One of the scariest things for a dog person to contemplate is the possibility that their dog could escape their home and face the dangers of the outside world without their human family. Sadly, it happens far too often. A 2012 survey found that 14% of dog owners had lost their dogs over the previous five years (93% of those same respondents recovered their dogs).
Dogs are complex animals with their own thoughts and feelings, and there’s no way to guarantee that yours will never try to sneak through a break in a fence or slip out of their collar—but you can take steps to make an escape less likely, and make it easier to find them if, despite your best efforts, they do go missing.

Why dogs escape
There are all sorts of tools you can use to make it physically more difficult for your dog to get away—extra clips on their collars or harnesses, double locks on crates, and so forth. But dealing with an escape artist isn’t just about that.
“It’s really important for people to not look at it as a MacGyver task of, ‘how can I get better tools to avoid this situation?,’” says Yuruani Olguin, a dog trainer in New York City. It’s best for both of you to address the root causes of your dog’s behavior so that they can be happier and safer—and one of the keys to reducing the chance that your dog will escape is understanding the reasons that dogs do so.
Dr. Zazie Todd, the psychologist and certified dog trainer whose most recent book is Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog, says that dogs are especially likely to escape during their first few weeks in your home. After all, they may not understand that they live with you yet. “Over time, as they settle in and become less afraid,” she says, “the risk decreases.”
Dogs can escape due to separation anxiety, fear (which is why the Fourth of July, with its fireworks, is a particularly common day for dogs to run away), because they are uncomfortable with the way they’re being confined, or even just because there’s something fun and interesting to run to. Intact dogs may run off in search of a mate.
Some dogs, says Dr. Todd, “like to take themselves for a wander around the neighborhood—and, if they escape often, may even have a regular route they take where they visit with friendly neighbors.”
Certain breeds—like Shiba Inus, Siberian huskies, and beagles—have a reputation as escape artists. But the bottom line is that every dog is an individual, and any dog can get loose.

Making your dog less likely to escape
You can make it less likely that your dog will escape by easing their transition to a new home. Olguin says that she advises her clients not to leave their dogs alone for 72 hours after moving, and that this period of time can be longer for puppies. When you do start leaving them home alone, she recommends starting small—“Just stepping outside of your [home], not really with the intention of going anywhere.” If you can, watch your dog’s behavior on a camera and see how they handle those brief absences, gradually moving to something more closely resembling a normal routine.
The warning about unfamiliar environs extends to vacations—your dog has no way of knowing that you’re only in this new place for a week or so. “I have found,” says Olguin, “that even dogs who are perfectly fine when left home alone may go to a vacation home or somewhere that they’re unfamiliar with, and suddenly start engaging in destructive behaviors or trying to escape because of the unfamiliar environment.”
If your dog has separation anxiety, work with a trainer or behaviorist to help them through it. Give your dog fun chews, toys, and things to do. They should get plenty of physical and mental exercise, including social interaction, during the day so that they aren’t left with a ton of energy during times when they’re alone. If you have to leave for hours, have someone come by to walk them and play with them.
Every dog is different; a couple of walks a day and some light play will be enough to satisfy some, while others might be athletes or brainiacs who require intense workouts and training or will thrive in activities like agility. Watch your own dog’s body language and give them what they need.
Work on recall with your dog. Strong recall is not a guarantee that your dog will always come when called, but it is a crucial skill. Remember that context matters in recall—just because your dog will answer your call inside doesn’t mean they’ll do so outdoors, and just because they’ll come back to you in the backyard doesn’t mean they’ll do so in a park. Once you have taught recall, practice it frequently.
And take special precautions during times that might trigger fear or anxiety in your dog. For example, don’t walk your dog when you know they’re going to hear loud noises like fireworks. “Make sure you’ve taken them for their walk,” says Dr. Todd, “before the bangs begin.” And, she says, if your dog has a particular fear, you can use desensitization and counterconditioning protocol to help them become more comfortable with it.
Making it harder for your dog to escape
While it’s important to help dogs feel calmer and more content at home, the fact is that there’s no way to guarantee that they won’t run away if there’s an opportunity. It’s not personal, and they don’t know it’s dangerous. So, no matter how hard you’ve worked on your dog’s training, you should take adequate precautions to keep them safe at home.
Don’t let your dog roam off-leash in an open area where they might get away. “It surprises me,” says Dr. Todd, “how many people think their dog will stay in an unfenced yard.”
If your yard is enclosed, check that the fences are high enough, they don’t have holes, and your dog can’t dig underneath them. What you think is a sufficient barrier might not be, depending on the dog—some determined, athletic dogs have managed to leap high fences or shimmy through tiny openings. Rollers or an inward tilt on the top of a fence may make it harder to climb over.
And, regardless, don’t leave your dog in the yard unattended.
When you walk your dog outside, take extra precautions if they’ve shown escape-artist tendencies or they’re a member of a breed known for slipping out of leashes and harnesses. “Some dogs can learn to back out of their collar,” says Dr. Todd, “so it’s good to walk them on a harness. You can have two points of attachment—one to the front clip and one to the back clip of the harness, or one to the harness and one to the collar.” And check the fit of your dog’s collar and/or harness.
You should be walking with tasty treats no matter what, and it’s good to have something very tempting in case your dog gets loose and you need to lure them back to you.
For escape-artist dogs at home, consider double-locks on gates or crates. Some dogs can be very clever—we’ve even seen footage of two dogs seeming to team up, one letting the other climb on top of them to leap over the wall of a pen.
Everyone in your home should know which doors must be shut and which rules to follow. “You need a system that the whole household will stick to,” Dr. Todd says.
Having said all of this, your dog’s feelings matter. You must acclimate them to a crate, for example, gradually and in a way that doesn’t make them feel like it’s a punishment. “It’s always important to introduce confinement gradually so that you’re able to gauge how your dog is feeling about it,” says Olguin. If your dog is miserable with certain types of confinement, come up with an alternate plan that still keeps them safe. If nothing’s working, consult a trusted trainer or behaviorist to talk about counterconditioning, medications, or other options to make their life more pleasant.

Taking precautions in case your dog does escape
No matter what precautions you take, it’s always possible that your dog might get loose. Make sure they have a collar with a tag and your contact information on any time you go outside so that, if someone finds them, it will be easier for them to find you. If your dog is new to your home and prone to escaping, you may even want to have them wear a collar with ID while they’re inside, though you shouldn’t leave a dog unattended with a collar on. It’s also a good idea to have good-quality, up-to-date photos of you and your dog together, in case anyone questions whether they’re yours.
You can consider microchipping your dog—a 2021 study found that dogs with microchips were much more likely to be returned to their owners than those without. Companies also offer tracking collars that allow you to check a dog’s location on your phone.
What to do if your dog escapes
Don’t panic. Most of the time, lost dogs and their people are reunited. But you should start looking as soon as it’s safe to do so, and go to any place they know or like. Bring treats they love in case you need to lure them. Tell everyone you know; it’s no time to be timid. Friends, neighbors, and anyone else in the area can be helpful, as you never know who might have spotted them.
Put up signs—old-fashioned paper fliers that are easy to read and contain all the pertinent information can be a good way to call attention to your search and reach people who might not otherwise know about it. Post on social media and/or neighborhood message boards, too, with a recognizable photo of your dog and advice about what to do if someone finds them.
Also check with local shelters and vet offices to see whether they’ve found your dog. Have the info from their tags or microchip ready so that you can confirm their and your identity.