Do dogs jump off balconies?

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Table of Contents

Over the years, dogs have been referred to as the friend of man because of the way they behave and handle their owners. Their intellect and ability to connect emotionally to their owners have made them popular among pet owners. Most times, dogs are trained and conditioned to behave a certain way that will be pleasing to their masters. This training is possible because of their intellectual capacity—although not as high as humans, but high enough to dominate other animals in that area.

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Despite the high level of intellectual capability found in dogs, when compared to other animals, they are not able to make decisions and behave with the application of a great intelligence quotient. Their intelligence might as well be limited to mimicking their owners’ actions, knowing when their owner is around, knowing the different meal times, and even as far as understanding the moods of their owners. This is the reason why so many dog owners carry their furry friends along when they are engaging in several recreational activities, which they enjoy so much. Taking their furry friend along with them usually means double fun, especially if they are going alone for the activity. Many people, especially dog lovers and people who are hoping to get dogs, fear for the safety of their furry friends. The ones who have this fear the most are the ones with balconies—including the ones with high as well as low balconies. Of course, if you would want a longtime companionship with your animal, it should be an important consideration.

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Dogs do not have the intellectual capacity to be able to make decisions, and this entails that they cannot decide to either jump off or not to jump off. This shouldn’t evoke fear in your hearts. Despite the fact that they cannot make decisions to either jump off a high place or not, they have the intellectual capacity to learn from their painful experiences. This learning process makes them avoid high places as they get older.

Do dogs jump off balconies
Do dogs jump off balconies?

Are Dogs Smart Enough not to Jump off Balconies?

The growth of dogs is just like that of humans, in the aspect of learning from their experiences. When they are puppies, they have no sense of height, just like human babies. They might want to play around and explore every place around them. When they are left on balconies, they would want to explore the places in between the railings. This need to explore is the reason for most puppies falling off the balcony. Falling off the balcony and jumping off the balcony can be considered as two different things because falling off the balcony can be considered as something not planned for. Whereas jumping off the balcony is a conscious effort or activity. 

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Jumping off can be considered fun to a puppy that does not know the pain associated with jumping from high heights; however, as puppies mature into aldult dogs, their sense of height also matures. The maturation of their sense of height depends on their experiences as puppies. This is somewhat similar in humans; the way we handle things depends solely on our life experiences. 

To answer the long-awaited question, “are dogs smart enough not to jump off balconies?” The answer to this is not quite straightforward as it depends on how the dog grew up. If it grew up in a place that is close to the ground, it is likely that the dog might not be smart enough to know if it should or should not jump off the balcony. On the other hand, if the dog was raised where it needed to jump over heights, it would have that consciousness that jumping from balconies can cause it pain. That is to say; dogs are smart enough not to jump over balconies, depending on the training they receive.

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Do Dogs Know not to Jump from Heights? 

Dogs are known to be very playful and social animals. Most of the time, their play is not restricted to biting on toys and playing throw and fetch; it goes even as far as trying to go through a rubber slide or even trying out their jumping skills to see if they can jump from a particular height. Their playfulness, combined with their high level of emotional intelligence, which is most of the time not acquired from their owner, makes them an excellent company to hang out with. The other signs of intelligence they display depend on the training given to them by their humans. Dogs are smart, although not smart enough to know right or wrong. No matter how much of a companion they can be, it doesn’t change the fact that they are still animals, and they need to be taught what is right and wrong. 

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Dogs might see jumping from small heights as a fun activity to engage in. It could also be fun as an owner to watch, but trust me, it wouldn’t be fun watching this fellow whine in pain due to an ankle sprain gotten from the jump. It is very important to monitor your puppy when it plays so that you can use gestures and other ways to stop it from jumping from any height. If this is done, and it knows that jumping from heights is not good for it, it would avoid little and, most importantly, great heights. If it doesn’t know it is dangerous to jump from a ten-centimeter-long height, the next time, it can try jumping from a six feet high building. It is important to know that dogs know not to jump from heights of any kind, depending on how they are trained by their owner.

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Can I Leave My Dog On The Balcony? 

Before we talk about leaving your dog on the balcony, ask yourself, “can I leave my 12 000 dollars on the porch?” If you cannot think of making such a mistake, then leaving your dog on the balcony is a way worse mistake. Dogs are hyperactive in nature; this makes them love to play so much. Their love, or want to play, leads them to so many activities. They would jump and want to touch everywhere in their surroundings. 

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If you leave your dog on the balcony because you are going out, or you just want it out, it could be risky to the life of the dog in so many ways. Firstly, it can be said that dogs are very aware of their surroundings. If a couple is bickering downstairs, or two kids are fighting, or a new pet is brought into the neighborhood, it would be noticed by the dog as long as it is within its eye reach. The more it sees different things going on, it would want to understand if it’s a new game or something it needs to figure out. Most of the time, their curiosity gets the better part of them because they struggle to go down directly and join the fun. This is one of the major causes of balcony jump found in dogs. Also, if the dog is on the balcony, it can end up being frightened and stressed. Being on the balcony in a very busy city, every second, there are either high honks of cars, high fireworks during a celebration, or in some cases, the sound of machines. These sounds might put the dog on edge and make it want to escape by all means. The escape might be through the space in the railings, or they could just jump over the railing if there is furniture close to the railing. This means that you cannot leave your dog without supervision on the balcony because it is not safe.

How Do You Make Balcony Dog Friendly?

