Question: When an older dog begins to roam

Perks · Jan 24, 2016

My best friend and next door neighbor has a tremendous dog, Buddy. Buddy's about ten years old now and from puppyhood has had the run of more than fifty acres where a few of us live. (There's also a horse-boarding business and beef-cattle pasturing in the acreage, too.) Buddy is rather the mayor, ambassador, and police chief of the territory. He's an excellent dog and, although there's probably a leash law in the area (I wouldn't know, I've never had a dog) he's never been a nuisance or a danger to anyone.

Only recently has he started heading further afield. A nearby retirement community security guard called my friend the other day to come get him. He'd been hanging around there all day. This is bad. That means he's now venturing where there are roads and people who might be bothered by him.

How do you transition a dog who has always had huge free run, to a more confined lifestyle? My friend is worried and I'd love to offer advice from all you experienced dog owners.

ElaineA · Jan 25, 2016

Hm, I was waiting for some other people to pop on here. I don't really have good suggestions for how to contain Buddy since I had a similar thing with my older dog. He didn't cross the street, but he did go several houses to each side. He was super chill around other people and pets and never got himself in trouble, but I did consider putting in an invisible fence when he wandered off for more than an hour on more than one occasion. I decided against it because I thought he was too old to learn the boundaries without being confused and feeling punished by it.

But the thing that struck me most about your post is where Buddy is going. I have a feeling some nice elderly person is probably giving him goodies. It might not hurt to talk to the managers there and ask them to ask people not to feed him as it's putting him at risk crossing the street for snacks.

Perks · Jan 25, 2016

It makes sense to guess that, but Buddy doesn't care about food at all. I've never seen a less food-motivated dog in all my life. He's extremely smart and cues off praise, but better than half the time, if you try to give him a treat, he'll just sniff it and look at you funny. And he loves to roam. And occasionally catch squirrels. Urg.

So, it's possible, but not likely.

frimble3 · Jan 25, 2016

He could well be in it just for the praise and petting. If he's got this much unaccompanied time to wander, he might have been looking for a little more attention than he's getting at home. That's why it's going to be hard to change his behavior. He's not so old that he wants to spend the day sleeping, forcing him to stay 'home' without spending the day interacting with him, and he's going to be bored into bad behavior.

Look at the seniors' residences and hospitals that have sociable dogs and cats 'visit' for the benefit of the people living there. 'Pet-therapy dogs'? If he's a friendly dog, with an engaging manner, and a pleasant demeanor, he's just picked up the job on a voluntary basis. That would fit in with him preferring praise as a reward, and him being intelligent. Intelligent enough to find a place where people have lots of time to do the "Good boy! Goood boooy...!" thing.

(I'm assuming he looks like a member of some well-known 'friendly' breed, or the security guard would have called to have him removed a lot sooner.)

Can Buddy get to this retirement community without crossing a major road? It might be easiest to talk to management, ask if he can visit his new friends, and give your friend a call if he wears out his welcome, or looks like wandering into danger. I assume someone there is enjoying his visits, or they wouldn't have continued long enough for them to grab is collar and find his number.

Perks · Jan 26, 2016

Buddy gets lots of love at home, but he definitely gets the wanderlust. There's never enough love and admiration for the likes of him. The way we think he's getting into the retirement community would be through the woods, so I guess it might not be as bad as it could be if he doesn't go further than that. He's all about the roam and then lounging at home, before another roam. He's very funny about attention, though. He loves to be loved and is utterly ridiculous when anyone pays any attention to the other dog (a teeny dachshund/chihuahua mix). He can't stand it. He's never aggressive about it, but he wiggles like he's going to come out of his skin if you stop admiring him to give Zoe a pat. He's fine if you're ignoring both dogs, but if Zoe gets a little love, Buddy is right there shoving his head under your hand. He's pitiful.

And I definitely hope he's not scaring the residents. All these years, most people react very positively to Buddy (the UPS driver, though, is scared of him) even people who are generally shy around dogs. He's calmly friendly. He doesn't spaz or jump. He would make a very good therapy dog. And he's gorgeous. He's a Carolina Dog, also known as an American Dingo -

(photobucket isn't working, but he looks like this http://www.petyourdog.com/dog_pictures/beautiful--carolina-dog/4866)

ElaineA · Jan 26, 2016

Cool dog. I don't know why the coyotes run from him. He looks like he could slip right up and say, "Hey cos'." :tongue

frimble3 · Jan 27, 2016

Yep, he looks like he is kin to the local coyotes. He looks engaging, like ElaineA's avvie, or a spaniel. The sort of dog that you'd think of as a 'boy and his dog' kind of dog. That, with 'calm and friendly' probably evokes lots of memories of the dogs people had as kids, or the dogs they wish they had.
Get past security, talk to the residents, I imagine they liked having him come around.

Question: When an older dog begins to roam

Perks

delicate #!&@*#! flower

ElaineA

All about that action, boss.

Perks

delicate #!&@*#! flower

frimble3

Heckuva good sport

Perks

delicate #!&@*#! flower

ElaineA

All about that action, boss.

frimble3

Heckuva good sport