We have a runner on our hands.

My dog is a runner too, and it is terrifying.  Once it took me two hours to find her and $300 in vet bills.  Please forgive your dog.  Dogs do not have the logic to know how dangerous a road is or how scary it is for you when they are gone. 

I know *exactly* how you feel. I had Pepito and Axl for several years before I got Butter and Ogre, and I have always been able to trust them to return to me immediately whenever I call. Taking them to potty is no big deal- just open the door, say "Don't leave the yard," and that's it. They're back in 90 seconds begging to be let in. I could go on leashless walks with them, let them outside with me without the least bit of trouble...I was very, very spoiled with them.
 
Then, along come Ogre and Butter- and everything had to change. Ogre doesn't rush the door, but if he thinks he can make it and you're not paying close enough attention, he's gone. When I take him outside, he minds me perfectly as long as he knows he's on leash- once or twice I've accidentally dropped the leash for a second and he was gone without a second's hesitation. The only way to catch him was to wait until he stopped to sniff something and then literally tackle him.
 
It takes ALOT of getting used to, when you've had dogs who weren't runners. Having to watch the doors when you open them, always having to worry about whether they've managed to open a door or not, having to sneak out with the door barely cracked so they can't rush between your feet...and then ALWAYS having to have them on lead...widnight potty breaks in 30 degree weather are difficult to get used to, when you're used to just opening the door and letting the dogs outside. For me, it ewas really frustrating and the first few weeks of getting used to it were NOT fun. Then I got the heck over it and tried to figure out how I could make it easier on myself. [8D]
 
Yes, you *can* teach a dog not to run out the door.  For me, I simply did alot of body blocking. I would open the door, and Ogre would try to shoulder his way out, and I would just block him. When he moved, I moved. After anywhere from 10 seconds to a full minute of this, he would always give up, and then sit or lie down and sigh heavily. The second his butt hit the ground, I shoved a treat in his mouth and showered him with the happist goofiest praises I could muster. It took about a month to get him to stop completely, but eventually, he learned that he was NOT going to make it out the door, not gonna happen, and in fact, if he sat, instead of trying to get outside, he actually got a treat! So for him, that's worked. I'm still careful, because he does have his moments, but at least he no longer tries to shoulder me out of the way. I've tested it, and 9 times out of 10, he no longer tries to escape even if I hold the door open for him.
 
Butter was a bit different. He was small enough that ho could sometimes evade me when I tried to block him. I was getting pretty frustrated because he could still manage to get past me, and he was still getting out. His recall is good outside, but I still didn't want him running out the door every time it was opened...especially since we live next to a really busy street. IMO, this could be a life or death situation, so I used slightly harsher methods than I would normally want to use with him.
 
I cracked the door a bit, ready for him to rush out. He did, and I was ready...before his feet completely cleared the doorway, I had him- I yelled "NO!!" as dramatically as I possibly could, and shoved him back in the house. He hates to be yelled at, and he was very, very surprised that I had managed to grab him, and he didn't try to rush the door for another day or two. That time, I was ready again, and I managed to grab his scruff- and again, I jerked him back in the house very dramatically, yelled "NO!" and that sufficiently hurt his feelings that he didn't try again.
 
Whenever he sits nicely at the door, instead of trying to rush out, he gets a treat and a ton of praise. So he's learning- running gets him yelled at, sitting gets him treats. He still needs to work on it, but he's improving drastically.
 
Tie-outs have been an absolute lifesaver for me. I hate, hate,HATE taking the dogs out to potty. I don't know why, but there aren't many things I would rather do less. Since Butter is house training and needs lots of praise when he pottys outside, I take him out on lead...but Ogre goes out on a tie-out. It also gives him the opportunity to go out and enjoy the yard with the other dogs, without having to be on a 6 foot leash at all times. I don't know if that's even an issue for you, but it's helped me alot.
 
One thing that I have learned that has helped me immensely- when they do escape, and you finally catch them, DO NOT bring them back inside immediately. It's so difficult not to yell at them, since you're so worried and upset...but the truth is, the reason they rush the door, run off, and don't listen when told to come back is because they don't want anyone to ruin their fun! So, whenever I catch them, I don't make a big deal out of it. If they actually let me catch them, I praise them and give them treats. If they run from me and I then have to catch them by chance, they get no praise and no treats. BUT, regardless of how I catch them, I calmly slip a leash on them and take them for a walk, or play with them in the yard for a while. Doing that has cut down SO much on the number of times they ignore me- now, more often than not, they'll come back when I call or let me catch them soon after, because they know I won't immediately ruin their fun and make them go inside.
 
I know how much it hurts your feelings that they run away like this. The truth is, they don't do it because they don't love you...they just smell good, interesting things out in the world and want to experience them. They absolutely do NOT do it because they don't appreciate or love you....they're just being dogs, they just want to have fun, and they don't want anyone to catch them and ruin it.
 
