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May 8, 2004
Yardwork and dogs.
We had a lot of mowing to do, so I armed myself with some benadryl and started up the lawn tractor for the first time this season. It started right up - which really impressed me, as it stays outside under the deck all winter.
I realized as I was mowing that a lot of pruning was needed - lots of trees and bushes have sprouted low hanging branches that I could not mow under. So I got out my handy dandy lopper and lopped away.
There is a corner in our yard that is kind of wild - ancient redbud trees, honeysuckle, climbing roses and lots of vinca on the ground. I cleared out all the dead wood, and cut back the honeysuckle and found a huge hole under the fence.
I had missed that one on my earlier check of the perimeter before I let Houdini outside. By the time I found his escape hatch, Animal Control had already called to let John know that Houdini was in jail until Monday.
This is his third strike in a month. The little shit.
What really makes me crazy is that we had a 6 foot high privacy fence built around our backyard at a very high cost to keep Shadow from walking over the old chainlink fence. Now, we have added a rodent dog to our family, and like a rodent, he burrows under it to escape. I don't want to put him on a chain inside a perfectly good fence, but unless we build a cement trench all around the perimeter, I don't know how we are going to keep him home.
Posted by Beth at May 8, 2004 2:55 PM
Comments
I have a Jack Russel Terrior who used to do the same thing. I bought some chicken wire and attatched it securely to the bottem of the fence and laid it out about 2-3 feet horrizontally inside the yard and covered it with soil. When she digs, she hits the chicken wire and stops. That has been over a year ago and she has not escaped since.
Posted by: mcmullen at May 8, 2004 5:33 PM
I started filling the holes my dogs dug with large rocks. They gave it up pretty quick. I don't know if that will work with Houdini though he sounds like a determined little sucker. The chickenwire mcmullen suggested would work.
Posted by: Calliope at May 8, 2004 5:51 PM
Calliope, we have been trying the large rock/cement brick idea, but he just goes to a different place and digs. McMullin's idea is pretty good, but it's gonna take a whole lot of chicken wire! Our back yard is about 120 feet deep or more and a good 100 feet wide. But the wire sounds like a great solution!
Posted by: Beth Donovan at May 8, 2004 8:30 PM
You might also try running an electric fence wire around the bottom of the fence, spaced about 6 inches out. A brand called Fido-Shock is intended for dogs, and the mild zap that it delivers will discourage most dogs from getting too close.
We've used hotwires for years, either as the actual fence, or as a way of discouraging a dog from going through a more solid fence.
Posted by: Roger Ritter at May 10, 2004 2:26 PM