Post by Lannie on Nov 30, 2013 10:15:46 GMT -5
I swear, Missy T. (the T stands for trouble) is aptly named. Ever since we've had her, we've had to keep reinforcing the fence to keep her in. She is CONSTANTLY getting out. Usually, it's not too much of a problem when she does, because the Pyrs keep her contained up by the house, but lately, there's been some snarling, growling, and outright fights. Being in between two dogs (one of them VERY large) who are going at it with no intention of stopping is not my idea of fun.
We finally figured we'd gotten all her escape holes plugged. We had run a length of 3-foot tall (that's all we had) 6x6 mesh fence around inside the whole dog yard perimeter, which was originally fenced in leftover 5-foot 7x12 field fencing, the same stuff as around the perimeter of the property. It keeps the livestock in, but not Missy. So for a month or so, all was fine, and Missy didn't get out of her dog yard. She can squeeze through 7x12, but not 6x6. We found the spots where the ground was a little low, and spiked the fence to the ground so she couldn't get under, and thought FINALLY we had outsmarted her. Ha.
Then a week ago, she got out. I called her back and got her back in her yard and looked for a hole. I couldn't find anything. Then she got out again, and I called her back, and Kiara decided to thump her just before we got to the house. Bad fight. Missy got bit on the leg. Kiara has an impenetrable winter coat now, so she was fine, but not for lack of Missy trying. Yesterday, Missy got out THREE times in one day, and only minutes after I'd let her out the door, so once again we went looking for an escape hole. Still nothing. Then as Rich was bringing wood in the house yesterday afternoon, and Missy was in the dog yard, he SAW what she was doing. She climbs up the 6x6 mesh, pushes herself through the 7x12 mesh just above it, and drops to the ground on the other side. Now, mind you, this fence is all hand-strung, it's not tight, and I didn't think a dog of her weight COULD climb it, but she's very talented. She should be an agility dog.
We had a long hard discussion about this last night. We can't afford 5-foot goat fencing to re-fence the entire dog yard (it's big). The next idea was chicken wire to cover the 2 feet of 7x12 mesh above the 6x6 mesh, but we'd have to lace the wire all the way around, so it didn't get pulled down and off the mesh fencing. With all the other things we have to do, just the labor involved in that was daunting, not to mention the amount of chicken wire we'd need wouldn't be that cheap, either. Then I thought of making her wear an Elizabethan collar every time she went outside, but the only one we have is an extra large one that we had for Jasper when he was neutered. It's WAY too big for Missy, and a royal pain to try to put it on every time she goes out. She'd figure a way to get out of it, anyway. She's way too smart for her own good.
Then Rich thought of a board hanging from her to inhibit her movement and preventing her from climbing. After a bit more discussion, we decided a short 18" length of 2x4 hanging from her collar would probably work best. Rich rigged it up with a little bit of chain attached to the ring on a spare collar, and I'm keeping it by the back door. Every time she goes out the door now, she has to wear that board around her neck. She is one sad dog, let me tell you.
Rich wrote "BAD DOG" on the board, and even though Missy is sad, it's hysterically funny seeing her standing there with that sign on her neck! I took a picture that I'll post later here. She won't be doing any climbing or squeezing through tiny holes with THAT hanging off her, that's for sure. She also can't run, so I'll have to give her several chaparoned trips outside every day so she can run and stuff, but when I can't go out with her, she wears her BAD DOG board.
Obviously, we can't make this a permanent solution, but at least I don't have to worry about her getting out until we can figure out what to do about the fence. She'll probably have to wear the board all winter, but I'm not feeling too bad. She made her bed, and now she has to lie in it.
~Lannie
We finally figured we'd gotten all her escape holes plugged. We had run a length of 3-foot tall (that's all we had) 6x6 mesh fence around inside the whole dog yard perimeter, which was originally fenced in leftover 5-foot 7x12 field fencing, the same stuff as around the perimeter of the property. It keeps the livestock in, but not Missy. So for a month or so, all was fine, and Missy didn't get out of her dog yard. She can squeeze through 7x12, but not 6x6. We found the spots where the ground was a little low, and spiked the fence to the ground so she couldn't get under, and thought FINALLY we had outsmarted her. Ha.
Then a week ago, she got out. I called her back and got her back in her yard and looked for a hole. I couldn't find anything. Then she got out again, and I called her back, and Kiara decided to thump her just before we got to the house. Bad fight. Missy got bit on the leg. Kiara has an impenetrable winter coat now, so she was fine, but not for lack of Missy trying. Yesterday, Missy got out THREE times in one day, and only minutes after I'd let her out the door, so once again we went looking for an escape hole. Still nothing. Then as Rich was bringing wood in the house yesterday afternoon, and Missy was in the dog yard, he SAW what she was doing. She climbs up the 6x6 mesh, pushes herself through the 7x12 mesh just above it, and drops to the ground on the other side. Now, mind you, this fence is all hand-strung, it's not tight, and I didn't think a dog of her weight COULD climb it, but she's very talented. She should be an agility dog.
We had a long hard discussion about this last night. We can't afford 5-foot goat fencing to re-fence the entire dog yard (it's big). The next idea was chicken wire to cover the 2 feet of 7x12 mesh above the 6x6 mesh, but we'd have to lace the wire all the way around, so it didn't get pulled down and off the mesh fencing. With all the other things we have to do, just the labor involved in that was daunting, not to mention the amount of chicken wire we'd need wouldn't be that cheap, either. Then I thought of making her wear an Elizabethan collar every time she went outside, but the only one we have is an extra large one that we had for Jasper when he was neutered. It's WAY too big for Missy, and a royal pain to try to put it on every time she goes out. She'd figure a way to get out of it, anyway. She's way too smart for her own good.
Then Rich thought of a board hanging from her to inhibit her movement and preventing her from climbing. After a bit more discussion, we decided a short 18" length of 2x4 hanging from her collar would probably work best. Rich rigged it up with a little bit of chain attached to the ring on a spare collar, and I'm keeping it by the back door. Every time she goes out the door now, she has to wear that board around her neck. She is one sad dog, let me tell you.
Rich wrote "BAD DOG" on the board, and even though Missy is sad, it's hysterically funny seeing her standing there with that sign on her neck! I took a picture that I'll post later here. She won't be doing any climbing or squeezing through tiny holes with THAT hanging off her, that's for sure. She also can't run, so I'll have to give her several chaparoned trips outside every day so she can run and stuff, but when I can't go out with her, she wears her BAD DOG board.
Obviously, we can't make this a permanent solution, but at least I don't have to worry about her getting out until we can figure out what to do about the fence. She'll probably have to wear the board all winter, but I'm not feeling too bad. She made her bed, and now she has to lie in it.
~Lannie