Lucy Got Out

[megan_]

Lucy was in the garden and I was lying in bed. I heard a distant bark that sounded like her- but it was far away. I stood on my porch and across the street I could see a guy shooing something away and saying " there's a dog chasing me" or something similar. The dog was barking - I knew that bark was Lucy. I ran through the house to get to the gate grabbing the leash on my eay, calling her name. By the time i reached the gste she wws there- even trying to get under the gate to get to me. She ran straight inside when i opened it. Thank dog for recsll. Lucy has been abused in the past - puppy farm breeding bitch- and has fear aggression when she's scared but has some confidence. Normally when she's on her own and scared she shuts down. I feel so sorry for that man.

I checked the fences and theyre in tact but there was a small gap between my neighbors fence and mine, in a corner brhind a tree. Thing is I got a hsndy man to extend that fence in height when I moved in. so either he saw a gsp and said nothing or Lucy made a hold to get Out (there are possums in the trees that are inmmy neighbors yard. I have blocked the hole and I'll be wrangling in the cousins tomorrow to help my reinforce the fence if she did indeed make the hole (the paling is on hr ground so I suspect her). She slwYs rushes to they spot when inlet her out and inwonder if she's been going in and out at night when i let her out. thing is infeelnlike a terrible owner that she tried to get out. I'm just so glad that her recall trumped all the "excitement".

Sorry for the spelling and grammar - I'm on the iPhone and I'm shaken up - a crappy combo!

[cointreau]

Megan that's a horrible sensation and it does take some time to calm down even when you know everything is okay. Lucy is fine she had an adventure and hopefully she won't do it again. As for you don't think you are a terrible owner look at the positives Lucy has shown you where there is a way out of the yard and now you can fix it. Hope you are feeling better give Lucy some hugs sure that will make you happier.

[Gayle.]

That's awful. We have a serial escape artist (Ripley) and I know what it's like to feel your blood run cold. Yesterday we spent 2 hours looking for him when he wasn't in the yard when we got home, we found him with some people about 2 streets away. Fortunately they know him and were keeping him safe til they had time to bring him home.

We don't know how he's getting out. He has now earned himself an extended stay in the courtyard while we're at work.

It's not because you're a bad owner, they get out because they can. Little buggers.

[rebelsquest]

Oh you poor thing. Don't worry, Lucy is safe and you are not a terrible owner .

You should be proud of her recall!

[megan_]

Thanks all.

Edited December 3, 2011 by megan_

[ness]

Really scary when they get out - I came home from work on Wed to a phone call from my aunt who lives immediately across the street who said she had put Ness back inside the gate as she was lying out the front by the gate. The week before my uncle had made some comment about putting Kenz back in. That didn't make a lot of sense but when Ness got out the following week it did.

Ness use to be a serial escape artist in her younger days but hasn't in nearly 4 years. She is 11 and you would think she would much prefer to spend the day sleeping away.

So last week was spent adding fencing reinforcements to the back fence (after another neighbour confirmed he saw Ness in his backyard the week before).

My dad is coming home tomorrow from the country with additional reinforcements .

[PossumCorner]

thing is infeelnlike a terrible owner that she tried to get out. ....

Megan that's a hoot, don't even think it. Dogs that like to get out are hard-wired, nothing to do with ownership deficiencies (except lack of tack-sharp eyes on fence maintenance). We have two dogs whose aim and mission in life is to get out, they revel in running off for big adventures (or just for the hell of it). The joy in running away is exceeded only by the joy in coming home. It's how they are. Rheneas on the other hand hates even going for walks: "What, leave our perfectly good house, are you all mad!!?"

Our three love the new home, purely love it. Doesn't stop the wicked two from seeking escape to go just that bit further.

I share your distress when they do manage to take off. Sick with worry and all that at the time, then the adrenalin-sickness feeling afterwards. Young Rheneas is a life-saver, he always rushes to tell me if the black dogs have run off (even if it's just down the paddock after our own resident rabbits). Hard to believe they are all well over ten years old.

Take heart (and fix the fence).

[Gayle.]

thing is infeelnlike a terrible owner that she tried to get out. ....

Megan that's a hoot, don't even think it. Dogs that like to get out are hard-wired, nothing to do with ownership deficiencies (except lack of tack-sharp eyes on fence maintenance). We have two dogs whose aim and mission in life is to get out, they revel in running off for big adventures (or just for the hell of it). The joy in running away is exceeded only by the joy in coming home. It's how they are. Rheneas on the other hand hates even going for walks: "What, leave our perfectly good house, are you all mad!!?"

Our three love the new home, purely love it. Doesn't stop the wicked two from seeking escape to go just that bit further.

I share your distress when they do manage to take off. Sick with worry and all that at the time, then the adrenalin-sickness feeling afterwards. Young Rheneas is a life-saver, he always rushes to tell me if the black dogs have run off (even if it's just down the paddock after our own resident rabbits). Hard to believe they are all well over ten years old.

Take heart (and fix the fence).

Agree with every word of this. Ripley has gotten out 3 times this week.....we thought we had it beat as he hadn't escaped for a few weeks, but he's obviously figured out another method of climbing the fence (6 ft of it).

Whenever we find him, whether it be on the corner nearest our house, or way down the other end of the village, he's enormously pleased to see us, hops up happily into the car and settles himself for the ride home.

None of the other dogs would even contemplate leaving the yard without one of us. Isaak won't even set foot out the front door unless he's glued to my side. You just never know what scary things could be lurking in wait to frighten a big black dog!

Our dogs have an awesome yard....it's about 1500 sq mt of fun, shade, shelter, lawns, gravel, concrete with toys scattered far and wide, fish ponds for paddling in, a sandpit for digging....it's a dogs paradise. And Ripley loves it, I often look out to see him having loads of fun out there. But he gets a bad case of wanderlust and he's off for a neighbourhood visit.

[megan_]

Thanks guys - it's a wonder that any one could understand my post! I fixed the fence last night, and when I let her out - under supervision - this morning she did go and check it out. I think shell ge staying in the house when I'm at work the next few days, just in case. She was manically barking at that poor man. He was on the phone at the time and I've been worried that he was contacting the council.

[cointreau]

The man on the phone was probably just talking to someone else, most people wouldn't know the council number and couldn't be bothered to look it up so don't worry about it. You got Lucy back quickly and have fixed the fence so you have done what you can under the circumstances. Relax and enjoy the rest of your Sunday.