How to Train Your Dog Not to Run Away in 8 Steps

There are many ways to train a dog not to run away. One reliable method is clicker training—an associative learning process that relies on rewards and positive reinforcement rather than punishment. Follow these steps to get your dog to pay attention when you call:

1. 1. Choose the right setting. For your dog’s training, choose a comfortable, distraction-free spot where you can maintain control, such as a fenced yard. Avoid teaching commands at the dog park. Leash your dog during training, so you can control your dog and hold their attention.
2. 2. Attach your dog to a long line. A long line is a leash that measures fifteen feet or longer. It allows you to create a significant distance between you and your dog while still being in control.
3. 3. “Load” the clicker. Before you start clicker training with your dog, you need to teach them to associate the clicker sound with treats. Spend some playtime with your dog, clicking and immediately treating without looking for any behaviors. Once your dog begins to associate the clicker sound with a treat, you can start training.
4. 4. Give them a command. As your dog explores the space at the end of the long line, call your dog’s name or tell them to come.
5. 5. Click after the desired behavior. The moment your dog performs the desired behavior, click your dog clicker to mark that behavior.
6. 6. Treat. Immediately after clicking, reward your dog with an edible treat. This action reinforces the idea that the clicker sound signals an oncoming treat.
7. 7. Repeat. Continue clicker training the command over several training sessions.
8. 8. Phase out the clicker. Once your dog can confidently perform the behavior upon hearing the command, swap the clicker for verbal praise. However, avoid using the clicker without giving your dog a treat—otherwise, they’ll stop associating the sound of the click with a treat, and the clicker will become ineffective.

Consider these additional tips for keeping your dog safe when they’re off-leash:

1. 1. Always pay attention to a dog off-leash. Keep your dog in your line of sight if you’ve decided to take the leash off in an open space like a park, beach, or hike. Learn to spot body language signals that indicate that your pooch might be about to run, and reattach the leash or harness.
2. 2. Spay, neuter, and microchip your dog. Despite your best efforts, dogs sometimes get away, especially the ones with escape artist tendencies. Prepare your dog for the world by spaying or neutering them. Your vet can also microchip your dog, which helps track their whereabouts if they run away.
3. 3. Start leash training early. Ten weeks is a great age to start leash training a new puppy, though you already start as early as four to six weeks old. By this time, your puppy should have completed potty training and should understand when you're happy with their good behavior.

There are many reasons a dog might run away. Here are some of the most common reasons dogs run away.

1. 1. Fear of loud noises: Sometimes dogs run away as a fight-or-flight response to environmental triggers: Loud noises like fireworks, sirens, and thunderstorms can scare dogs and cause them to bolt.
2. 2. Genetic instincts: Some dog breeds are more likely to run off than others. Working, sporting, and hunting dogs have strong genetic instincts that require counterconditioning to keep them from running off. Some dog breeds, such as German Shepherds and Siberian huskies, sometimes get satisfaction from finding their way out of fenced yards, dog parks, and enclosed spaces. Others, like border collies, find it hard to resist a squirrel or rabbit and may bolt if given a chance.
3. 3. Learned behavior: Dog owners often like to chase their new puppy around the yard as a fun game. However, this teaches the dog that running away from you is a positive thing. Likewise, repetitive everyday behaviors, like running out the front door ahead of you or running in the opposite direction when you call their name, may continue if you don’t intentionally curb those behaviors with dog training.
4. 4. Mating behavior: Unneutered male dogs might attempt an escape to find a mate. The same goes for female dogs in heat.
5. 5. Separation anxiety: Dogs with separation anxiety might try to escape to look for their owner if left alone in an enclosed space or fenced yard.

Your dream of having a dog who understands words like “sit,” “stay,” “down,” and—crucially— “no” is just a MasterClass Annual Membership away. The only things you’ll need to train up a well-behaved pup are your laptop, a big bag of treats, and our exclusive instructional videos from superstar animal trainer Brandon McMillan.