Dogs are excellent escape artists if they are desperate enough. They can jump out of windows, especially if they cannot find other openings like doors or gates. Some distressed dogs jump straight out of the window if it’s their closest escape, even if they could have gone outside another way. This concerning behavior puts your dog’s safety at risk, and they can end up with injuries or get lost.
If you have a dog that window jumps, you are likely feeling clueless about what you should do. Do you barricade up all the windows or worry about leaving your dog home alone? To determine what kind of action to take, you need to determine first, what is the cause of your dog’s behavior. This article has the answers for you.
Why Do Dogs Jump Out of Windows?
There are several reasons why a dog jumps out of windows in vehicles and homes. The likeliest reason is that they are distressed and have a strong urge to escape to safety. Loud noises, such as fireworks, can be stressful to dogs and cause them to jump out the nearest opening, which happens to be a window.
Another possibility is that your dog has spotted animals or people outside that they want to interact with or chase. If your dog is suffering from separation anxiety, they might escape out of windows when you leave to try to find you.
Open windows are not the only escape route for dogs; some jump and break through closed ones, too. This could result in severe injuries from the impact and broken glass cutting into your dog’s skin. Furthermore, dogs that jump from upper-floor windows can end up with life-threatening injuries or die from the fall.
Many dogs won’t hesitate to jump out of an open car window if something grabs their attention. Passing cars, loud hooting, and bustling traffic can be scary for dogs. This puts your dog at risk since they could get hit by a car or lost on a busy road.
Regardless of why your dog jumps out of windows, it is a concerning behavior that should be prevented.
What Should You Do If Your Dog Jumps Out of a Window?
The first thing you should do is determine why your dog keeps jumping out the window. You can do this by looking at your dog’s environment and behavior. Were there fireworks or noise disturbances around the same time your dog jumped out the window?
That means your dog likely did it out of fear. You should look into ways to keep your dog safe during fireworks and possibly in a crate or other secure area during noise disturbances in your area. It’s a good idea to speak with a veterinarian about calming aids for your dog during stressful situations if they try jumping out of windows.
If your dog has an interest in animals outside, such as the neighbor’s cat or wildlife, they might have jumped out of the window to reach it. You might need to train your dog to ignore the animals or people.
Some dogs don’t jump out of windows often, while others make it a habit. The likeliness of your dog jumping through a window again will depend on why they did it. However, you should still take the appropriate safety measures to prevent your dog from doing it again. Even if your dog didn’t injure themselves the first time they jumped, it doesn’t mean they won’t next time.
Once you have determined and addressed the reason behind your dog’s window jumping, you should find ways to prevent it from happening again.
How To Prevent Your Dog From Jumping Out Of Windows
Let’s look at ways to prevent your dog from jumping out of windows below.
1. Keep The Windows Closed
This prevention method might seem obvious, but it’s a temporary solution until you find a better way to deter the behavior. If your dog prefers jumping out of a specific window in the home, you should try to keep it closed. The window should always be closed while you are away from home to prevent your dog from jumping out of it, and you might need to prevent them from having access to it if possible.
Furthermore, keep the windows in your vehicles closed while you are driving. Dogs should never be allowed to hang their heads or bodies out of a vehicle, even if they are well-trained or enjoy it. While it might seem like you are doing good by letting your dog get fresh air, it puts their safety at risk.
2. Install Burglar Bars
If your dog has made a habit of jumping out of windows, whether they are open or closed, installing burglar bars can help prevent it. Most medium to large dog breeds cannot fit through burglar bars and cannot jump out the windows.
This lets you open the windows with peace of mind, knowing that the burglar bars act as a safety barrier between the window and your dog.
3. Use Mesh Screen Coverings
If you have a smaller dog or cannot install burglar bars in your home, mesh screen coverings might do the trick. They are a great alternative to burglar bars if you rent your home. You can install them on your windows as a more permanent solution, or the mesh coverings can be attached to the glass using suction cups.
You ideally want to choose a mesh that is made to withstand larger animals, such as stainless steel. The mesh made to keep insects and small pets out might not prevent an eager dog from escaping.
4. Keep Them Secure During Car Rides
It is just as unsafe to let your dog move around in a vehicle as to let them hang their heads out of the window. Escaping is not their only risk since sudden braking or a collision can put their lives in danger, too. You should keep your dog safe during car rides by securing them in a crate or with a dog seat belt harness. Crates can be secured on the back seat or in the trunk so that they don’t move around and make the car ride uncomfortable for your dog.
5. Place Vinyl Stickers on The Glass
If your dog is trying to jump out of windows because they cannot see the glass, you could try placing vinyl stickers on it. The vinyl stickers should be large enough for your dog to acknowledge that something is there.
6. Address Signs of Stress or Anxiety
As mentioned above, some dogs jump out of windows because they feel stressed or anxious. This could be from stressful situations like loud noises, but also from separation anxiety. Addressing the underlying cause of their stress or anxiety can prevent them from jumping out of windows for those reasons.
It can take time to work on these issues, and it should be done with the help of a veterinarian and in some cases a qualified animal behaviorist. Desensitization and counterconditioning are two techniques that can be used in behavioral modification programs to help reduce a dog’s undesirable emotional responses to stimuli. In this case, it may be fireworks or animals outside the window or being home alone. Desensitization involves reducing a response by presenting the trigger in its least intense form and gradually building it up over time. Counterconditioning changes the emotion of behavior by associating the trigger with something positive.
In the meantime, you need to keep your dog safe, and you should try securing the windows with burglar bars or mesh screen coverings so that your anxious dog cannot jump through them. You can also look into crating your dog while you are away from home to keep them safe if they are used to and comfortable in a crate.
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Should You Take Your Dog to a Veterinarian if They Jump Out of a Window?
You should contact a veterinarian if your dog seems injured or acts abnormally after jumping out a window. They could have injured themselves from the impact or broken glass. Internal injuries are another concern that can be serious without medical treatment. Unfortunately, those injuries can go undetected since your dog might act normally in response to shock.
If your dog has fallen from a height after jumping through a window or is obviously injured, it’s best to take them to an emergency veterinarian right away.
Conclusion
Window jumping is a concerning behavior for dogs that needs to be addressed and prevented. It puts your dog’s safety at risk while sometimes resulting in property damage or a lost pet. This behavior usually has an underlying reason, such as fear, anxiety, or stress. You should determine and address the underlying cause and keep the windows closed or covered to prevent it from happening again.
Featured Image Credit: AlikaKo, Shutterstock
Why Do Dogs Jump Out of Windows?
