In decades past, a dogs freedom to roam was more widely accepted. Mindset about that has changed, even though some haven’t caught up.
These two showed up at my place recently. They weren’t accompanied by any humans; they came in from the west. Friendly, tails wagging, happy for a meal and a drink of water.
I didn’t know they had even been on the property until one of the construction workers building our new home asked about them. He told me that two large dogs had been in and out over the past few hours.
In and out meaning they came in through the open slider door and hung out in the kitchen full of drywall mess while he went about his work. He thought maybe they were my dogs and they’d escaped while I was away in town.
Sure enough, 10 minutes into the discussion about these mystery dogs, in walk two young GSDs (German Shepherd Dogs). After a brief greeting, they took a drink from the bucket of water the worker had put out for them and laid down for a rest.
They were wearing e-fence collars but no identification. A bit on the thin side and dirty from what looked to be a few days running the countryside. I assumed someone was missing them, so I rounded them up, popped them in a kennel, and started contacting people. Within a few hours, I had them headed back home.
While gathering information I found out the dogs weren’t just repeat offenders that get loose frequently—they are essentially allowed to roam all the time. In fact, their owners were actually away for the weekend. They merely left their garage door open with a pile of dog food spilled out on the floor. Apparently they hold a strong belief about a dogs freedom to roam.
This was heartbreaking information to discover. It’s one thing when dogs are running because they bust loose, and another when it is due to human ignorance.
The idea that dogs should have some autonomy of behavior is something I wholeheartedly agree with. Free movement and the ability to explore is the core principle I’ve built my career on. It’s THE reason I became so impassioned to teach people the value of remote collar training. But make no mistake, liberty must be provided in a way that assures a reasonable level of safety for the dogs and minimal impact on other members of the community. Allowing dogs freedom to roam when ever they please does not meet both of those objectives.
In the vein of; We do better, When we know better, lets discuss providing freedom while maintaining safety.
How can you provide biological fulfillment for your dog?
- Purposeful exploration opportunities:
Daily walks are essential, but often there nothing more than a rote trip around the same block. Find some new walking routes, head to a trail or a new park. An opportunity for your dog to experience new sights, smells, sounds, and textures underfoot adds variety. Rather than expecting the dog to only trot alongside you, grant your dog permission to lead. Allowing Fido to sniff and follow their nose is as entertaining for them as our ability to watch a good movie. - Incorporate structured freedom:
A fenced yard is a great place to play games, and hang out together, but outings into the great wide open will leave your dog feeling deeply satisfied! Taking time to train a reliable recall is the best way to open opportunities for big adventures. If the recall isn’t quite there yet, use a long-line to allow some roaming without losing control. - Tap into your dog’s breed instincts:
Learn about your dog’s breed history and original purpose. Understanding history and purpose will help you choose activities that satisfy them on a deeper level.
For example, herding breeds often thrive with activities like treibball, herding lessons, or scent work. Retrievers are likely to enjoy dock diving, field training, or structured games of fetch. Molossers and other guardian breeds can benefit from controlled strength-based activities like spring pole, cart pulling, or weight pull. Sighthounds are naturals at lure coursing or flirt pole games that tap into their chase instinct. And scent hounds will excel at tracking and trailing games.
Through observation and trying different activities, your mixed breed dog will also show you their natural tendencies and what they excel at!
In closing, I’m asking that you step up in taking care of your dogs. Yes, they need freedom to explore, but the moment you bought from a breeder, adopted from a shelter, or took a puppy home from a friend’s dog that accidentally got pregnant…you took on a responsibility. Do something to fulfill that responsibility and obligation…and just in case your dog breaks out, make sure they have some sort of identification on them.
SideNote: Please drop a comment below if you’ve helped educated about the dangers of dogs being allowed to roam and share what has has worked in your community to help reduce the problem. I’d love to hear your suggestions!
