Someone Opening Gates!

[Maxiewolf]

:D GRRRRRRR!!!!!!

First I want to say thankyou again to the very nice people who did find Brutus when he pretty well wandered uninvited into their house... They read his tag and returned him home because dad coudlnt get home from work till 7pm. Brutus had taken himself off on an adventure of well over a klm from the house.

When they returned him they said our gate was open, and the neighbour was also wandering around saying she had lost her dog too... so Im not entirely sure if i shoudl be suspect of her saying she lost her dog or weather she herself is responsible for this.. but as far as I know she is quite fond of Brutus and her own dogs... (though her dogs and their serperation anxiety drive me absolutly mental.... She has a Sibe, a Ridgeback and An Akita I think... interesting trio.)

So the people who returned Brutus said our gate was open... now when he put Brutus back... after closing the gate he coudlnt get it to close from the outside so he had to come inside the gate.. close it again and then use a ladder to get out of our yard. There is a huge lump of wood against our gate post, which jams against the gate... making it near impossible to open from the other side unless you push the fence back on one side and open the gate at the same time.. So I suspect it wasnt a kid who opened the gate.

Now I ask.. who is stupid/mean/vicous enough to open a gate with a Dobermann or The Terrible Trio in the neighbours yard and leave the gate open? I know Brutus sleeps like a log and sometimes you can get out the back before he is there... so maybe they didnt know there was a dog there but for the neighbours dogs who bark like mad if you go near the house.. no such chance.

Im very not happy about this... I feel downright violated. I worry now that someone has it in for Brutus because of the neighbours dogs and their howling and screaming and barking at all hours when the neighbour goes in and out... that he might be getting the blame for some of it.... I dont know what else i can do besides add a lock to the gate... but theres other ways to let the dog out or hurt him if thats someones intent besides just opening the gate >_<

... times like this i hate people.

[rubiton]

Are these gates padlocked? Always padlock gates as if anyone could open them you will never know if its kids going past to or from school or if its someone trying to steal them or someone checking the house out, etc.

If someone breaks through a padlock you know its more than problem school kids

[dog enthusiest]

sure the dog didnt open it?

some gates dogs can work out and unlock for themselves.

i know i used to have a dog that could open the gate.

never went anywhere just to the front door

[Hairy Maclary]

Are these gates padlocked? Always padlock gates as if anyone could open them you will never know if its kids going past to or from school or if its someone trying to steal them or someone checking the house out, etc.

If someone breaks through a padlock you know its more than problem school kids

I agree - time for a padlock.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Did either you or your neighbour have signs warning that there are dogs in back yard?

Do either of you have a gas meter or similar that is in the back yard?

My gas meter is at the back of my back yard. I have a "beware the dog" sign on my gate. My gate has a spring on it that automatically closes it when someone walks through.

That means the gas meter reader - must knock on my door to make sure the dog won't eat him (is secure) before going to read the meter - or skip my house. They get about thirty seconds to read each meter...

Not sure what a meter reader would have done if confronted by a gate that required a ladder to get in. Skipped that house probably. Where did the guy that returned the dog get the ladder he used?

I could imagine any council inspector or similar leaving at high speed if he found dogs he wasn't expecting but to do two houses side by side is suspicious.

Otherwise it could have been another neighbour pissed at the noise of the terrible trio - let them out and if your dog barked because the others were being let out, let your dog out too. And that would be time to get a padlock.

Hope she gets her dogs back and a padlock and keeps them inside from now on.

[tdierikx]

Classic burglary preparation... let the dog out, then come back when it's gone, and no barking to alert to a break in...

I'd be getting a padlock for the gate asap.

T.

[blacklabrador]

My side gate is key locked. No way I'd risk letting a kid or a tradesman or some weirdo letting my dogs out.