How do I keep my dog off the road?
The Situation:
DEAR JESSI
My dog has a problem. We live on a farm and she ALWAYS runs in the street. I’m scared she might get hit, I mean she just runs in the street without looking then she sits there. Horns honking like mad and just ignores them and she always runs off. For thanksgiving we went on a trip and she got out and almost got hit.
Please help I don’t know what I would do without her.
The Solution
This question touches a sore point with me. I too live on a farm in the country, and have seen far too many wonderful dogs killed by cars. For some of the stories and the reality of this situation, please read my article on Dogs and Cars.
The truth is that there is no way to train your dog to stay out of the road. While you might be able to teach her to stay on your property most of the time, that is never more than 50% reliable….leaving plenty of oppotunity for your dog to be killed.
I know having a farm dog run loose then you live in the country seems like an inalianable right. Unfortunately, with increased roads and traffic, that traditional freedom of the country dog is no longer a reality. The only way to keep your beloved dog from getting killed by a car is to keep her safely restrained on your property. Many of my neighbors have learned this the hard way.
You have many options when it comes to keeping her safe.
Keep her inside. You can take her out on walks with you when you leave the house. If she’s well trained, she can be with you off leash, and if not, retractible Flexi leads give quite a bit of freedom to roam.
A fenced yard. This is the most costly of the options, but allows your dog the most freedom and safety.
An invisible fence system. You can find these at places like PetSmart and Foster and Smith. The dog wears a radio collar which senses when your dog is about to leave your property and (depending on the system) either sprays them with citronella or administers a mild shock. These allow your dog quite a bit of freedom and cost less than a traditional fence, but are not as safe because some dogs do find ways to defeat them.
A cable tie-out. This is not your grandfather’s dog chain. You can buy or make tie-outs that run between two trees as far as 100′ apart. You fasten one end of the cable to each tree about 10′ off the ground. Then you attach another cable, about 12′ long, to the overhead cable using a pulley-type roller. Your dog then has the freedom to run along the entire length of the tie-out without getting tangled.
A kennel. While you shouldn’t leave your dog in one all the time, kennels are a safe and humane alternative to running free and being killed. You can put dog beds and toys in it to make it more entertaining for the dog.
I’m sorry if this isn’t the most encouraging of answers. It’s reality. I’m glad you care enough about your dog to keep her safe!
This article written and copyrighted 2001 by Jessi Clark-White. All rights are reserved, and this article may not be duplicated in any manner without written permission from the author.
MY little staffy ( she seems to be half kangeroo) jumps the fence, The fence is high but she still manages to scale it. Shall i spray citronella along the fence or is there another method that is capable of stopping her? Raising the height isnt an option as it is a long fence an would be expensive.Please reply as the “new” neighbors are petrified of dogs. Regards Eric
April 22nd, 2008 at 2:34 am