Bolting off our property

[TheoneandObi]

Hoping someone can help. We have a just turned 2 year old Golden Retriever whose recall off lead while out and about is perfect. 100 per cent reliable. But.
On our own property he's a nightmare. We live on an old dark property with extensive boundaries and a big yard where posties and delivery people drive in. If he's out in the garden or field with us he will chase the vehicles,even random vehicles and walkers going down our lane. And not want to come back. It is literally impossible to secure all our boundaries and besides where we have 5 foot hedges he charges across and over them to 'greet' people in the lane.
Any top training tips? It's like he's an angel out and about and a devil at home!

Honestly? I'll keep him physically contained for a good while longer, in the hope that maturity and habit might help him. That might mean a smaller section fenced off, or a long lead etc. I'd use great treats (really high value) that I had on me all times and give them liberally everytime a dustarction of any sort is present. So that the sight of a postie started to = roast chicken being given here in this spot, where you want him to stay. Even postie = roast chicken by obi's side. If there is a treat he loves more, such as a tennis ball, then use that instead.

But now that he has discovered how much fun it is to bolt after things compared to the more sedate and 'boring' home experience, I suspect you will have a real job to ever stop him.

Absolutely he needs to have a smaller safe fenced area where he can be out in.

If you allow him to practice the behaviour it will be very very hard to retrain it.

Work on his recall with distractions in a smaller area to start with then build up

Oh dear. I fear you may all be right and we've let this behaviour become hard wired. Our last dog was such a joy in the garden, padding around in a companionable way. This one though is a bolter. And like a different dog to the one who happily walks woods, fields, beaches and clifftops with me with zero problems. Grrrrrr

I have around 8 acres of land not all of which is properly fenced. I created a “garden” which is about half acre around the house which is properly dog proof. There is the option to get the invisible fence which is basically a shock collar which will force the dog to stay within the boundaries however I personally don’t really agree with it. There’s also the risk dogs might get stolen if no fences in place

Is there any way of chicken wiring off even part of the garden? My parents live in the countryside and their 2 acre property was surrounded by bushes and trees when we moved in, which went out into a road was a nightmare for our crazy collie, but they managed to chicken wire off the entire area. They even dug trenches and buried the chicken wire down into the ground so he couldnt go under it.

I'm just not keen to do such extensive fencing - particularly since most of our garden boundary is covered by the five foot plus hedge which he still managed to scale at speed the day after his neutering. He's a tank. I think training and containing in the house for a while is probably the way ahead. I am actually roasting a chicken tonight so will save a pile of choice bits for him!

You really need to create a safe space with boundaries for your dog - you can't just let him run free. What will you do if leaps over a hedge and causes a crash or accident? What you're allowing him to do has the potential to be incredibly dangerous.

If he can scale a hedge then you need to put fencing up whether you like it or not, I'm afraid. Currently your dog isn't safe and if he barrels over a hedge and knocks someone over you would be liable for not having your dog under control.

I know that sounds harsh but honestly you can't let him behave like that. If he chases someone and jumps up at them, he's classed as out of control and you could end up in a situation where he needs be leased and muzzled at all times. Contrary to popular belief a dog doesn't need to bite to be considered dangerous - if someone feels threatened or scared by your dogs' actions, that's enough.

Please take sensible precautions and if you can't keep her enclosed, you need to have her leashed for her own safety.

I do think if he is jumping hedges to get to people who are just walking by, then as the owner you need to find some way of keeping him from doing that. You cant not let him outside, so your options really are fencing, or keep him on a chain all the time when he is out. Training isnt reliable enough. Its good to teach him not to do something, but it cant be your only method. You could be facing a huge issue if he jumps on an old person out walking, or if he gets hit by a car when chasing it. He needs to be basically locked into the property, and as the owner its your legal responsibility to fence it off, no matter how awkward it may be. Sorry :-/

I know. So I think keeping him in is the option. He doesn't want for amazing walks and exercise. A bare minimum walk for him is a daily 4 miles though woods and footpaths across fields (during which he is never further than 20 meters away and returns to me in a flash). Then a quick 15-20 minutes in the evening around our own field (when he also stays close). It is perplexing how if it's not an actual walk he feels the need to bolt. So yeah. He's going to have to watch the gardening from the safety of the house.
Interestingly if we're barbequeing he'll also stay close. But I think that's the steak talking!.

It is perplexing how if it's not an actual walk he feels the need to bolt. So yeah. He's going to have to watch the gardening from the safety of the house.
Interestingly if we're barbequeing he'll also stay close. But I think that's the steak talking!.

I think your answer is in here.

I think he has learned:

• recall/staying put on walks still results in good things (more amazing walk!) , so is worth doing
• recall/staying put at home results in boring old standard home stuff (sorry!) whereas chasing posties is great fun, so recall is not worth it

...except...

• when steak is involved, recall/staying out is definately worth doing

As others have said, you need to securely fence a smaller area and make sure he's not outside that off lead (unless on walks with you obviously). Given that he's an escaper, this will need to be good high fence too.

Electric fences aren't normally a good options for dogs with high prey drive, by the way, in case you should consider it. The excitement of the chase will usually take them straight across the fence and out, and then they can't even come back.

I hope you have good dog third party insurance too. If you don't have this through a pet policy because you're happy to accept the risk of vet's fees, then Dog's Trust membership will give you third party cover.

It is perplexing how if it's not an actual walk he feels the need to bolt. So yeah. He's going to have to watch the gardening from the safety of the house.

It's not really all that perplexing, when you think about it. If he's out on a walk and comes back, he still gets to continue his walk. If he's by the BBQ, he has the opportunity to get food. If he chases the postman, nothing you've offered him is better than the thrill of the chase, so he will pick the chase every time.

If you're unwilling to fence off your land, the only option is to keep him inside unless you buy a longline/tie-out and attach him to something so he can roam but not bolt off.

He's obv not as daft as he looks judging by these replies.
In he stays, I think. I don't feel too awful given how great the rest of his life is. Tbh it's mainly me who will suffer, not having my slobbery friend by my side in the garden.

Dogs only ever do what works for them - so if he's doing something, then he's getting something out of it

You can buy aluminium dog pen barred panels about 6ft by 6ft that bolt together. Our boundary is hedges blocking a country lane or open covering a couple of acres so my dog has a panelled off area accessible by the utility door so he can go outside to pee or sunbathe or eat bloody deer carcasses but is safe and contained and doesn't need to be constantly policed or tethered.

Search galvanised dog or kennel runs. We also have one with a door leading to the rest of the garden.

Can look a little ugly but you can attach screening and/or grow climbers up them. Also means doggo doesn't bark wildly at walkers/joggers passing the house on the lane.

You can get a dog stake with galvanised wire as a tie up for him. Alternatively tornado wire and fence a small part of the garden securely. You can get 6ft high. If he is a jumper put the top part of the wire in over. For wooden fences you can get coyote rollers. I'm an expert on it as one of my dogs due to the breed is a hairy houdini and escapes. I personally didn't go for electric livestock fence due do his epilepsy. However I know a few farmers who use it for their dogs they only tried to jump the electric fence once.