence, that's how I know it was stolen. A more adult dog would not allow anyone jump in our backyard. This was our fault as we failed to secure what it was a very handsome GSD puppy.

You missed my point completely. I said that ACCORDING TO YOUR PREVIOUS POSTS it wouild have been perfectly acceptable for anyone who may have found your stolen dog (for example, if it escaped it's captors or was dumped by them), to then decide whoever owned this dog was a horrible uncaring and irresponsible person who did not deserve to keep it and then keep it for themselves.

I had a GSDX that was affraid of fireworks, gunshots, backfires, etc. He always tried to run INSIDE the house, as it fell secure there. If the house was closed, he would run inside his "Kennel" (Backyard coffe table purposedly located in a corner for him to hide). I still don't understand why he would want to run away though.

You are very lucky. My old girl when senile would go into a complete panic, bashing through walls, windows, fences, going completely out of her mind terrified of everything and anything, panting and trembling with fear. This was not through poor training. But through plain and simple terror. Any medication we tried just made her worse. It got to the point where during a storm or fireworks we would have to physically hold her down to keep her from harming herself. If she was crated she would bash herself against the walls trying to get out. She had many safe places (under beds, inside closets, crates, kennels, under the bed) but they weren't enough to pacify her fear. This was in the last 3 years of her life, getting worse progressively.

How can I be so callous? I don't know... I don't think I'm callous. I did suffer when they died, dissapeared, etc... it broke my heart, but I also lost my father when I was very young, which as you can imagine was really hard in comparison to losing my beloved pet. I learned early on my life that no matter what, LIFE GOES ON AND IS NOT WAITING FOR ME TO MOVE ON. The sooner I recover from my wounds and get up on my feet, the sooner I'll be ready to take on life in the face.

When you lose a pet, which can be as a child for some people, there's nothing else you can do, its gone. At the end of the day, in the big and simple context of life, its a dog. The way I see it, is ok to grieve their lost, but I much preffer to remember the good things I shared with them. Hence I can always smile about it.

I wasn't meaning you were callous to your own dogs memory or the loss of them - frankly, I don't care. But you were being callous and cruel to those who have lost a dog, had a dog go missing (whether it ran off or was stolen) and generally anyone who has had a dog get old and sick in the head. In no uncertain terms, you stated that dogs escaped/ran away because they were not being satisifed at home, by their owners. Implying that anyone who's ever had a dog run away, escape or get stolen is irresponsible and undeserving of dog ownership.

I lost my Timothy on the 18th of February this year. Every night I dream about her, About 65% of those dreams are nightmares. 10% are about guilt for not having the superpowers to make her all better and the remaining are nice, happy dreams. I don't break into tears when I thinkof her anymore (except when I think of the fun times, those are happy tears) but I constantly miss her and have fallen back into my Depression since I lost her. I'm not over it, and quite frankly, I will never be. She got me through so much. At a time in my life where I needed her, she was there.

I've lost other dogs too. And other pets. I've loved them all and have grieved for them, and I still miss them, but none have affected me so much as my Timothy.

[Australdi]

If you had to choose who lives and who dies, between your child and your he-is-like-a-child-to-me dog. Which one would you choose?...

Yeah I thought so too.

At the end of the day its just a dog...

That's a big call for those of us that have chosen not to have children...our dogs are not just child subsittutes...but also our permanent partners often.... the loss of a partner like that is just as devastaing as the loss of of a human partner..perhaps more so, as dogs tend to be more faithfull than humans!

..I don't doubt that it's quite easy for some people to move on from the death of a dog....I also acknowledge (from my own experience)

that losing a partner..a faithfull partner that has lasted 8 years longer from any human counterpart is a devastating event.

...an event that maybe is not as easy to "get over" as you experienced

the 2 opposing experiences of the loss of a dog (one can experience it as an inevitable & logical process due to the relative life spans of dogs to humans)...& yet a dog can be so much more to an individual than a human partner can be....and that is not a relationship that should be disregared lightly :D

....at the end of the day....my dog...Daim's was far superiour to any human counterpart, and he was much more than "just a dog"

I'm not saying that your perspective is wrong....for many...it's very accurate....however, I implore you to consider that there are other alternatives/experiences out there, and that those experiences are just as valid as yours :D

sincerely

Aus

[Australdi]

and spikes puppy..I know exactly what you are describing..because I'm still trying to come to terms with loosing my (almost) 11 yr old dobe 2 months ago...and it was a loss that plunged me into critical depression...as that dog had saved my life 3 times! (and stuck by me 8 years longer than any "partner" had...I have another dobe pulling me through it all....but he's not the same dog/partner that I lost

I am about to lose 3 of my grandparents within the next 2 years...and the possibility that one of my parents may crumble too...& if I'm going to be honest...the loss of my dog has been more devastating. because he was there for me when no-one else was. No doubt I will grieve at the loss of my close family, but I believe that I will be pragmatic when that eventuates...unfortunately, I could not be as pragmatic when Daims left me so suddenly...the impact it has had on my life, I can't begin to explain!

Aus

[Ashanali]

I was going to write something here having had two Pointers killed by the same car back in 2003.

But what does it matter... argue with a fool and a passerby may become confused.

[SpikesPuppy]

Australdi; sorry to hear of your loss. My Timothy (the Dobie X rescue) was 10 years, 6 months and 8 days old when I put her to sleep. They are certainly a special breed

I think my biggest argument about the person Vs dog debate is they are incomparable! In many cases, we can explain to a human how we feel, what is going to happen to them (even if the person is elderly and has alzheimer's for eg. in their better days they would understand what death was, what it meant), but there is no way, no matter how hard we try, to explain to a dog that the pain will be over, that we love them dearly & that it's the best thing for them.

[Teebs]

*sigh*

I knew it was too good to be ture when you said you were not going to post in here anymore