A responsible dog owner should not allow their dog to escape their yard or home and wander around the neighborhood. This behavior can create a dangerous situation for local residents as well as for your dog. In the majority of neighborhoods dog owners must have a leash on their animal. Failure to conform may result in fines or other trouble.

However, there may be times when, through no fault of your own, your dog has strayed. Some types of dogs are able to develop their own escape plan. Once they have gotten out, they usually will chase anything they see. That will include people, cars or whatever moves. The process to stop this from taking place is far easier than attempting to retrieve your dog once they been successful in escaping.

One prime thing you can do is to eliminate any situation that might provoke your pet to try and escape. Your first step is to keep the dog engaged. If your dog is bored, he or she will be motivated to run away and will plot a way to do it. On the other hand, when your dog has plenty of toys, sufficient water and proper sleeping provisions, they will not bother to think about escaping. Your pet will be too occupied with playing and receiving their needed rest.

If you should have a pet dog that happens to have lots of stored energy, they will probably attempt to escape. The reason for this is lack of any activities which use up their energy. What follows is boredom and the desire to get out. A smart dog owner will provide activities and situations which permit their dog to work off whatever excess energy that may be built up. The bonus end result will be that the dog will feel better afterwards.

The next step is to ensure that your home environment does not make it easy for the dog to escape. If fencing is used, it must be sturdy enough to keep your dog in his or her controlled and contained environment. Flimsy chicken wire will not do! If your dog likes to dig you will most likely have to use metal stakes to fasten the fence bottom to the ground.

In the other direction, if your dog is a "jumper" you will also have to provide a higher fence. As a responsible dog owner you must always be sure that your pet is confined in some manner if someone is not home to watch your dog.

So make it your goal to do whatever has to be done to prevent your dog from roaming all over the neighborhood because they escaped. Remember that your dog can not only be a danger to others, but to also to themselves. Unfortunately, there are characters all over who would love to get their hands on a dog that is not theirs. To avoid these unpleasant situations you must take the correct steps to keep not just your dog but also your neighbors safe.

========

Robert has been writing articles for over 2 years. Come visit his latest website over at http://www.youthhockeyequipment.net which helps people find the best youth hockey equipment and accessories so kids can have fun and be protected from injury.