Cheapest way to keep little Houdini in my yard?

[mjkacmom]

We had the same issue with our 10 pound dog. When we had our picket fence put up, we had it contructed so the slats were closer together. Unfortunately, she was a chaser, and would dig her way out (we'd block the holes with bricks). She was also one who would dart out of the door whenever it opened. Unfortunately, she was hit by a car at the age of 8. She was rarely out in the yard alone, but I had a 1 and 3 year old at the time, and not all parts of the fence could be seen from any position in the yard. DH was out there with the kids when it happened.

Don't wait too long for a solution.

 

[hsmamato2]

I've had dogs my whole life,in a variety of situations,one thing they all have in common,no matter the size, just 'letting them out' in the yard is NOT enough exercise,even if it's a small dog. I have 2 dogs,both under 10 pounds,and they LOVE their 2 mile walks! And let me assure you,they behave beautifully after they're sufficiently exercised and tired out!
I would try a daily walk,plus stopping the fence gaps, plus a long leash if you can't be out with doggie....a 12 pound dog should be able to do their potty business and come back in pretty quickly....
I guess what I'm saying is if I leave my furbabies out for hours,they get bored,and figure out ways to entertain themselves.....

 

[DisneyMomma81]

They make a dog " bumper" that kind of looks like one of those U shaped neck deals for sleeping in cars. It is stuffed fabric and has several ribbon loops on it to attach to a collar. Theory is that it prevents dogs from squeezing out of smaller areas. I cannot recall what they are called. I just saw them at a trade show. Puppy bumpers or something like that. they recommended you have the bumper on a second collar to take on and off so the dog didnt wear it all the time.

Very neat!

 

[PatMcDuck]

I have a gorgeous 24 pound Shiba Inu that was escaping and making us completely crazy.

We did not want to mess with chicken wire, worried it was sharp for us to work with, and worried the dog might mess with it and get cut herself. We have a wood board on board older fence. For the digging under issue, we bought 1 foot square cement blocks at Lowes, they seemed to be the cheapest thing I could find. We laid them along the perimeter of the fence. I know, it is nuts, but I figured they could be removed easily enough (?) by the next house owner. They are heavy enough and large enough to prevent her from moving them, or digging under them and out.

Of course, this led to her chewing and trying to break out THROUGH the fence, instead of under it. The fence is getting old, and weak along the bottom. After replacing some slats and sections, DH came up with another cheap solution. He ripped some exterior plywood into 10-12" boards, stained them, and nailed them horizontally across the bottom of the fence. I know, it sounds and looks a little crazy. It is like a prison yard bunker back there.

SUCCESS!! She has not escaped in a year. I love my Jazzy, and she loves to run free and fast in the backyard. We lost her in nearby woods, she was found on a 45mph road, it was a nightmare. She would not come back to us when called, it was all part of the game for her. We would usually only catch her if strangers joined the pursuit, she would go to them in curiosity.

She is the red one in my icon here. The black one would never follow her, he would cry and whine to sound the alarm that she had escaped. (he is also known as "the good one").

 

[NotUrsula]

It also may help if you lay down a THICK layer of cayenne pepper along your fence line, mixed into the dirt. You can buy it in bulk at Chinese markets, and it lasts a fairly long time if you don't have a runoff problem. If the dog digs it will get a snootful of pepper, and most dogs really don't like that.

 

[brennicksmom]

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

Ok, so here’s my plan. Personally, since this is all me and I have a bad shoulder, I am not into any plan that involves digging. I also do not think he is digging – I think he is squeezing under the fence. When we have caught him right after he gets out, he doesn’t have any dirt on him. So, I am going to buy chicken wire and bend it in an “L” shape. The short end will be connected to the fence with cable ties, then the longer sections will be anchored to the ground using landscaping pins. Then, I will put pea gravel on top of the wire. The gravel is mostly for looks and to keep from mowing over the wire. I don’t think he would be able to dig (if he is digging) under a couple of feet of chicken wire and the fence. Does this sound like a good plan, or am I wasting my time and money?

We have a 15 lb Shih-Tzu and we had thesame problem. We did the chicken wire in the L shape adn zip tied it to the fence, and anchored it to the ground with the landscaping ties. We jsut let the grass get thick along that area. Weedeater instead of pushing lawnmower clost to fenceline. It work fantastically!!!! No escapes after that. He never dug either, just pushed right under.

We tried numerous things first, but the chicken wire worked.

 

[carobear]

I have a gorgeous 24 pound Shiba Inu that was escaping and making us completely crazy.

We did not want to mess with chicken wire, worried it was sharp for us to work with, and worried the dog might mess with it and get cut herself. We have a wood board on board older fence. For the digging under issue, we bought 1 foot square cement blocks at Lowes, they seemed to be the cheapest thing I could find. We laid them along the perimeter of the fence. I know, it is nuts, but I figured they could be removed easily enough (?) by the next house owner. They are heavy enough and large enough to prevent her from moving them, or digging under them and out.

Of course, this led to her chewing and trying to break out THROUGH the fence, instead of under it. The fence is getting old, and weak along the bottom. After replacing some slats and sections, DH came up with another cheap solution. He ripped some exterior plywood into 10-12" boards, stained them, and nailed them horizontally across the bottom of the fence. I know, it sounds and looks a little crazy. It is like a prison yard bunker back there.

SUCCESS!! She has not escaped in a year. I love my Jazzy, and she loves to run free and fast in the backyard. We lost her in nearby woods, she was found on a 45mph road, it was a nightmare. She would not come back to us when called, it was all part of the game for her. We would usually only catch her if strangers joined the pursuit, she would go to them in curiosity.

She is the red one in my icon here. The black one would never follow her, he would cry and whine to sound the alarm that she had escaped. (he is also known as "the good one").

Just wanted to say I love shibas! Such gorgeous dogs and I'd love to own one. Glad to hear your furbaby is now safe and sound

 

[ckoncurat]

We have a wireless electric fence. no digging involved, and now that our dog knows his boundaries, we rarely use the collar either. I dont think this is any crueler than keeping a dog tied up all the time!
http://www.sportingdogpro.com/petsa...edium=cse&utm_campaign=export_feed#googlebase

 

[threecrazykids]

We have a wireless electric fence. no digging involved, and now that our dog knows his boundaries, we rarely use the collar either. I dont think this is any crueler than keeping a dog tied up all the time!
http://www.sportingdogpro.com/petsa...edium=cse&utm_campaign=export_feed#googlebase

This is exactly what we have as well. We absolutely LOVE it! Where we live our HOA doesn't allow fences and this works out great!

We love the fact that we can take it anywhere with us when we travel as well. When we go to the lake, camping, etc. we can bring it along with us and never have to worry about him running off.

We rarely use the collar (at home) either...he knows his boundaries.

 

[MrsPete]

We had problems with this when our dog was a puppy -- she loved to escape and run the neighborhood -- and we bought cheap metal tent stakes (they were about 4/$1 at that point) and used them to secure the chain link fence to the ground. Worked great and super easy.

Now she's too old to break out. Occasionally, if we're bringing things in and out of the back yard, we'll leave the fence open. She walks out into the driveway and gives us a look of "Oh, it's just not worth the effort" and goes back into the fence.