I'd use a long training lead while he's out and about playing until you trust him not to run. That way he's safe and still gets some decent exercise, and you can work on teaching him to come when he's called. ?

I think dogs that are mostly inside and/or within a fence, or leashed when not, just want nothing more than to explore the world. Natural. I live in the country. I have no fence. The dogs can go in and out as they please. They always stay within sight and come immediately when called because they always get rewarded for doing so. I never have to worry about them running off, even though others with this breed (Samoyed) consider the breed to be "runners". It's a different kind of life in the country.

The dog looks so depressed in the photo like he was really sad he was caught.

I too think you should probably train him not to run off like that. I'd see it as train him or perhaps next time he WILL make it to the busy street.

If you take your dog through a training course, and you pay attention, you may learn enough to train all your future dogs on you own. If you look at it that way, the expense does not seem so much, as it would for the one dog.

My German Shepherd will bolt anytime he gets the chance. I can't let him off the leash on our walks. He's gotten out of the fence several times, and I've had to chase him around the neighborhood. The only good ? Thing, is that he's so big, he's easy for drivers to see, and is probably not as likely to get hit as a small dog.

You should train your dog, not the dog you ?