Question:

>HELP I am desperate.  I have two female Aussie mixes approx.1 1/2 >years old (both are spayed) and they dig out of the backyard.

[snip] >I have also invested in an electric fence which they learned that >if they start the hole back far enough they can get under the fence >without touching the wire.  We have lined the fence with stakes >hammered into the ground, and they dig until the stakes fall and >keep digging.  We have lined the fence with med. sized lanscape >rocks and they dig until the rocks fall into the hole and then >keep digging.  We put chicken wire flat on the groung in front >of the fence, dug under that.  Buried chicken wire straingt up >and down bent that.  

Geez, these dogs are determined!  Well, I hope someone has a better solution, but one thing you might try is strapping the little brats into Elizabethan Collars.  With those on, there is no way they could see to dig, nor could they dive through an existing gap.  They’d still be able to play, however, once they got used to being coneheads. You should then be able to gradually teach them that the collars will stay off as long as they don’t try to dig out.  Remove the cone from one at a time, and when she starts digging, back on it goes. And be sure to haul out the camera.  You will get some very funny pictures. Good luck.  :-) — Cyntyra

Response:

> HELP I am desperate.  I have two female Aussie mixes approx.1 1/2 years old > (both are spayed) and they dig out of the backyard.  I am home most everyday > all day long, and if they are in the backyard alone for more than for 5 minutes > they are gone.

Since you are home, have you noticed if there are critters (neighbors dog, cats or kids) where your dogs can see them from inside your fence? It could be the stress of seeing these potential playmates just out of reach that could drive them to dig out. If this is the case, it would help if you could block their view. The backyard is totally fenced and they should be allowed out to – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> play or whatever for more than 5 minutes at a time 4-5 times daily. I have > chained them to the middle of the yard for potty time but I hate to have to do > that. I have also invested in an electric fence which they learned that if they > start the hole back far enough they can get under the fence without touching > the wire.  We have lined the fence with stakes hammered into the ground, and > they dig until the stakes fall and keep digging.  We have lined the fence with > med. sized lanscape rocks and they dig until the rocks fall into the hole and > then keep digging.  We put chicken wire flat on the groung in front of the > fence, dug under that.  Buried chicken wire straingt up and down bent that.  We > have very little money so we can not afford for them to go to doggie jail again > and we can not afford a dog behavior specialist. Does anyone have ANY > suggestions?  I am at my wits end.  The vet has no more suggestions.  They get > lots of love and attention and toys.  They love to go play in the water so I > even bought a plastic pool for them to swim in thinking that if they had water > in the yard to play in that that would deter them wanting to go play in the > lake accross the street.

It sounds like you have done all the physical stuff to provide a barrier to the outside. How wide was the chicken wire? I just finished installing a 24" chickenwire skirt to the bottom of about 900′ of chain link fence to contain a real Houdini of a New Guinea Singing Dog. I hope I have better luck than you are having. I hope someone here gives you that winning idea. Moe Kunkle – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Christine

Response:

>HELP I am desperate.  I have two female Aussie mixes approx.1 1/2 years old >Does anyone have ANY >suggestions?

Hope this helps.  I helped a friend do this and it worked. Putting anything ON the ground did not work for him either..  There were nine of us, men and women, and he fed us and kept us from dehydrating.  At the end of his project a BBQ. Was work, but many hands made it light.  While this was going on, the dogs were tied up or on leash while out in the yard. Dig trench two feet deep just in front of AND under the fence, and place wire fencing vertically in the trench,  then attach it  to the fence with plastic clips . Do not lay it in the trench,  it must hang from the fence.  Then backfill, tamping down.  When the dogs dig – they meet the fencing wherever they dig. It took us all weekend to get it done, and it was like a production line.  He rented two rototillers to get the ground broken around the perimeter, while shovelling "crew" followed. The tilling/shovelling was  repeated, and the shovelling finished the trench.  As the shovelling  moved  up the trench, others worked behind on applying the fencing.

Response:

> >HELP I am desperate.  I have two female Aussie mixes approx.1 1/2 years old >Does anyone have ANY >suggestions? > Hope this helps.  I helped a friend do this and it worked. Putting anything ON > the ground did not work for him either..  There were nine of us, men and women, > and he fed us and kept us from dehydrating.  At the end of his project a BBQ. > Was work, but many hands made it light.  While this was going on, the dogs were > tied up or on leash while out in the yard.

