Pink and Undecided: Life's Trick #1: How To Stop Your Dog From Running Away

This morning when hubby and I were waiting for the driver to arrive at the carpool location, we noticed a dog, running away from a house. It was a little Pomeranian. She didn't just dash away, but whenever her person tried to get to her, she would run further. It was quite funny to watch, until hubby and I realized that the dog lost interest in the "little game" and started gaining quite a distance...

So we stepped out of our car. And hubby being hubby, managed to coax the dog to approach him with no difficulty whatsoever. And then it struck me. Lots of people are simply clueless. Therefore this is a good blogging material (and I haven't been blogging for so long because I ~~simply am too lazy~~ have nothing to write about LOL)!! So here goes, okay...

What's the first thing that pops in your head when your dog runs away?

Yes, I know just the thing... You panic and just by reflex, immediately start chasing after it, right?!

Right... But that can't be more wrong!

When you chase a dog, it's game time for them. They will instinctively run away because for them it's like "you can try, human, but you can never outrun me, let's race!!". And let's face it... they have 4 legs. They WILL outrun us hahahaha...

So here's the thing that works every time: MAKE THEM CHASE US.

Yep. Get their attention (obviously by calling their name) and then run the opposite direction. They will chase you. Once they do, stop abruptly, squat, and start calling their name. They'll run right into your open arms (sorry for the choices of words, obviously I need to write more LOL).

However, this is what you guys need to do in order to make sure that your dog doesn't have the need to run away:

1/ Walk em daily.

I seriously cannot say this enough. Dogs need exercise. Especially the large breeds and the high-energy-ones-albeit-small like a beagle. No matter how big your yard is, if you don't walk them out, it's like being in a large prison for them. Dogs are adventurers by nature. They sniff tracks. They need to go outside. They need to burn up their energy or else they'll feel trapped and whenever they see an opening on the front gate... Dash they go! Besides, walking your dogs is the best way to bond with them. If you do it properly, it's seriously fun. So start walking your dogs, okay?

Me walking my dogs off leash. Badass, eh!? LOL.

2/ Make sure they know their name.

I've seen dogs that don't even flinch when their human yell out their names. Which is super strange to me. Like, how do you communicate with your dogs then?!

Teaching a dog to know their name is very simple. Use their favorite treat. Get their attention by letting them sniff it, and then BRING THE TREAT TO YOUR NOSE (so they look directly at you), and say their name. When they look at you (meaning you have their attention), give the treat and SHOWER THEM with praises. Exaggerate. Repeat until you can get their attention without the treat.

This is what it looks like when you get your dog's full attention (gee, I was ever skinny once, no more now... no more... LOL)

3/ Teach them the word "come" and "stay" (or "stop" or whatever as long as they understand that it means "drop whatever I'm doing and pay attention to my human").

Yes, it is cute when your dog knows how to shake hand or roll over or play dead. But those tricks will do em no good. On the other hand, basic obedience commands are way more important. Especially "come" and "stay".

4/ Always stay calm and assertive.

Yes, I'm quoting the Dog Whisperer himself, Mr. Cesar Millan. It's true. When you're in a panic state, your dogs don't trust you. How do you expect to give commands or simply to stop them from running away when they don't trust you? And as for being assertive, it always helps to let your dogs know that when you give a command, you mean business, so they take you seriously. Besides, being assertive is totally different from being mean, don't mix the two, okay?

Digressing: I'm going to go see (and meet hopefully!!!) Cesar Millan's show in Jakarta this April. Tickets are secured. Now, I need your help. Affirm it with me, people: I will meet and interact with him on his show!! (side note: been practicing The Secret, but that's another story for another day).

Digressing further: Kalista passed her first obedience test. She got 53 (out of 60), and the best dog's score was 55. Beyond proud.