Ogre was picked up as a stray, and I often wonder whether he came from a good family who loved and searched for him. I don't think he did, for many reasons, but I still wonder. I know it's hard not to be hurt when they run off like that, but remember...they're dogs, they love you, and they just want to have fun. When they take off out the door, their only thought is "HEY! This smells interesting!!!" and when you call them, all they think is "Uh oh...not ready to go back inside yet...RUN!!"
 
Your dog absolutely loves you, regardless as to whether she runs off or not. Just try to keep that into perspective, and go from there. []

Thanks for responding seashell and sorry you have a runner too.  I know she doesn't "know" what she's done but it just breaks my heart, not to mention scares the poo out of me. 
 
And thank you Brittany... you've given some good advice and I'm going to start the training ASAP!  I think it will work with Gracie but Trixie, well, she seems a bit thick in the head lol   I hate to say it but it makes me feel a little better that you've been through it and are having success with training.  Like you, I was VERY spoiled with FeFe.  She listened better than some people's kids!

I didn't punish Trixie when MIL caught her.  I carried her home and put her inside because we were helping them move & I won't leave the girls outside while we're gone.  I was upset for a while after tho... it was probably a good thing I was away for a while, at least I calmed down before I saw her again.
 
Thanks again for responding [] and for the advice!

You need to retrain a recall on this dog.  You may even need to use a word other than "come", if she has learned to ignore that word, or you think it might have negative connotations from a previous owner's treatment of her.
My advice would be to start by hand feeding her for a couple of weeks - that sets you up as her leader (because you control the resources).  If you haven't taken her to class, you may want to do so, just to get a handle on some other behaviors that she can do on command (helps you from feeling angry at her, because there are things she does well).  Get  Leslie Nelson's DVD, "Really Reliable Recall" and follow it precisely (Leslie uses dog-friendly techniques).  This is a dog that needs to be convinced that "come" is not optional.  Rule #1 - never get angry when she finally gets to you!  Rule #2 - never call her if you cannot insure that she will come after you say it once (that's what your 30' lead will help with - get the DVD).  I adopted a 2+ year old hound, and managed to put a recall on him.  You may have to work somewhat harder with this dog, but I think you can do it!! []

You need to retrain this dog. This is a big problem. She must beable to come back when called, and not take off anymore when you go to catch her.
 
how old is she?

Instead of getting angry with the dog, consider this a learning experience. You really need to teach the dog to come to a whistle. If the dog runs that fast and hard the dog can easily get out of human voice range really fast. It's easy to teach dogs to come to a whistle-- whistles always sound the same, unlike human voices.  You might also want to work on an emergency "drop".  So once you've done this training, imagine next time: instead of yelling a useless command like NO, you confidently yell Trixie Drop, and she drops instantly.  Or she's out of sight quickly so you confidently blow your whistle, and she spins and races back to you.  
 

ORIGINAL: spiritdogs

You need to retrain a recall on this dog.  You may even need to use a word other than "come", if she has learned to ignore that word, or you think it might have negative connotations from a previous owner's treatment of her.
My advice would be to start by hand feeding her for a couple of weeks - that sets you up as her leader (because you control the resources).  If you haven't taken her to class, you may want to do so, just to get a handle on some other behaviors that she can do on command (helps you from feeling angry at her, because there are things she does well).  Get  Leslie Nelson's DVD, "Really Reliable Recall" and follow it precisely (Leslie uses dog-friendly techniques).  This is a dog that needs to be convinced that "come" is not optional.  Rule #1 - never get angry when she finally gets to you!  Rule #2 - never call her if you cannot insure that she will come after you say it once (that's what your 30' lead will help with - get the DVD).  I adopted a 2+ year old hound, and managed to put a recall on him.  You may have to work somewhat harder with this dog, but I think you can do it!! []

 
Thank you, Anne!  I know that hand feeding her will definitely work... she's not necessarily the treat driven type but giving her meals by hand will get her attention.  My FIL called Petsmart about classes (for their pup) & they were turned away because their classes were full.  I'll call my vet's office today, maybe they can recommend someone to help train (we live in a rural area - even Petsmart is almost 2 hours away).  The DVD, however, will be purchased ASAP! []  Trixie is young, a little over a year old but dang, if she's not the most stubborn thing I've ever seen!  Thanks for the advice and the vote of confidence! []  With all the problems we've faced, especially with Trixie in the first few months, we're not the quittin' type!

ORIGINAL: Tankstar

You need to retrain this dog. This is a big problem. She must beable to come back when called, and not take off anymore when you go to catch her.

how old is she?