Sounds like my kind of party:-) > Dig trench two feet deep just in front of AND under the fence, and place wire > fencing vertically in the trench,  then attach it  to the fence with plastic > clips . Do not lay it in the trench,  it must hang from the fence.  Then > backfill, tamping down.  When the dogs dig – they meet the fencing wherever > they dig.

Be aware that the plastic clips will wear over time because of the UV from the sun. You can get metal clips by the pound at any farm supply store. The crimper tool is also highly recommended and is cheap. I just did a 3/4 acre area with 3 lbs of clips at $4.75/lb. The crimper was $7.95. I put a clip at every point where the wire cloth mesh was parallel to the chain link wire. > It took us all weekend to get it done, and it was like a production line.  He > rented two rototillers to get the ground broken around the perimeter, while > shovelling "crew" followed. The tilling/shovelling was  repeated, and the > shovelling finished the trench.  As the shovelling  moved  up the trench, > others worked behind on applying the fencing.

I hope I don’t have to resort to this. So far my NGSD hasn’t made a dent in the 24" wire cloth skirt I installed. I layed it flat on the inside and covered with a little dirt. My fingers are crossed…… Moe Kunkle

Response:

Sounds to me like you have some very smart and determined dogs! My neighbor had this problem as well, and what finally worked for them was to dig a trench around the fence about 2.5-3 feet down and a foot or so wide, and fill it with concrete mix (very cheap actually… you can mix your own and get some friends and family members to help with the digging). With your dogs, you may want to go 4 feet! The only other thing I can think of is invisible fencing inside the regular fence. Your dogs would have a special collar on.. and if they get too close to the boundary, they get a shock. I don’t much like this idea, and it is more expensive than concrete, but drastic measures must sometimes be taken to keep your pets safe. I’ve heard mixed reviews on this type of product; some find it worked great.. others found it didn’t help. One other thing.. if the lake allows dogs (leashed) or if there is one that does, maybe you could take them there sometimes… or some other place where they can enjoy a supervised swim.

>HELP I am desperate.  I have two female Aussie mixes approx.1 1/2 years old >(both are spayed) and they dig out of the backyard.

[snipped ]

Response:

I have a wonderful 10 year old mutt named Ginger (Copperfield).   We’ve tried everything. Our property is 50 feet wide, and 300 feet long and it’s cost us over 7,000 dollars CDN to fence it, most of it in industrial strength chain link which is ugly as hell.   We also have a separate area 25 by 30 which has the fence sunk into 2 feet of concrete.   If I leave Ginger in there for more than 30 minutes with toys, chewies, etc, then she tries to chew through the vinyl coated chain link fence. I tested her out in the back yard the other day…One hour is all it took before she found a 6 inch space along the 300 foot length, so she must have laid on her side to squeeze through…slim doggie. I also noticed that she had undone the wire ties all along the bottom during that time. These were put on by big strong guys with tools. This girl has amazing lips. My other dog, Bentley loves his yard, and does not want to leave it.  He’s only 11 months old, yet he prefers to be out there alone, than inside with me, even though he has that option.  He loves to patrol and protect his turf, play with his toys and chewies… (He’s malamute/GSD/Collie and unknown fibres.) However, over time Ginger will teach him her bad habits, I’m sure, so she just isn’t allowed in the yard unless we’re there to eyeball her constantly.   She also has this thing about crapping deep in the forest, (we live in a rural area), so she would rather die than crap on the lawn though we’ve begged, pleaded, and thrown parties on the very odd occasion that she has.         When she does escape, it’s to visit her little pal up the road, but sometimes she crosses the highway and goes for a swim in the ocean. Each time she does this, we are sick until she comes back, usually within the hour.  She can dig out or escape out of anything as the hole in the interior doggie chain link fence will attest..(This has a lovely two dog doghouse in it), shady lawn with one sunny spot….She actually chewed a hole big enough for her head to slip through in under 30 minutes.)         So if Ginger has to go out, I have to go with her.  It’s a drag, but there it is, 7,000 dollar fence etc notwithstanding. Kasandra. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->HELP I am desperate.  I have two female Aussie mixes approx.1 1/2 years old >(both are spayed) and they dig out of the backyard.  I am home most everyday >all day long, and if they are in the backyard alone for more than for 5 minutes >they are gone. The backyard is totally fenced and they should be allowed out to >play or whatever for more than 5 minutes at a time 4-5 times daily. I have >chained them to the middle of the yard for potty time but I hate to have to do >that. I have also invested in an electric fence which they learned that if they >start the hole back far enough they can get under the fence without touching >the wire.  We have lined the fence with stakes hammered into the ground, and >they dig until the stakes fall and keep digging.  We have lined the fence with >med. sized lanscape rocks and they dig until the rocks fall into the hole and >then keep digging.  We put chicken wire flat on the groung in front of the >fence, dug under that.  Buried chicken wire straingt up and down bent that.  We >have very little money so we can not afford for them to go to doggie jail again >and we can not afford a dog behavior specialist. Does anyone have ANY >suggestions?  I am at my wits end.  The vet has no more suggestions.  They get >lots of love and attention and toys.  They love to go play in the water so I >even bought a plastic pool for them to swim in thinking that if they had water >in the yard to play in that that would deter them wanting to go play in the >lake accross the street. >Christine  

