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There are many tips to keep your dog from escaping the yard including reinforcing the fence and not leaving the dog unsupervised for long periods. When your dog escapes the yard, it puts him in danger, and could put you in legal jeopardy for not keeping your pet under control. To prevent both possibilities, it’s important to do whatever it takes to keep your dog from escaping.

Why Dogs Escape And How To Prevent It 

Your dogs may try to escape for the following reasons:

• They are left alone in the yard for long periods of time.
• They are bored and have no playmates or toys.
• They have abundant energy and doesn’t have the opportunity to use it.
• They are visiting a neighbor’s dog or have found something fun to do outside the yard. 

Knowing the reasons dogs escape can help you work on ways to prevent it. Some things to try include:

• Ensure your dog gets plenty of exercise every single day.
• Spend time playing with your dog daily.
• Complete obedience school with your dog and spend time working on behaviors each day.
• Provide puzzle toys that require your dog to work for a treat.
• Consider a doggy day care or hiring a dog walker instead of leaving him alone in the yard for extended periods.
• Spay or neuter your pet to reduce their temptation to roam. 

Those are ways to make your dog less likely to want to escape, but it’s just as important to make it more difficult for him to escape by:

• Shoring up any weak spots in your fence.
• Burying wire or rocks along the fence line.

Note: Tethering your dog all day is NOT an acceptable way to stop escaping—and in some locations, tethering for more than a few hours a day is illegal.

Bring Your Dog Inside 

If your dog spends most of his time outside, make him an inside dog instead. If you worry about him making a mess, you could properly crate train him for the time you’re not home and then let him hang out with the family once you get home. 

Keep in mind that your dog isn’t “being bad” when he escapes. He may just be trying to escape boredom or loneliness—both of which you can help alleviate. 

The most common reason your formerly housebroken dog may start peeing in the house is due to a medical condition such as diabetes, kidney disease, or bladder issues. You should also consider if there has been a change in the dog’s routine, such as being left alone at different times of day or for longer periods of time. It’s also possible that your dog may need a housetraining refresher course.

It’s Frustrating, But Don’t Punish Your Dog For Peeing In The House 

You know what’s worse than having to clean up dog urine in your house? Smelling urine and being unable to find it. That’s what you may be faced with if you punish your dog urinating in the house, because next time he’ll try to hide it.

Instead, you need to determine the cause or, in some cases, start again with potty training.

Medical Conditions

If your housebroken dog starts peeing in the house, there is a good chance it’s due to a medical condition. That’s why any sudden changes to your dog’s bathroom habits should be reported to the vet as soon as possible. The good news is that once the problem has been addressed, the dog will usually return to his proper bathroom habits.

An exception to that would be if the problem has caused long-term incontinence. In that case, you’ll need to consider installing a doggy door or having your pet wear diapers while in the house. 

Changes In Routine

If your dog is left alone more than usual or at different times (i.e. you changed shifts or started working overtime), it can be difficult for his body to adjust to the new routine. One possible solution is hiring a dog walker or having a neighbor come over to let him out. 

Aging

As is the case with humans, some dogs start to lose control of their bladder as they get older. If this is determined to be the problem, more frequent trips outside is often the simplest solution. If that isn’t enough, consider restricting the pet’s access indoors to rooms that you can easily clean up, or some dogs do not mind wearing a dog belly bands or diapers.  

When a dog suddenly starts peeing in the house, don’t ignore it. Even if you suspect it’s due to aging, it’s best to visit your vet just to be on the safe side. 

A combination of denying access, proper training, and decreasing your dog’s desire to leave are how to keep your dog from running away. There’s lots of fun stuff to see and do outside of your yard, so you need to make being home as fun as possible. Of course, you also need to make escape impossible in order to keep your dog safe and to protect yourself from any legal consequences.

Training 

Proper training is a must. If your dog obeys even the most basic commands, you’ll be able to stop him from running away—even if the stimulus is hugely tempting. Of course, this only works when you’re with your dog, so you also need to consider how to stop your dog from running away when you’re not there.

