Here Are The 15 Dog Breeds Most Likely To Run Away

Unexpected company
Flickr | Mike Tewkesbury

The first time my dog made his escape, he was aided by a little girl who opened the front gate. From an open window, I heard the creak of the gate followed by a wee exclamation: “You’re free, doggy!” I jetted out the front door like a crazy woman in my bathrobe and found my very food-motivated Boston Terrier sitting outside the bakery up the block, pawing to get in.

It’s not that our four-legged friends don’t love us. It’s just that there are so many temptations outside the fenced world they live in: Squirrels! A rival cat! The aroma of bacon being gingerly placed on a breakfast sandwich at the neighborhood bakery is tough to resist when you’ve got such a strong sniffer.

No matter the breed, responsible pet ownership comes with tasks like getting your dog micro-chipped and making sure there are no holes in the fence. But, when it comes to escape artistry, some breeds are more notorious than others. (Pro tip from the Humane Society: Even if your dog has a microchip, it’s still good to have an ID attached to its collar. If a neighbor finds your dog, that’s its quickest ticket home because it takes special technology to scan for the chip.)

Business Insider asked Whistle, a company that makes GPS and activity-tracking dog collars, to share the breeds that are most prone to run away from home. The lost-dog data was mined from Whistle’s app, which has a “tracking event” that can help you find your dog with a real-time GPS signal. A caveat, though: Dogs that are 10 pounds or less aren’t well-represented because the GPS-tracking collar tends to be too big for them.  (We also wonder if a dog that’s a frequent offender could get its breed on the list?)

1. Anatolian Shepherd

Owners lose this breed about 2.13 times a month.

Anatolian Shepherd photo
Flickr | Steve Slater (used to be Wildlife Encounters)

2. Bloodhound

Owners lose this breed about 1.5 times a month.

bloodhound photo
Flickr | Mike Tewkesbury

3. Great Pyrenees

Owners lose this dog breed about 1.2 times a month.

Great Pyrenees photo
Flickr | Lexie Stevenson

4. Catahoula Leopard Dog 

Owners lose this dog breed about 1.2 times a month.

Catahoula Leopard Dog photo
Flickr | iraxmas

5. Bluetick Coonhound

Owners lose this breed about 1.2 times a month.

bluetick photo
Flickr | bark

6. Pit Bull Mix

Owners lose this breed about 1.2 times a month.

pit bull photo
Flickr | Ed Oswalt

7. Black and Tan Coonhound

Owners lose this breed about 1.2 times a month.

black and tan coonhound photo
Flickr | Shames Privacy

8. Belgian Malinois

Owners lose this dog breed about 1.2 times a month.

 Belgian Malinois photo
Flickr | Karsun Designs Photography

9. Saint Bernard

Owners lose this breed about 1.2 times a month.

saint bernard photo
Flickr | hfb

10. Great Dane

Owners lose this breed about 1.2 times a month.

great dane photo
Flickr | Magic Glasses

11. American Bulldog

Owners lose this breed about 0.9 times a month.

american bulldog photo
Flickr | jimbomack66

12. Standard Poodle

Owners lose this breed about 0.9 times a month.

standard poodle photo
Flickr | Living in Monrovia

13. Treeing Walker Coonhound

Owners lose this dog breed about 0.9 times a month.

treeing walker coonhound photo
Getty Images | Astrid Stawiarz

14. Bernese Mountain Dog

Owners lose this dog breed about 0.9 times a month.

Bernese Mountain Dog photo
Getty Images | Bruce Bennett

15. Australian Shepherd

Owners lose this breed about 0.9 times a month.

australian shepherd photo
Flickr | Ted Van Pelt

Tips To Keep Your Dog From Running Away

If you have a dog that frequently runs away, here are a few tips to help identify why it may be happening, and how to help fix the problem.

 

Animals, Life

About the Author
Brittany Anas
Hi, I'm Brittany Anas (pronounced like the spice, anise ... see, that wasn't too embarrassing to say, now was it?) My professional writing career started when I was in elementary school and my grandma paid me $1 for each story I wrote for her. I'm a former newspaper reporter, with more than a decade of experience Hula-hooping at planning meetings and covering just about every beat from higher-education to crime to science for the Boulder Daily Camera and The Denver Post. Now, I'm a freelance writer, specializing in travel, health, food and adventure.

I've contributed to publications including Men's Journal, Forbes, Women's Health, American Way, TripSavvy, Eat This, Not That!, Apartment Therapy, Denver Life Magazine, 5280, Livability, The Denver Post, Simplemost, USA Today Travel Tips, Make it Better, AAA publications, Reader's Digest, Discover Life and more.

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