Episodes > 108 > Pet Trainer

Is your dog an “Escape Artist?”

Now you see him…now you don’t. Does your dog disappear like he was a Las Vegas magician?

Magicians for centuries have been making people, items and even themselves disappear into thin air. How do they do that, we ask?? One second they’re here… and the next second they’ve vanished. But what if it’s your dog that is doing the vanishing? In this weeks Pet Trainer 911 segment, we meet a dog named Cody who is in jeopardy of disappearing for the last time.

Cody lived the life as an  “escape artist!” It didn’t matter where you put him or how you tied him up, he had the uncanny talent of disappearing.

Michelle Novacco, who works for the Labrador Rescue organization, had been trying to find a home for Cody for quite sometime. Every time she thought she had found a good home, Cody was up to his old tricks escaping, running away and not listening to anybody.

Being a street dog and untrained, Michelle felt like she was at the end of her rope with Cody, and as she told us in the story, “This was Cody’s last chance.” If it wasn’t for a little magic performed by Coach Ronald White, Cody might have disappeared for good! Here’s how he did it…

• It’s important to teach your dog to look at you! Cody learned that if he got hungry, he had to go to Coach. Coach would hold the food in front of Cody and wouldn’t feed him unless Cody would look him in the eye.
  
• Using a leash, Coach White was able to teach Cody who the leader was. And once Cody started following Coach around the house without the leash, Coach knew that his job was almost completed…

  Cody was especially lucky. As Michelle from Labrador Rescue says, “…The Bush family was not only willing to adopt Cody, but was willing to go the extra mile to get him trained!” Thanks to Coach Ronald White, Cody is now an intimate and welcomed part of the Bush family… He is home for good.

  HERE’S THE POOP

  So why do dogs run away? Some experts say there is some very specific reasons;

  1. Looking for little action! Male dogs take off when they get detect the odor of a female pooch nearby.
  2. Just like the rest of us, when we get bored we go looking for something to do.
  3. “The thrill of the chase”—Remember they are predatory animals and this looking for prey thing is an extremely strong force that they are born with.
  4. Dogs are pack animals and like to get together with their “pals” once in awhile too.
  5. They often go to a place when they know there is some free food.