How to Dog-Proof Your Home and Prevent Escapes

As humans, we think of fences as barriers. Dogs however, they tend to think of fences more as suggestions. Escaping dogs are more common than you’d think, and many dogs are smarter and more cunning than we think, too. This is why we strongly urge all dog owners to learn how to dog-proof their home and prevent escapes. 

This isn’t just about keeping your dog physically contained. The point of this guide is to highlight the need for pet owners to understand the underlying cause of escapeism and create a home environment that keeps their dog safe, stimulated, and calm. 

Why Do Dogs Try to Escape?

So what actually causes our furry friends to try and make a break for it? After all, we love them so much, we feed them, we take care of them—why would they try to leave!?

Despite all that we do for our dogs, the truth is that escaping dogs usually do so because one or more of their needs are not being met. Here are some key reasons to keep in mind: 

• Boredom or lack of stimulation – If a dog doesn’t get enough exercise or mental engagement, they’ll go looking for it elsewhere.

• Fear or anxiety – Loud noises (like fireworks, storms, or construction) can send a panicked dog bolting.

• Separation anxiety – Some dogs try to escape just to find their human. 

• Curiosity or hunting instincts – Especially common in scent-driven breeds or dogs with a high prey drive.

• Seeking mates – For unneutered or unspayed dogs, hormones can lead them straight through (or under) the fence.

Escape prevention starts with figuring out the why. Once you know what’s motivating your dog, you’re already most of the way there. 

Dog-Proofing Your Outdoor Spaces

It won’t surprise you to read that the vast majority of escapes happen when the dog is left unattended in either the back or front yard. And each dog has their favourite method of breaking free.

Some bigger dogs simply leap over fences, some like to dig underneath them, others manage to nudge fence panels aside and squeeze through the gaps, and clever ones even figure out how to open gates. 

Strengthen Your Weak Spots

If you know how your dog likes to escape or you can see them prodding and poking around looking for ways to get out, it’s time to strengthen up those weak spots. 

If you’ve got a jumper, your fence needs to be around 5-6 feet tall. This might seem like a lot, but the vertical leap of some dogs will amaze you. If a whole new fence isn’t in the budget, check out this fence extender kit to make it harder for your furry houdini to leap over. 

💡 Top Tip: Some of the highest jumping dogs are: Australian Kelpies, Belgian Malinois, Border Collies, German Shepherds, and Greyhounds.

If your dog is a digger, there are two methods you can try. If your fence is flush with the ground, adding some bricks around the fence line is a great way to prevent dogs from digging under. If your fence has a little bit of a gap beneath, adding some chicken wire around the perimeter is effective and inexpensive. 

And if your dog has figured out how to open the latch for your gate, consider replacing your existing latch with a magnetic side pull gate latch. 

Remove Temptations, Add Engagement

Another important part of keeping your dog inside the bounds of your home is to remove temptations and help them to feel happy in the backyard. The fact is, your dog might just not feel super happy or comfortable being left outside. 

We suggest making sure that they have distractions such as interesting outdoor toys, puzzle feeders, digging pits and splash pools during warmer weather. Related to this is ensuring your dog has enough shade and a place to enjoy being outside without feeling overexposed. 

But if your dog is a serial escapee, unsupervised outside time really should be limited until you’re able to reinforce better behaviours.

Dog-Proofing Indoors

Outside may be the place where most dogs escape from, but it’s so important to remember that escape prevention starts inside the house—because bored, anxious or overstimulated dogs are much more likely to bolt. 

Make It Physically Safe

This is the basic stuff. Make sure that dogs can’t just wander out of windows, balconies and doors—especially if they can’t get back in. Store cleaning products, food, meds, cords, and sharp objects out of reach.

Make sure there’s space for your dog inside so that they don’t feel cramped. If your dog starts to feel cooped up, they’ll think of outside as their only reprieve and actively try to escape.

Make It Emotionally Safe

Dogs are sensitive creatures at heart. They need to feel calm, comfy, and stimulated to feel good at home. This means setting up quiet zones, where your dog can kick back and feel calm. It also means rotating toys and giving them chewable and interactive items like Kongs, puzzle toys or snuffle mats. 

The most important part is to pay attention to your dog. Give them love and affection consistently. Take them for walks and be sure to genuinely play with them. Nothing lowers a dog's anxiety more than spending quality time with their owner.

What to Do If You’ve Got a Runner

Unfortunately, some dogs are just more prone to running. It’s not always a training or “bad owner” issue. If this is your dog and you’ve done your best, don’t feel bad. Here are some ideas to help with a dog that is actively making a break for it regularly. 

Step Up the Training and Structure

Training is crucial for dogs that escape. Learning to reinforce good behaviour and help them to understand the difference between good and bad is one of the best tools at your disposal. 

We recommend focusing on recall training to start with. Reinforce strong “come” commands using high-value rewards. This is best practiced in low-distraction settings and built up over time.

Next is boundary training. This type of training teaches your dog where you do and do not want them to go. It teaches them to learn what thresholds are, such as gates, doorways, and yard boundaries—and to respect them.

Another form of training to try is impulse control training. This is the act of teaching your dog to wait for something that it wants to do and fight the impulse to just go and do it straight away. This kind of training can actually be very fun and is best done in the form of impulse control games.

Whatever you choose to do, be consistent and dedicated to the training. Dogs don’t need to be trained for hours each day, they just need to receive that training regularly and in small doses to keep it fresh in their minds. 

GPS Tracking For Dogs

We’ve spoken about how to prevent your dog from escaping, but what about getting them back? This is where GPS trackers for dogs become literal life-savers. Take the AirBolt, for example. Our tracker attaches snugly to your dog’s collar and allows you to locate them instantly. 

But we all know that an escaping dog makes it hard to leave home without worry. What if you’re at work and your dog escapes? How will you know until you get back and see that they’re nowhere to be seen? That’s why we’ve added the geo-fencing feature. By setting up a perimeter around your home via the AirBolt app, you’ll be notified the moment that your dog leaves your property. 

Pet GPS trackers, such as AirBolt, aren’t a replacement for proper care and training, but in the event that your dog escapes, it will be your best hope of seeing your loved one returned home quickly and safely.

We hope you’ve found this guide helpful. If you want the peace of mind that comes from knowing your dog's whereabouts, grab an AirBolt today!