Preventing Escape 

Search your fences and gates for weak spots and shore them up. If your dog digs, you’ll also want to bury chicken wire or rocks to stop him from getting out from under the fence.

Make Home More Appealing

The reasons your dog runs away could be boredom, loneliness, or lack of exercise—and those are all things you can easily fix. Take your dogs on two or three good walks a day, spend more time playing and interacting with him, consider a dog playmate, and provide lots of interactive toys.

If your dog spends most of him time outside, consider bringing him inside. You could work on crate training for the times that you’re away. Another option is doggy day care rather than leaving him outside alone all day.

Finally, if your dog is not spayed or neutered, doing so will reduce his or her urge to roam.

If all your attempts fail, talk to an animal behaviorist who can help you develop a plan to keep your dog safe and prevent him from running. 

Excessive barking is barking that interferes with the peace or comfort of a person. That may seem vague, but the truth is the amount of barking that will prompt action varies by location, so there is no hard and fast rule about how much or how loud barking must be to be considered excessive. If you’ve noticed your dog barking a lot or if neighbors have complained, it’s time to take action to try to stop the excessive barking.

Curbing Excessive Dog Barking 

Dogs bark, so it’s not reasonable to expect them to stop barking entirely. Unfortunately, some people have neighbors who will call the landlord or summon animal control at the first sign of a “woof.” In that case, you’ll probably have to deal with your neighbor rather than the dog. If, however, you acknowledge the barking is a bit much, there are some things you can try to curb that excess barking:

• A Change of Scenery: If you normally crate your pet, try leaving him loose in a room. If you normally leave him outside, try leaving him inside.
• Exercise, Exercise, Exercise: A bored dog is often a barking dog. One way to alleviate boredom is to provide plenty of opportunities for exercise every day. This could be long walks, running off steam at the dog park, or spending a few hours at doggy daycare.
• Rule Out Anxiety: Anxiety is one very common reason for excessive barking, and it won’t get better on its own. In fact, if left untreated, it will likely get worse. If you think your dog is suffering from anxiety, see your vet or an animal behaviorist right away. 

 If you’ve received complaints, let the involved parties know that you are actively working on a solution. Excessive barking is a common reason people rehome their pets, but with the right help, most dogs’ excessive barking can be curbed. 

Dogs rip up toilet paper because the feeling of holding something down and ripping it apart reminds them of attacking prey in the wild. Another probable reason dogs rip up toilet paper is because they think it’s fun. Either way, this destructive behavior not only costs you money, but it can be dangerous for your pet, so pet owners need to find a way to stop it.

Why Chewing Toilet Paper Is Dangerous

You might not think swallowing a little toilet paper would hurt your dog—and you’d be right. A little won’t hurt them, but larger amounts can cause serious intestinal blockages that require surgery and other treatment. Such blockages can be life threatening. 

Tips For Stopping The Behavior 

If your dog rips up toilet paper, you can solve the problem by preventing his access to toilet paper. Keeping the bathroom door shut is the simplest way to do that.

Aside from prevention, you also want to make sure that your dog follows basic commands like “leave it.” This is important not just to save your toilet paper, but to prevent all sorts of troubles for your pet. If he doesn’t obey those basic commands, attending an obedience training class would be a worthy investment.

Dogs Just Want To Have Fun 

If you Google “dogs destroying toilet paper,” you’ll find a treasure trove of funny videos of dogs ripping toilet paper to shreds as well as videos of pets being dog shamed for their actions. In the videos, it looks like the dogs are having a great time—at least until they get caught.

To minimize their trauma at not being allowed to rip your toilet paper apart, be sure to provide lots of toys in different shapes and sizes that your dogs can chew to their hearts’ content. To keep it interesting, add new toys into the mix on a regular basis. 

