Ep 068 How to Catch Your Dog After an Escape

Every now and then, your dog is going to escape!

Discover how you should react and some smart techniques to get her back.

In this episode,you’ll learn how to get your dog back quickly after she makes a run for it.

Bennie and Devin continue on their behavior analytics series.
Ep 032 – Praise vs Motivation is a good episode to refer back to keep in mind that not all dogs are going to respond or react the same.
Here are some things you can do when your dog darts out the door and wants to play the chase game:
- Go back inside and get your leash – the leash can represent control to your dog or be motivation if your dog really enjoys walking.
- Stop and give yourself a few seconds to think about the things you could do, let that tenseness go away and let your body relax.
- Remove the reactiveness – put a pause between the event and your emotions so you can analyze and do the things that your dog would to come to.
- Remind yourself to be happy and calm.
- Remember back to the 3 rules for off leash training – end everything in a positive way because the negative reaction creates fear in your dog.
- Get the immediate anger and angst out of your body language.
- Make a loop around your dog.
- Sit on the ground and open your arms or clap your hands showing positive and inviting body language.

Things you shouldn’t do:
- Go directly toward your dog.
- Bend over to grab your dog while going directly toward them because it shows a play bow to your dog.
- Yell at your dog with a harsh tone of voice.
- Show aggressive body language.

When dealing with dogs who don’t run away but wander:
- In these situations you have to check your emotions and be even more mindful of a positive presence to your dog.
- If you need your dog to come back and they are not listening – sit on the ground and open your arms or clap your hands showing positive and inviting body language.

Check to see if the dog has a tag – refer back to Ep 027 Recover Your Lost Dog – Remember your dog for the proper procedure on how to ID a dog.
Realize what you are willing to do for this dog if you don’t find the owner.
Know the alternatives in your area for shelters if you are unable to keep the dog.

This is a practice of you getting your dog wanting to come to you for no reason at all.
How to create this good practice between you and your dog:
- For every one time you have your dog come to you for a specific reason (calling your dog to come eat or giving it a treat), you have to have your dog come to you 2 times for no specific reason at all.
- 2-1 ratio.
- You want your dog to come to you for no reason more times than for a specific reason.
- Start out in a very small contained area in your house where you and your dog can see each other.
- Call your dog over to you for no reason at all, love on them and then walk away 10 times in a row.
- Then you start to do this while you are in separate rooms.
- Refer to Ep032 to find out what motivates your dog and use to help get your dogs attention if you are struggling in this area.
- Once comfortable with separate rooms move to a fenced yard and do the same thing.
- Then try open spaces such as a tennis court or track with very little distractions.
- You will slowly bring in the distractions to ultimately be able to call your dog in a time filled with lots of distraction such as while at a dog park.
- This process will help to make your dog want to be with you and do more for you.

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