Stray Dog

medders2604

Back again with an update and another appeal for a bit of help.

Lady has been living quite happily for a while now on my friends back garden no problem at all using the lined cage as her bed. She has been in the house regularly but after a few minutes is scratching at the back door to get back into the garden.

So all looking good until Monday. She has suddenly taken to escaping from the garden any way she can be that jumping fences (that seem too high for a dog her size to manage) to digging underneath the fence. She doesn't go far at all just onto the driveway and sits there waiting for my mate to come back and then getting all overexcited jumping around when she does get back even when she is being told off for escaping. We are just really worried in case she starts going further afield.

My mate tried shutting the cage door but when thats done she barks so much it sounds like hound of the baskervilles. My mate has also been ignoring her when she gets back until she calms down. But we are fast running out of ideas any suggestions?

Increasing the height of the fences is not an option at all financially and even if we did she would dig her way under so short of concrete and 10 foot fences all around the garden we are stuck.

All help gladly accepted and tried.

rachiee

We have Irish Wolfhounds.. the masters of escaping by digging holes and walking up wooden fences and jumping off the other side!! What type of fence is it??? We have a criss cross fence and we put a old piece of wood we found across so she couldnt get over it by climbing or jumping. As for the digging we dug lines under the fence about 3 inches deep, got some chicken wire and put the chicken wire into the ground, filled it in and then brought it up and tacked it onto the fence. Shes now 4 and hasnt escaped since then. Its good that she comes back and doesnt get into mischeif.. ours used to escape and catch our hens, she wouldnt kill them but just have a bit fun with it but they always die of shock!!

Good luck.. let me know if you need anymore info. x

hethmar

Its strange behaviour though - she is spayed now isnt she? If she wasnt Id say she was coming into season and was on the search for a beau.

medders2604

She hasn't been spayed yet they won't do it until 3 months after her season so she is due to go in mid October.
Will have to have a go at burying chickenwire and see whther that will stop her escape acts.

foreign_correspondent

good luck!

- btw, I checked about the kennel - apparently it was disposed of, so sorry, I cannot help you there - it is a shame, I thiught it may have been in the back of a shed somewhere, but my aunt does tend to bin anything that stays still for more than five minutes!

medders2604

Thanks FC.

YorkiePud_3

I wonder if she would be happier if your friend could knock up (or have someone knock up!) a little outdoor run. You can get aviary panels for not too much, just a matter of nailing them together with a door ... it would mean when your friend is out then Lady can go in there and sit and watch for her but she isn't in danger of any dogs getting to her or her getting loose again should the postie or a delivery man leave the gate open (I think a lot of them were born in fields!!) ...

I think I would also only give Lady treats, biscuits etc when she was inside the house ... to try and establish her to think that being indoors is a good, positive thing where nice things happen to her.
Goodness only knows what has happened to her in the past, if she has been shut in etc .... so I would really concentrate on doing all the fussing, stroking and feeding indoors just to show her that some really good things happen in there and make her feel happy to be in because of what happens ....

I'm just worried about her getting out and going to look for your friend, because it seems her attachment to her is overwhelming. While on the one hand, it was great because it meant Lady trusted her enough to let her help her it can get a bit too much and you don't want Lady trotting off down the road to look for her and not coming home ... at least if you used aviary panels to make a run, it would "feel" open for her, so she shouldn't (hopefully!) feel as closed in and panic.
Someone told me you can sometimes get them for free on that famous giveaway free site ... not sure if I am allowed to name it!! But they don't cost all that much new ... a friend made one up for her dog and I think she paid a fiver a panel ... took 6 panels (one being the door) ...

OOOoohhhh Lady, you little tinker ... get yer backside in that house and stay there, missus!!!!!!

medders2604

Thanks for all your help we are going to have a good think this weekend about next step.