How to Stop a Dog From Running Away

1. the only neighbors we have are the ones that cared for her while we were away on vacation. Where she keeps going. They live before our house. 2. We live in the country...nowhere near the highway and we are lucky if we see one car a day go by. 2 1/2. We live in the country where there are no animal control laws. Thus, they are free to roam. I would not have a dog if it had to remain tied up all its life. To me that seems cruel. Border Collies aren't house dogs either. 3. She is a border collie. She is not aggressive. She doesn't bite, or attack anyone. Thats why we have a border colllie. I was attacked when I was small. I will not own a aggressive dog. 4. She is a working dog. She goes down there and stays even when there is noone outside or even home. She just started doing this yesterday. We have been home for over a week. My kids are gone for the week, but I am here everyday. She leaves whether I'm here or not. I don't have a problem with her going down to "visit" the neighbors. I have the problem with her not coming home. Me having to go get her.

BC's are extremely intelligent dogs that need to be kept busy. If she is a working dog what is she working? You said you have no fences so I presume you have no livestock for her to care for & herd. It is just plain irresponsible for anyone to allow their pets to run loose & while there may not be specific local laws, many states have laws pertaining to dogs at large.

I just wanted to say that when I was on vacation in the mountains the neighbors dog(a golden) would show up bright and early in the morning and during the late afternoon as well(the owners would bring her in before it got dark). I knew it was the neighbors because she had I.D. tags so I checked to make sure it wasn't a lost pup. Anyway, the neighbors came over to make sure thats where she went, and once they new that she was coming over everyday they did no care. I stayed at this particular cabin on and off for about ten years. Every year this golden Molly would show up on the deck when she saw I had come on vacation. Because everyone in the area new each others pets no one was concerned for their safety(also there was no main road near us). I understand no dog should just run loose, but this neighborhood was a team. And this particular dog was the neighborhood pup. I will admit i let her in the cabin a few times( actually she helped herself in), but she was a great dog to have around .Sadly she died from old age two years ago....I found out on vacation when I realized she had not visited me yet. I just feel in some situations a roaming dog does not spell danger..in this case it was very safe for molly to roam aas she stayed only between my house and theirs..either way, things happen and you can't always control fate.....this dog lived to be 14...pretty good age for a roaming dog that I met 10 years earlier.