There are many ways to make a balcony dog-friendly. To make a balcony dog friendly, it is important to know what goes with your dog and what doesn’t. Most times, in the decoration of a balcony, people tend to use different kinds of flowers to make the balcony look more beautiful. It is good for your balcony to look good but consider this, “is it safe for your dog?”. Some of the very popular and beautiful ornamental plants are very poisonous. The toxicity of these plants can cause death to your furry friend. This is why before ever letting your dog bask in the sun just as you, it is important to keep plants that are healthy for it. 

Also, it is important to ask for plants that are safe for the breed of dog you have. You might think the choice of the plant doesn’t matter if you’re supervising your dog. However, supervision isn’t a problem when it comes to dogs exploring their environment. One minute they might be crouching next to you, and the next, they might be exploring the flower pot bowl. This is what makes the choice of the plant very important—replacing the poisonous flowers with the very harmless ones so that you can be at peace when they dig around the flower pot. 

Another important thing to do is to move all furniture away from the railing. If the furniture is close to the railing, it enables them to easily jump onto the railing and out of the balcony. It is also important to dog-proof your balcony to avoid your dog easily jumping from it. When proofing, you should know the type suitable for your dog so that it doesn’t escape by destroying the balcony doggy proof. Also, the doggy furniture should be made of a material that does not absorb moisture, so the dog can be comfortable on it. Also, it is also good to get toys that are safe for biting on because your dog would definitely bite on its toys.

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How To Dog Proof Balcony Railings

Dogs getting stuck in the balcony railing is a cause for concern, especially for dog owners with smaller breeds. Even some breeds that seem big might also get stuck in the railing because of the false big size given to them by their enormous amount of fur. When they are stuck in between the railing, there are always two problems involved, getting the dog out of the railing and seeing it injured downstairs after it had jumped. This is why it is very important to dog-proof your balcony railings, so your dog can enjoy the outdoor fresh air and sunshine with you without falling into danger. 

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To prevent these dangers, there are two main ways of dog proofing your balcony railings, which are; installation of netting and installation of plexiglass. When you are installing netting, the type of dog you have should be considered. If you have a very hyperactive and playful dog that likes biting everything it sees with its teeth, you shouldn’t consider the usual net. Instead, consider using a wire net to prevent it from biting through. The other option available is the use of plexiglass to prevent it from going through the railing. The Plexiglas is even the best option, especially for hyperactive and playful dogs. They get to enjoy sunlight and a lovely view with you, in a safe way. If the Plexiglas is not available, netting is a very great choice too. 

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Pet Balcony Netting 

Pet balcony netting is very important in keeping your pet away from falling off the balcony. This pet netting comes in two types—the one made from yarn and the one made from wire. It is important to know the type of dog you have, so you know that type that would be suitable for pet-proofing your balcony. If you notice that your dog likes to chew on things, like; its toys or any furniture, it would not be advisable for you to go for yarn netting. The yarn kind of netting might not be as durable as the wire netting because it can easily be chewed off by your playful dog or some other animal. 

However, yarn netting has an advantage in offering flexibility. If you have a pet that doesn’t bite everything it sees, it would be suitable for me to get this kind of netting. If your pet bites everything on sight, it would be necessary to get the wire type of netting because it cannot be broken by teeth, and it is more durable than its yarn counterpart. However, the wire type of netting, although durable, is too rigid to allow for flexibility.  

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Balcony Pet Screen

Balcony pet screen can be made from nets to protect the pet, or it could be made from plexiglass. Plexiglass is a strong material that can be used as a screen on the balcony. It is transparent, so you can get a view of the environment below. It can also protect from bugs and other insects. The best part of having a pet screen made from plexiglass is that it is very durable, so it would not be broken even if it is pushed and hit, even at high speed. It has a high level of endurance. It also protects from the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays. If the pet screen is made from another material, it could also do its job of protecting your pet from falling off the balcony. 

Will A Dog Jump Off A Cliff

In serious situations that are very scary to a dog, the reaction of the dog to that situation is somewhat unpredictable. If you are at the top of a cliff with your dog, and you go treasure hunting, and it is left alone, it might feel anxious. If fireworks should go off in the area it is at that moment, it is very likely that it might jump from that height. Also, if it sees a squirrel and decides to chase after it because it wants to play, it might fall off the cliff because, at that moment, its sense of height is clouded by the want to catch the animal before it. If it hears noises below the cliff, curiosity might also get the better part of it, and it might jump down to know what is going on. This is why it is advisable for dog owners that like going up a cliff or mountain, to leash their dog and always keep it in sight at all moments.

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Conclusion

Dogs are very popular pets, and most of these questions have bugged many dog owners for many years. If a dog jumps from a very high place, it would most definitely be in pain from a sprain or dislocation of a bone. The reason for the injury is because they are not as graceful as cats and might not land on their forelegs. These injuries can take a while to heal, even with constant visits to the vet clinic. The time it takes to heal is not the only problem; the pain the dog goes through is also a problem that needs to be considered. This is the reason why it is important to monitor your dog by leashing it when you are in a high place. It is also important to dog-proof your balcony so it doesn’t get stuck in the balcony railing or it doesn’t ingest poisonous plants.

Hazel Buckley
Hazel Buckley

About Hazel Buckley
Hazel is an animal enthusiast and educator who grew up on a farm which her parents owned in Ingogo, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.  The farm was situated right under the Majuba Mountains - the site where the Anglo-Boer War was fought. 

Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information published on this website is accurate, the author and owners of this website take no responsibility  for any loss or damage suffered as a result of relience upon the information contained therein.  Furthermore the bulk of the information is derived from information in 2018 and use therefore is at your on risk. In addition you should consult professional advice if required.