Do Goldendoodles Run Away? Reasons and 11 Must-Know Solutions

Goldendoodles are loyal, affectionate, and perfect family pets, they are incredibly happy all the time and love nothing more than spending time with their family so it comes as a surprise when you leave the door open and your dog runs away.

It makes you wonder if they hated staying at home or maybe they didn’t like you as you thought they did but here is a piece of good news, it has nothing to do with you and your relationship is completely fine, they can run away for multiple reasons and I am going to discuss them all in this article.

So, do Goldendoodles run away? Goldendoodles run away, and it is dangerous for them, but fortunately, it’s not that common for this breed. Goldendoodles may run away due to boredom, fear, to find a mate, separation anxiety, loneliness, or they are chasing prey.

Your dog running away is never a good thing but that doesn’t stop it from happening so if you want to know why it happens and how to stop it, just keep reading.

Do Goldendoodles run away?

Goldendoodles run away for multiple reasons and whether they will come back home or not depends on the reason why they ran away.

If your Goldendoodle ran away to mate then it’s likely for them to come back home after they do, it can take a while but they will try to get back eventually.

Do Goldendoodles wander?

Goldendoodles can wander if they want but it’s not common in Goldendoodles because they are people pleasers just like their Golden retriever parent, so wandering off isn’t something that you should worry about in your Goldendoodle but still keep an eye on them just to play it safe.

Why do Goldendoodles run away?

Here are the most common reasons Goldendoodles run away:

1. Separation anxiety 
2. Boredom 
3. Sex drive 
4. Fear
5. Chasing something 
6. Unfamiliar environment 
7. Loneliness 

Separation anxiety 

Dogs with separation anxiety are more likely to run away and Goldendoodles have the tendency to develop separation anxiety.

What happens is that your dog gets too stressed because they are away from you so they try to find a way to run away and go find you.

So if your Goldendoodle has separation anxiety make sure to not leave them alone for a long time, leave them in a doggy daycare while you are at work, or just ask someone to accompany them while you are away because dogs with separation anxiety can harm themselves out of stress.

Boredom 

Goldendoodles are energetic and active dogs that need at least 20 to 30 minutes of exercise a day so if they don’t get enough exercise, they may run away.

Try to provide your Goldendoodle with enough exercise every day, you can also keep them busy while you are away so they don’t get bored, for example, you can get them some puzzles to solve or you can get another dog so they can keep each other company. 

Sex drive

If your Goldendoodle is not spayed or neutered then they may escape to mate, male dogs are more likely to escape than female dogs when it comes to finding a mate.

They will have a strong drive and will try literally everything to run away, that’s why it’s always recommended to watch your female dog during her heat cycle because she will try to run away the second you blink and it’s the same for your male dog.

Also, if your male dog smelled a female dog in heat passing by whether they are at home or outside, you better hold tight onto them because there is no stopping them from getting to her. You can learn when you should spay or neuter your dog here, and if you are not yet decided, please check out this post on why neutering a dog calms him down.

Fear 

Fear can easily drive your Goldendoodle to escape, actually, almost 1 in every 5 lost pets are missing due to loud noise in the US.

So yeah your Goldendoodle can run away due to the sound of fireworks, thunder, or any loud noise.

So next time there is a loud noise, make sure to calm down your dog and let them know that everything is fine and maybe distract them with their favorite toy or treats.

Chasing something 

Your Goldendoodle could run away because they are chasing something whether it’s a squirrel they saw in the backyard, a bird that got to the kitchen, or they sensed that something was off such as someone trying to breed inside the house so they chased him.

Nothing can make a dog run like their hunting instincts and it’s more likely to happen while you are walking them in the park, so make sure to put them on a leash if they are not trained not to chase small animals.

Unfamiliar environment 

It’s more likely if you just moved to a new place or if they had previous owners, they may not be comfortable in the new environment so they ran away to go to their old place where they feel safe.

Even if your old place is hundreds of miles away, they will find it so if that’s the case, now you know where to find them and if it’s not then if you ever move to a new place make sure to spend the first few weeks to make your pup feel comfortable in the new house.

Loneliness 

If you work and tend to leave your Goldendoodle for a long time by itself even if they don’t have separation anxiety, they will feel lonely.

Goldendoodles can be left alone for up to 8 hours, so if you plan to leave them alone for more than that then maybe you should ask someone to accompany them during that time or leave them in a doggy daycare.

How to stop your Goldendoodle from running away?

Here is how to stop your Goldendoodle from running away:

• Give them as much exercise as needed
• Spend more one-on-one time with them
• Provide them with plenty of toys and puzzles to keep them busy 
• If you will be gone for a long time leave them in doggy care or ask someone to walk them
• Keep them inside if you can’t keep an eye on them
• You can get another dog so they can have a friend when you are away
• If you moved to a new place, you need to socialize them all over again so they can get used to the new environment 
• Gradually increase the duration of their exercise (doesn’t include their daily walk), that way they will be too tired to run away.
• If they are scared, make them feel safe and slowly calm them down.
• You can’t be too precautionary, I mean even if you planned everything perfectly and kept an eye on them all the time, they may still manage to escape because you know life is unpredictable and so is your dog, all I am saying is get a GPS tracker and be one step ahead of them.
• Finally, get a wireless fence if you have a backyard.

You can learn how to fence your yard so your Goldendoodle can’t jump over it here, and it also has a few tips and tricks you can use. However, the most successful way of stopping your Goldendoodle from running away is not by forcing them to stay inside, but rather solving whatever the issue that is causing them to want to go outside in the first place.

As for GPS trackers, The Tracki GPS tracker is the most accurate one I’ve used to date, you can check this GPS tracker on Amazon here.

Related Questions 

Why does my Goldendoodle run away?

Your Goldendoodle may run away out of boredom, fear, separation anxiety, over-excitement, loneliness, and finally when it’s time for them to mate, your Goldendoodle can also run away for fun because they desire to it and want to experience an adventure so secure your home so they can’t run away.

Do Goldendoodles run off?

Yes, Goldendoodles run off, they are a very active and energetic breed, they may run off out of boredom or because you left the door open and they wanted to explore what’s outside, they can also run off if you left them alone for a long time because they tend to develop separation anxiety. 

How far can a Goldendoodle run?

Goldendoodles are energetic and athletic breeds and can easily run up to 10 kilometers, however, your Goldendoodle can only reach that 10 kilometers if you trained them to run so don’t expect them to run much if they are untrained.

Helpful Resources

Do Golden Retrievers Run Away?

Why Dogs Run Away