Hey Mom! You like my new trick! - Page 1

Hello all, I am the loving owner of my 1st  GSD,  14month old Zack.  We live in the country and have somewhat of a natural barrier around our property.  We have NEVER had an issue with him wondering or running away (he's WAY too much of a momma's boy!)

Well recently (with in the past cple weeks) he has taken off on my husband twice, once for 10 minutes into the woods out back and once down the road to our neighbors (1/2 mile down the road).  Also once I was standing on the front deck and he must have seen SOMEthing and took of down the road.  (Keep in mind he knows he's not supposed to be IN the road so he ran along side of it...Thank GOD!!!!)  He ran back to me on the side of the road also and knew he was in the wrong. 

ANYway, is this something that comes with that particular age and he will grow out of, or am I going to have to keep a close eye on him from now on. 

Is your adventerous pup still intact?

Sounds like someone needs to work on his obedience skills.

EK

OBEDIENCE TRAINING is the answer.

My dogs would NEVER run off with me calling after them.  Not remotely possible!  If your teenage male is running off when you are calling him, you are on a slippery slope that must be altered ASAP.

Now, if you are going to just leave him loose outside, unsupervised, for long periods, OB training is not the answer.  You will need to build a fence, put in an electric fence, or build a pen or other safe enclosure.

Neutering will not fix this problem but it may make it slightly (only slightly) easier to deal with.

It is already too late to drive them for their runs, as they know the road by now.

Oops, sorry, others before me got to the main ideas already.

Have you ever thought that he may be picking up the scent of a bitch on heat, seeing it has only recently started
Steve

You need to kick that dogs ass and frown on him all the way home . And do it soon . It only takes one second and your dog is history .Anything could happen to him .If he gets in a car with a stranger who drives off with him you may never see your dog again .You will be if for many sleepless guilt filled nights .

Thanks for the advice.  I don't bebleve it is an obendience issue, he comes as soon as he is called, regardless.  That is one thing I made sure of when training him.  Now my husband just lets him out for the most part unsupervised.  For short periods of time that's fine.  But sometimes (the times Zack has taken off on him!) he has gotten wrapped up in a business call and when he has getten off, Zack is gone.  The last time that he took off (when I was standing on the porch) I'm pretty sure he saw a deer or a turkey, which may be the case when he has taken off on my husband.  They are all over in our backyard and in the fields across from us.  When I called him it was only seconds before I saw him barreling back to me along the side of the road.  As soon as he saw my face he knew he had screwed up and I made him come over & sit right in front of me.  He knew he was wrong and he hasn't taken off since.  I USED to take him for walk down the road and then out into the fields, but I haven't done that for a few months.  We have a big enough backyard that he can get his exercise out back and we also have a pond that I take him swimming in.  (to watch him swim is quite the funny site ;o)

If something happens to the dog, then you can blame your husband for letting him go out unsupervised, and yourself too, for not stopping him (your husband),  for letting him go out (the dog) unsupervised. Will you build a fence for your backyard?
It just boggles my mind that people come on here to ask for advice, and  the situation does not change. I hope that you take the advice that people have given you seriously.
I just hope that there is not a post from you one day that the dog has run off and found dead, hit by a car... etc.
I don't blame the dog, but the owner.