Check out Bear, Ginger, & Bentley at http://www.sunshine.net/www/700/sn0722/dog1.html

Response:

I have a dog escape artist.  My solution was simple. I don’t let the two dogs out in the yard unless I have time to watch them.  It was a pain in the neck at first, but I got used to it.  Now I don’t mind at all.   If that isn’t what you want to do then install a dog run.  I put mine just off the back porch so all I need to do is open the back door. A dog run is easier to secure.  I stretched chicken wire across the entire bottom, then set the dog run on top of it and attached the wire to the run.  Then I covered the chicken wire with pea gravel.  The run has a top to prevent climbing out.  I still don’t leave him out alone because he barks obnoxiously.  But if that isn’t a problem for you then the run should work.  It also may reduce the anxiety of your dogs (they are escaping for a reason).  Dogs that are kept away from the fence line, and are screened from activity on the street and adjoining yards often have reduced desire to get out.  Side benefit is you get some yard dog free. I don’t think a behaviorist or a trainer is the answer.  This is a dog management problem.  The least expensive solution is don’t let them be outside alone.  You can do it if you decide your dogs are worth the effort.  Don’t worry whether you aren’t being fair to the dogs.  Keep them safe and alive for long enough that they can mature and learn some manners. Diane Blackman   _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _ Failure is when you quit trying.

: HELP I am desperate.  I have two female Aussie mixes approx.1 1/2 years old : (both are spayed) and they dig out of the backyard.  I am home most everyday : all day long, and if they are in the backyard alone for more than for 5 minutes : they are gone. The backyard is totally fenced and they should be allowed out to : play or whatever for more than 5 minutes at a time 4-5 times daily. I have : chained them to the middle of the yard for potty time but I hate to have to do : that. I have also invested in an electric fence which they learned that if they : start the hole back far enough they can get under the fence without touching : the wire.  We have lined the fence with stakes hammered into the ground, and : they dig until the stakes fall and keep digging.  We have lined the fence with : med. sized lanscape rocks and they dig until the rocks fall into the hole and : then keep digging.  We put chicken wire flat on the groung in front of the : fence, dug under that.  Buried chicken wire straingt up and down bent that.  We : have very little money so we can not afford for them to go to doggie jail again : and we can not afford a dog behavior specialist. Does anyone have ANY : suggestions?  I am at my wits end.  The vet has no more suggestions.  They get : lots of love and attention and toys.  They love to go play in the water so I : even bought a plastic pool for them to swim in thinking that if they had water : in the yard to play in that that would deter them wanting to go play in the : lake accross the street. : Christine  

Response:

HELP I am desperate.  I have two female Aussie mixes approx.1 1/2 years old (both are spayed) and they dig out of the backyard.  I am home most everyday all day long, and if they are in the backyard alone for more than for 5 minutes they are gone. The backyard is totally fenced and they should be allowed out to play or whatever for more than 5 minutes at a time 4-5 times daily. I have chained them to the middle of the yard for potty time but I hate to have to do that. I have also invested in an electric fence which they learned that if they start the hole back far enough they can get under the fence without touching the wire.  We have lined the fence with stakes hammered into the ground, and they dig until the stakes fall and keep digging.  We have lined the fence with med. sized lanscape rocks and they dig until the rocks fall into the hole and then keep digging.  We put chicken wire flat on the groung in front of the fence, dug under that.  Buried chicken wire straingt up and down bent that.  We have very little money so we can not afford for them to go to doggie jail again and we can not afford a dog behavior specialist. Does anyone have ANY suggestions?  I am at my wits end.  The vet has no more suggestions.  They get lots of love and attention and toys.  They love to go play in the water so I even bought a plastic pool for them to swim in thinking that if they had water in the yard to play in that that would deter them wanting to go play in the lake accross the street. Christine  

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