How to Keep Your Dog in the Yard

If your dog is a fence jumper or digger, there are several things you can do to improve its behavior and keep it safely behind your fence. Dogs are social creatures and need and want the companionship of humans. If they are left outdoors for long periods of time, they get bored and sometimes stress. They react by barking, digging, whining and howling. Left alone too long, many dogs will try to escape your yard in any way possible, whether by fence jumping or even digging under the fence.

Things You'll Need

  • Dog
  • House
  • Fence
  • Leash
  • Dog toys
  • Water
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Instructions

  1. How to Keep Your Dog in the Yard

    • 1

      When your dog is in your backyard, make it a fun place to be. Every day, spend time playing with your dog in your yard. Contrary to popular belief, dogs don't get enough exercise simply because they are put outside. Dogs that are confined to a yard still need to go for walks and enjoy playing fetch and hide and seek games with you.

    • 2

      Make sure your dog has toys when it is in the backyard and constant access to fresh water. Try many different types of toys to determine its favorites, then rotate the toys daily, putting out four or five at a time. Toys that can be stuffed with food can entertain your dog for hours. You can divide the dog's regular meal between several stuffable toys. You may want to soften dry food with a small amount of water before stuffing it in a toy.

    • 3

      The condition of your fence may be making it easy for your dog to escape. Check your fence once a week for any sign of damage--hinges pulling out, loose or rotting boards and gaps--anything that might allow your dog to break through the fence. If you see evidence of gaps under the fence, fill them immediately.

    • 4

      Change the top of your fence so that it is at an inward angle to the rest of the fence. This will hinder your dog’s attempts to jump the fence. Move all objects away from the fence. Even very small items can be used for climbing if your dog is particularly determined. The height of your fence should be 4 to 6 feet high, depending on the size of your dog and its jumping ability.

    • 5

      If your dog is a digger, pour concrete around the base of the fence to cover gaps.

    • 6

      If your dog is escaping by jumping over the fence or digging a hole under the fence, don't punish or reprimand it after it has already escaped. Dogs associate punishment with their behavior at the time of punishment. They have no idea that you are upset with them about something that happened 10 minutes earlier. If you punish your dog when it returns to your yard after escaping, it will not be so willing to return next time, knowing that coming back to the yard results in a reprimand.

    • 7

      If you happen to catch your dog in the act of escaping, discourage the behavior by startling the dog with loud noise or a brief squirt of water. Setting a harmless booby trap around the area can also help deter your dog from jumping or digging. Aluminum cans filled with a few pebbles can be placed strategically on the fence if you have the type of fence with a small ledge or a flat top. When the dog touches the fence by jumping or digging, the cans will fall, startling the dog.