We love our dogs but there are certain issues that can drive any sane dog owner up the wall. Things like chewing, drooling, jumping and clawing can all be annoying, but there’s one thing that’s even worse. That thing is when your Houdini dog chronically escapes from their crate or yard.

Having one of these canines can be a real pain. Coming home from work and seeing their cage door or the gate wide open can cause some real stress not knowing where they are or if they are ok.

Thankfully, there are a few preventative measures that you can take to help stop them from escaping and potentially putting themselves in danger.

Use a Strong Dog Crate

This should be the first step to preventing them from getting out. A plastic or wire cage just won’t cut it here. If you have a true Houdini dog, you want something with tough, 20-gauge steel with bars they can’t bend. View some examples here to get an idea of what is needed to contain the stronger breeds like Pit bulls.

Keep Them Entertained

No dog likes to be bored. If a dog is bored, they will try to change that by getting out. This means they will look for any opportunity that they can to escape. This is especially true if there are other dogs close by. They will want to go and meet their buddies to play.

The problem is that the more often they escape the more they want to do it again. They learn that they have more fun when they get out so they repeat this behavior and it becomes a difficult pattern to break.

One thing you can do is to give them something to do while in their crate. This could be a bone, chew toy, or Kong toy filled with treats. The Kong especially will keep them occupied for hours as they try to get at what’s inside!

Exercise them Regularly

This is an important one. While you should be exercising your dog regularly anyways, if you happen to have a Houdini dog you should time their walk or run for right before they are put in the yard or crate. If they had fun at the park they will likely be “dog tired” by the time they get home and take a much-needed nap.

Get a Micro Chip Implant

If your mischievous canine does get out, one way that you can help to locate him faster is to use a micro chip implant. This is a small RFID chip that is placed under the dog’s skin that helps animal control officers to be able to return the pet to their owner fast.

At the time of the chip implantation all the details of the dog’s owner are recorded, so that when the chip is activated with a scanner it’s easy for animal control to find the contact information. This can end up potentially saving the lives of many dogs, as some lost dogs are put down when not claimed.

Conclusion

Hopefully you found these quick tips helpful. If you implement them correctly, not only will your pooch will be safer but you can have peace of mind when leaving him in his crate or yard.