Dog Fence Jumping Prevention

How to keep your dog from jumping the fence so he will stay in your yard

See also stop dog jumping on people and dog gates and fences

If you have a fenced yard for your dog, there is always the possibility that your dog could jump the fence. 

Some dogs are excellent little escape artists and will stop at nothing to jump a fence. 

So how do you stop your dog from jumping the fence?  Read on to find why dogs do this and what you can do to prevent your dog from jumping the fence and keep him safely within the confines of your yard.
 

Dog Fence Jumping - Why do they do it?

There are a few different reasons why your dog is jumping the fence.  Your dog could have a desire to go explore outside of his fenced area.  This is generally more prevalent in dogs that had previously been strays and can sometimes be prevented by spaying or neutering your dog. 

If your dog is a male, he may jump the fence because a female dog in the neighborhood is in heat and he can't resist the pheromones that are being released.  It could also be that your dog sees something exciting on the other side of the fence (like a cat or another dog) and that's why he jumps.  Another possibility is that your dog is just plain bored.  Whatever the reason for your dog jumping the fence, its a dangerous situation that needs to be solved.
 

How can I stop my dog from jumping the fence?

The simplest way to keep your dog from jumping the fence is for you not to leave your dog in the yard alone.  Obviously if you are monitoring your dog in the yard, you can keep him from going over the fence.  But if you keep him occupied, your dog probably won't try to jump the fence when you are around.  If you just have to leave your dog in the yard alone and there's no way to monitor him, then the best thing for you to do is assume that your dog will try to jump over the fence and put safeguards in place to deter him.  You have a few options for dog fence jumping prevention, starting with electronic dog fences.

Electronic Dog Fences

If you have the resources to put in an electric dog fence or invisible dog fence, it can be a great solution.  The way electric dog fences work is called static simulation training.  The boundaries of the fence are established by a wire or wireless technology.  Then you place a specialized collar on your dog that will deliver a warning tone and a small static "shock" to your dog when he approaches the set boundaries.  By making it uncomfortable for your dog to stray outside of his boundaries, the static simulation "trains" your dog to stay in your yard. 

The good news is that with an electronic fence, you will stop your dog from jumping over the fence because there is no way for your dog to jump over the fence.

The caveats of an electronic dog fence are that your dog may be reluctant to go outside of the fence even when you want him to, they can be expensive, you will be delivering static stimulation to your dog as a correction which you may not be okay with, and if he ignores the static "shocks" your dog can still break through the fence.