My labrabull thinks he is a birddog. He climbs trees and leaps over six foot fences. He then runs the neighborhood and eventually comes home. He is a rescue dog and about 18 months old. I need advise and help.
Hi there, welcome to the forum. Many people are surprised at just what it can take to keep a determined dog inside their yard or garden. Some dogs never try to escape over the flimsiest fence while others are extremely resourceful escapers. Especially once they have had a taste of freedom. There is such a thing as a dog proof fence, that is to say a fence that will keep any dog in. But it's expensive and usually not very pretty. There is an article here on Labrador proofing your property https://www.thelabradorsite.com/labrador-proofing-your-garden/ It also looks at some of the issues around this often contentious topic. The bottom line is that if you cannot afford to put up a genuinely dog proof fence around all or part of your property the only solution is to supervise your dog at all times when he is outdoors. You don't say whereabouts you are and here in the UK people are often amazed that anyone would not either dogproof their garden or supervise their dog outdoors. However, I am aware that in some parts of the world, letting a dog have the freedom of a large unfenced property is quite normal. But, once a dog has started roaming as yours have, I'm afraid you have some tough decisions ahead.
I can be outside watching him and he just bolts. He can perch on top of a six foot wooden fence like a cat. He also climbs trees and goes up 15 feet or more. As I said he thinks he is a bird dog in every literal sense of the word. And I am in Sunny Florida in the US
Hi @Labrabull Lover in the State of Victoria, Australia, any rescue dog that can jump a fence is euthanized. I understand the reasoning but i dont think it is the right approach. We humans should count all animals in our welfare policies. But let me focus on your dog. You need to teach the dog boundaries. Establish the boundaries with small flags. The basic idea is when the dog backs away from the imaginary line drawn betwen the flags, positively reward the dog with high value treats. If she crosses the line then position her back from the line. Do not give treat if you have had to reposition her. Jumping over fences is self-rewading. Consequently use a long-line on your dog until you have the boundary irron clad. You will have to maintain the training even when the dog understands the obedience exercise.
If I had £1 for every time someone has had a problem with their dogs in the yard, I would be rich. Heck, even make it $1 if you are in the US(!). I often get people seeing me about this... Why is this? In the yard, we get these problems: Dogs hearing other dogs passing by, and barking at them - taking it upon themselves to 'guard' their property and chase along the fence. Dogs 'fence-fighting' next door's dogs. Dogs digging constant holes and destroying the flower beds. Dogs eating toxic plants, or inedible items like fencing which cause blockages. Dogs chasing and killing cats or wildlife which has strayed into their yard. And then, your problem - dogs escaping. Because, like everything else, once a dog has learnt it is possible to escape and treat themselves to the joys of the outside world any time they want to, they will try hard to do it successfully again - it worked last time... Any behaviour which is reinforced will happen more frequently and many dogs love nothing more than being free. I've never had any of the above list of problems with any dogs I've owned. Why? Because I go out into the yard with them, they all do their poops and pees, then they come back inside and get breakfast. At dinner time, they come outside with me, do their business, and come back inside to get dinner. And before bed, they come outside with me, do their toilets, and come back indoors to get their bedtime snack. They are never in the yard unsupervised. Ever. Problems in the yard happen because dogs are left out in the yard - typically bored and understimulated - and unsupervised, for long enough for them to learn to do the above list of stuff. The solution is not to leave them in the yard unsupervised. Dogs don't get exercise being in a yard. They lie around in it, all day - and could just as easily be lying around the house, safely away from all of this. If a dog needs access to the outdoors during the day to toilet, then building a covered run which comes directly off your door, often works well.
Well, it really is possible to build a dog proof fence (and six foot of wood isn't going to cut it!) Think 'zoo'. However, the expense and trouble is not usually worth it. Supervision is the other option. And you need to decide which way you want to go. In Florida, for much of the year, it's probably too hot for a dog to be outdoors for long stretches at a time either way, and most dogs are probably happier indoors with the air conditioning on.
While that may be your experience, our three labs all had access to the back yard unsupervised and none were escape artists. We have had a dog door from the family room to the back yard for 30 years. With our first lab, Ginger who was a rescue, we had a radio fence. She would occasionally go through it in hot pursuit of a squirrel, but other wise was content to stay in the yard if she went outside. With our other two Labs, Cooper and Tilly, we built a proper fence, and both of them are quite content in the yard. Cooper will actually get some exercise on her own, mostly high speed short runs, when she first goes out. We are fortunate that they don't bark much at other dogs, so they don't cause problems with the neighbors. We have friends with Sammies that can't let their dogs stay out alone because they bark at neighbors dogs continually, and sometimes try to get out. Our dogs normally spend most of their time in the house, but can go out any time they want. If nothing else it is a great convenience for us as well as the dogs, because we can leave them on their own all day if we need to, with no worries about them needing to go out. In my experience being unsupervised in the yard does not cause a dog to be an escape artist, but if they are, being alone may be a problem.
Of course there are always exceptions - there are people who never crate their puppy and have no problems with their house getting destroyed. There are people who take items off their dogs repeatedly and never end up with resource guarding. But best practice is always to look ahead to potential problems and put things in place to prevent them before they happen, not wait to see if they occur and then deal with them. It only takes one time for a dog to escape, for them to get run over or lost - the approach of 'try it and see if the dog escapes' is not really a good one IMO. Toilet and outside issues aside, I would not want to leave my dogs on their own all day ever, anyway. I believe they need human companionship and stimulation.
I think you're being unfair here. @Ski-Patroller clearly said "if they need to," not that they leave their dogs alone frequently. Sometimes urgent situations happen...
Hi, My last lab was a rescued escape artist. My backyard is complete walled with six foot fences that she could climb very easily. My solution was to mount 4" black PVC pipe along the top of the fences, pretty easy, cheap and not too unsightly. This created a slippery surface at the top to the fence she was unable to get a grip with her front paws and she was unable to escape (until the gardener let her out). After six months I started to remove each section once a week and she never tried to jump after that.....
I'm not being unfair at all: The point is that I don't design my house or yard around leaving the dogs home alone all day. It is not a consideration for me, because I don't do it.
We are semi retired, and have worked from home for about 30 years, but we still have to go out without our dogs some times, and even when we are home, they are often on their own in the house while we are in our offices. As I write this, Cooper is in the back yard pulling on a dummy that is on a bungee from the deck off the kitchen. Lots of folks don't have the luxury of working from home, so their dogs are stuck in the house when they are gone. I think the dog door is a much better solution for our dogs that are not escape artists and don't bark excessively.