Reasons your cat won’t use the litter box include a possible medical condition, not wanting to share the box with another cat, stress, or because the box is dirty. If your cat has always been good about using the box and then suddenly stops, a trip to the veterinarian is in order. After ruling out medical issues, try adding additional boxes. Also, always make sure the boxes are kept clean. 

What to Do When Your Cat Stops Using the Litter Box

Cats don’t need to be walked and the litter box makes them pretty independent as far as using the bathroom, which is a real plus for pet owners who are away much of the day. Unfortunately, many cats will experience litter box issues at some point in their life. Understanding the reasons behind this behavior is key in order to stop it.

Medical Issues 

Some medical conditions that contribute to litter box avoidance include urinary tract infections, cystitis, and kidney stones. Make an appointment with your vet as soon as possible so if there is a medical concern, it can be identified and treated.

Dirty/Crowded Litter Box 

You can’t really blame a cat for not wanting to share a litter box with other felines. That’s why it’s a good idea to provide one box per cat plus one additional box. It’s best to have them in separate parts of the house. You should also scoop all litter boxes daily.

Stress

Possible stressors for your cat include not getting enough food, being bothered by other household pets, and lots of loud noise/fighting. As much as possible, reduce the things that may be causing stress to your cat. You can also try using stress-reducing collars and diffusers.

Additional Tips 

Cats are finicky, and sometimes it’s the smallest thing that puts them off of their litter box. Here are a few others things to try and some to avoid:

• In a new second litter box, try a different litter, as some cats may not like a certain scent or texture.
• If the box has a lid, remove it.
• Don’t stand by the box with a treat as cats don’t like to be bothered when going to the bathroom.
• Don’t yell at your cat and toss him in the litter box as this will create a negative association.
• Clean up messes thoroughly using a product with enzymes to neutralize pet odors. 

Litter box issues often have a resolution, but it may take some trial and error to figure out what works for your pet. If none of your tricks fix the issue, seek an animal behaviorist for personalized advice or check out this article about fixing litter box problems. 

 

You can be evicted for dog barking if the barking is causing a nuisance and disturbing the other tenants. What exactly nuisance barking entails varies by location. In some locales, city regulations may define it as 30 seconds of barking. Other places may not be so specific. It’s also important to note the wording on the lease. Even if it doesn’t specifically mention dog barking, it likely mentions noise and, of course, barking would be included in that.

Avoid Getting Evicted for Dog Barking 

Normally, the only time your landlord is going to be concerned about your dog barking is if another tenant complains. This makes sense, as your landlord has to ensure a comfortable, peaceful environment for all of his tenants.

The landlord has great discretion in how to deal with such complaints. If you’re lucky enough to have a landlord that is a dog lover, he may be more patient. 

Dogs bark and you won’t be able to stop it completely. That being said, part of being a good neighbor is finding a way to stop excessive barking. This could include: 

• Sending the dog to doggy daycare rather than leaving him home alone. 
• Crating him (if he is crate trained) or closing him in one room when you’re gone, so he won’t notice triggers such as someone walking by the window.
• Playing classical music or keeping the TV on to drown out trigger noises and to calm your dog.
• Talking to animal trainer or behaviorist for advice about how to curb barking. 

While you work on correcting the behavior, here are some steps you can take to avoid trouble with your landlord:

• Talk to the Complaining Neighbor: Tell him you’re sorry, that you’re working on it, and ask for patience.
• Talk to the Landlord: Tell your landlord that you’re aware of the issue and explain to him what steps you’re taking to correct it.
• Know Your Rights: If it comes down to you being evicted, he can’t just show up and kick you out or say you must immediately get rid of your dog. The landlord has to go through the proper eviction process. Know what that means in your state. 

Some people end up having to rehome their dog over such an issue, but that should be a last resort. If you can’t find a way to control the barking, then moving may be the best solution. Ask your landlord for more time to find a new place and consider renting a small house rather than an apartment.

If that’s not possible and rehoming becomes a necessity, you can find helpful resources on websites like Rehome where you can create a profile for your pet, get advice about screening adopters, and more.