Many people fence their yards so they can let their dogs outside for exercise and to relieve themselves. Unfortunately, some dogs learn that they can jump over the fence gate to escape. While they may jump the fence itself, they often choose the gate because it may be a little lower or because they see it as the entry and exit point. Once they learn to get out by jumping, it can be difficult to retrain them. Fortunately there are some steps you can try before tying them up or installing a higher gate.
Instructions
Don't let the dog go outside into the yard unless it is supervised. You may like the convenience of letting it out by itself to go potty or run around, but that gives it the perfect opportunity to jump the gate. You have to spend some time retraining it before you can trust it alone. If you let it out by itself before it is thoroughly trained and it jumps the gate, your training progress will be lost. You may need to keep the dog on a leash, even in the yard, until you make enough progress in your retraining.
Give the dog a refresher course in basic obedience under controlled circumstances. If you never taught it obedience commands like sit, lie down, come and stay, you can start from scratch. Do your initial training or refresher course indoors so the dog has no chance to jump the gate. Make sure the dog is totally obedient before you move on to the next step.
Take your dog outside in the yard and run it through the obedience commands. Keep these sessions brief so it won't get bored and turn its attention to running away from you and jumping the gate. At the end of the sessions, reward the dog with praise and a treat so it will associate staying in the yard with something pleasurable.
Take the dog outside for longer periods of time. After briefly practicing the obedience commands, engage it in fun activities such as playing ball or chasing a Frisbee. Do something that will hold the dog's attention. If he goes near the gate, redirect him immediately by calling him to you and rewarding him with lavish praise, then going right back to the game.
If the dog approaches the gate or seems to be paying attention to it, immediately divert it by calling it to you or giving it the command to sit and stay. You may need to do this firmly, but try to avoid scolding because you don't want to give the dog something to escape from. If you yell at it, that might give it more incentive to jump the gate. Instead, keep repeating the commands calmly but firmly until the dog responds.
Slowly give the dog more independence as it loses interest in the gate. Make sure that the dog continues to see the yard as a positive place where it gets attention and treats. If you don't give the dog enough exercise or leave it alone in the yard for long periods, it may start jumping the gate again. If you remove those reasons, it will lose its desire to escape.