Dog’s Aren’t Horses, So Why Jump the Fence?

The majority of the time, when a dog liberates himself from the owner’s yard by leaping the fence, happens when the owner is not at home. So why, you ask, was the dog left outside while the owner was gone? Well, if you asked the owner, you’d probably hear an answer along the lines of “destructive behavior.” So the best thing to do would be to work on correcting that behavior. But, in the absence of such corrective measures, if the dog must be left outside in a yard where he’s prone to fence jumping, try this basic solution: make the fence higher.

One of the prime factors for a dog’s escape motivations is simple loneliness. Dogs are pack animals, not solo-types. He may just want to get out to play with other dogs, or even people. Even if the owner-family is home, the dog may jump to find a way to get back into the house to rejoin the family. If that’s the case, installing a doggy door may help to remedy that problem.

There’s also fence jumping that may be done because of another results-oriented purpose, having to do with what the dog intends to do once he’s out. Example: Say it’s trash day, and with the trash collection comes dogs who are allowed to roam outside of their yards, or they are strays. The jumping dog may just want to go along with the pack and chase down the garbage. If that’s the case, keep the dog inside at times where the temptation may strike to engage in that kind of behavior.

Or, there’s another little urge in the dog’s life that could cause him to leap the fence. He’s looking for a “female companion.” Keep him inside during the times where he may be “in the mood.”

Dogs are territorial creatures, and if he’s in the habit of marking his territory through urination while he’s on walks or on other unauthorized free-roaming expeditions, he may be getting out going and re-marking. If another dog comes into the territory while he’s out, it can lead to fights. Try to curb the marking behavior while out on walks, or stop walks altogether for a time to interrupt the pattern. If all dog owners tried to reduce this behavior, even ones who don’t have pups with jumping problems, it would still help to eliminate that behavior in general.

Finally, the dog may just get irritated with being confined to a space, and be seeking social interaction or freedom itself. He’ll do this regardless of what the consequences may involve.