 
She's a little over a year old.  I wonder if this was how she became a stray... she got loose and ran so far away that her family finally gave up?  I am going to diligently train train train!

If she is only a year old, that it one thing that's an issue here....she's an adolescent.  When Trudy was 1-ish, she would run into the meadow and when I called her, she would stop, thumb her nose at me and continue running.  At around 2 -21/2 she matured her attention span expanded.   Now her recall is about 98% and I can take her off leash in the field or on the beach with confidence.  That 2% still worries me, though, and when we are somewhere that requires a perfect recall, I use an e-collar on both of my girls just in case.

It's probably going to take a year of training and maturity before this girl is reliable. 

My pointer, Grace, zones in on a critter and it's bye-bye, Grace.  You can also see that, when faced with lots of acreage,  she really wants to run and she could run for miles.  I do believe that it can be a pointer/hound thing, as Seeshell knows.  []   The couple times that my DH has had to stop Grace in her tracks in the field, he has used DOWN  & STAY when all else had failed. 

We usually use "HEY HEY" instead of come, when they are in the field because it's loud, distinct, more intense, and never angry, when we want them back - like - NOW. 

I should also tell you that we have an invisible fence around our yard, so even without the fence collar on, they think twice about leaving the yard and will not stray beyond the boundary unless invited.  

ORIGINAL: mudpuppy

Instead of getting angry with the dog, consider this a learning experience. You really need to teach the dog to come to a whistle. If the dog runs that fast and hard the dog can easily get out of human voice range really fast. It's easy to teach dogs to come to a whistle-- whistles always sound the same, unlike human voices.  You might also want to work on an emergency "drop".  So once you've done this training, imagine next time: instead of yelling a useless command like NO, you confidently yell Trixie Drop, and she drops instantly.  Or she's out of sight quickly so you confidently blow your whistle, and she spins and races back to you.  

 
It's a learning experience alright! That's exactly why I wanted to post so I could get some feedback on how to go about changing things.  I can't let this happen again.  Once Trixie is running - she turns deaf & she might as well be a greyhound -- she runs like she's off to the races.  I do like the idea of an emergency drop tho... maybe I can add this to our training as well.  I believe if I can get her to drop on command, I might actually drop too [].  Thanks for your advice! 

I confess that when I started reading this thread I thought "how foolish to feel hurt by your dog" then I remembered Sienna and mentally apologized.
 
Sienna was not a runner, the cause of my anger was different. She had a litter (her first) of a single pup. When he was born she licked his head and sniffed him - as if to make sure he was ok and then she walked away. My attempts to get her to take care of him in the crate were useless. (Fortunately Molly had a litter of day old pups so raising him was no problem.) Within 10 minutes of his being born Sienna was out in the back yard running around with the other dogs and playing.
 
My attitude toward her was as if she were a little slut who dumped her child and went bar hopping.  I got over it - probably helped by the fact that her baby was bing well cared for.

ORIGINAL: diane303

If she is only a year old, that it one thing that's an issue here....she's an adolescent.  When Trudy was 1-ish, she would run into the meadow and when I called her, she would stop, thumb her nose at me and continue running.  At around 2 -21/2 she matured her attention span expanded.   Now her recall is about 98% and I can take her off leash in the field or on the beach with confidence.  That 2% still worries me, though, and when we are somewhere that requires a perfect recall, I use an e-collar on both of my girls just in case.

It's probably going to take a year of training and maturity before this girl is reliable. 

My pointer, Grace, zones in on a critter and it's bye-bye, Grace.  You can also see that, when faced with lots of acreage,  she really wants to run and she could run for miles.  I do believe that it can be a pointer/hound thing, as Seeshell knows.  []   The couple times that my DH has had to stop Grace in her tracks in the field, he has used DOWN  & STAY when all else had failed. 

We usually use "HEY HEY" instead of come, when they are in the field because it's loud, distinct, more intense, and never angry, when we want them back - like - NOW. 

 
Trudy sounds like our Trixie... thumb the nose and keep on running!  I'm not sure if there will ever be a time I could completely trust her (maybe like you said, with age) but we are more than willing to give it our best shot.  Our Gracie is more attentive and seems to absorb more info... although when she's on the trail of something, she's deaf too (but that's not so bad in a fenced in yard).  Looks like we've got lots of training ahead of us.  []
 
BTW, the invisible fence is something DH and I are discussing but I wonder with her age, if it would work?  Or would she keep trying to get out and cause more pain to herself?

I can understand the dissapointment when your dog wants to run.  Grace is the most adoring and affectionate of my two.  Most of the time, she is my velcro and lap dog, but sometimes outside, she just can't seem help herself. 

Just keep training and rewarding her for good behavior.  Have you ever thought of trying an agility class?  It's a great positive way to bond and teach your dog to focus on you while off leash.