Why Your Dog Runs Away From You!

A lot of dog owners face a common problem: the dog is free of his leash and sniffing and running around, but when you call him he refuses to listen. It is like he is deaf and blind no matter what you do. He continues chasing the bunnies, playing with other dogs or searching for other things he considers more interesting than you are. Even the best cookies in the world won't make him come back to you. Or your cheerful voice. Or other solutions you have come up with. This can be a true nightmare. On one hand you want your dog to have freedom (which he needs), but on the other hand it is important he listens to you. Think of stuff like safety, a good relationship together, timing (you haven't got the entire day), etc. Especially younger dogs don't understand they have to come to you, when you call them. But it happens with dogs of all ages.

When your dog runs away all the time, this can be very frustrating. It can make you really angry, worried, afraid something will happen to him, etc. Maybe you think you have tried everything. But you haven't if your dog still doesn't listen. He is actually telling you, he doesn't understand you! It is up to you to be a good teacher to your dog. So you need to learn about the way a dog experiences the world around him. Dog psychology is totally different than human psychology. The way your dog learns is not the same way your child learns, for example. Children might refuse to listen because they are being naughty. A dog doesn't know what being naughty is all about. If you think he does you’re wrong! Dogs are much less complicated than humans are. They don’t think the way we do. And that can be a blessing! It is what I love so much about them!

It is important to understand that dogs will only respect calm leaders. Being an angry and/or frustrated dog owner, yelling for him to come, will scare him away instead of following your rules and guidelines. The same for being over enthusiastic. If you are acting up too cheerful your dog won't like your energy at all. All a dog wants is balance in his pack. Your dog(s) considers you and your family as his pack. And if all is perfect, he will see you as the calm and stable pack leader, he can trust and he loves work for. So train yourself to be calm and assertive at all times. Dogs only will follow your positive and calm energy.

However, this doesn't mean that it is enough to be calm and assertive, to make your dog come to you after he has been running free outside. It is also important that your dog understands your message. If your dog doesn't come to you, no matter how often you have called him, this means he doesn't know what you want from him. You need to teach him better and I will teach you how to accomplish this. It is not so difficult, but it takes time, a positive, calm attitude and patience from your side. Your dog is more than willing to listen to you once he gets the message. And even better than that: he will absolutely love it!

Tomorrow I will explain to you how to make your dog come to you, when you call him after he had his free playing time outside. Don't feel desperate, as there is hope for you and your fluffy friend. Every dog wants to obey his owner, there is no such thing as a bad dog! He is simply confused about what you are trying to tell him.

Remember that dogs are not humans! So learn to think like a dog!

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