Herb, call the Globetrotters. With The Buoy, Ltd. handling the contract, he could retire next year (The Buoy, that is).

My most recent adjustments to the barricade succeeded in keeping him in the yard... At least, when I looked out this morning, the tether was not going over the top of the barricade.

the problem is, I can not keep that thing in place. It is screwed to the fence, so for ME to get out to the lawnmower shed.... I need a Phillips power screw driver...and that is not convenient for me.

Kalle Rantaaho


Use your imagination. You can surely attach something not-too-striking-looking obstacles on the fence.

My first thought was (I hope my english is sufficient to describe this):

A plain wire rope attached a few inches below the top level of the fence and not more than maybe 4-6 inches from the fence. This wire rope should run through metal loops or wheels freely and have a weight (about 1/2 of the dogs weight) in the other end. So when the dog climbs up to take support from this wire rope, it falls harmlessly down.

The loops the wire rope runs through must be such that they don't allow the dog to go under it (= between the fence and the wire rope).

I'm not sure if this suggestion fits the actual problem, but that's my 2 eurocents.

That would work, and is a good solution.  But I still fail to see why the 10' long tether can't simply be fastened 10' from the fence...

To heck with the fence.  Just get rid of it so the dog can see that there's nothing on the other side worth going to!

So, would the world come to an end if you gave the dog away?  Perhaps to someone with a higher fence?

And you're going to Hilton Head?  That sounds incredible.  Have fun!

Janet.... I have suggested that... it ain't happening even though no one wants to deal with the dog. So I have taken it upon me, to play with him and train him. Oh yeah... feed, water, clean up after, take to the vet, walk, ...... got the picture.... and I pleaded not to get the dog...... but.....


Steve: No way. 

His name is Rascal ( I didn't pick the name)... I call him "snippit" cause he got his "nads" "snipped" way back..... ( poor thing)... or "stinky one"... he has that musty outdoor dog funk and no...... I don't want to smell that when I come home and set down to relax in the house.

Have him de-clawed so he can't climb and just slips off?

Neuter him? Dogs who run off like that have a tendency to stay home once they have their nuts cut. Might want to take him to the vet to have that done though. It gets messy if you've never done it before.

Hmmm, what else ... electric shock collar?

BB gun?

.22LR?

.38?

.45?

.50?

Hammer?

Knife?

Sword?

Rake?

Pick ax?

Pit Bull?

There's all kinds of solutions to this problem if you don't want to just shorten his leash.

My dog has a large yard surrounded by a a 6 foot chain link fence with a single wire electric fence (designed for dogs not horses) strung at the top and ten inches above the ground along the inside perimeter except for the area floored with concrete pavers. My previous dogs were wolf hybrids and could easily get over a plain 6 foot fence, but they always started their escape tunnels close to where the fence met the ground. The electric fence only had to be energized for about two weeks, then I turned it off and never had a problem. The cost of the materials was impressive, but less than the cost of buying a purebred dog, and a lot less than veterinary bills. Aside from digging the post holes, the work was not difficult or demanding. So much for the exercise yard.

Keeping the dog inside is also an excellent idea, and a good way to make sure you raise a dog that people can live with. It has the same effect for the people as the electric fence has for the dog, in that it automatically reinforces learning of both species limits. Putting a dog in a yard to live is a recipe for problems.

slartabartfast

Putting a dog in a yard to live is a recipe for problems.

Very true. Unless you have more than one dog. If they have company they can be much more tame depending on the breed.

I put up horse fence (it has smaller openings than woven wire) to keep my dogs in. We had three but one passed away in January. We have two rules ... if it gets over 90F or below 30F they come in the house. Otherwise they stay outside. Of course, they have a nice custom built (by me) 12' x 5' x 7'tall heated and cooled kennel with recessed lighting, pineboard walls, and indoor/outdoor carpeting, and a radio. No, I don't spoil my dogs.

One of them started digging along the fence line to get out and chase rabbits that were living in my wood pile so we put foot and a half tall chicken wire flat on the ground all along the fence line and that stopped her from digging.

Our place has become a safe haven for dogs. We have a few regulars and I've gotten to know the owners and call them to come pick them up whenever they try to call our place home. I even remember some of their names. We had a wicked storm a week or so ago. In the middle of the storm my gas grill got blown across the porch so I went out to put it back and I looked up and there were a bunch of glowing eyes staring at me in the dark. Scare the crap out of me. Turns out the storm scared my neighbors dogs (there's 3 and they live 5 miles away) and they got out of their kennel and came to my place. Why, I dunno! So I'm out there in torrential rain, lightning all around, trying to round them up in my garage. The one was scared of me so it took 10 minutes to get him in. I get them in and they all start shaking the rain off and then I smell it ... SKUNK! They got sprayed by a skunk and I got 2nd hand skunked and had to wash my clothes and shower at 1:30 in the morning. :) <--- Why am I smiling? HEHE

I don't know why, but they always show up here and won't leave until their owners come.

Anyhoo ... really Herb, shorten the leash. Next thing you know he could get out and get skunked! :)

Skunks are rare around here. 
He lost his "nads" to the vet early in life.
If the 10' tether was shortened, he would not be able to do anything.
A guy I knew years ago had a pack (5 or 6) wolf hybrids. He had a large yard where he let them roam. the yard was surrounded by a 10' fence and a warning sign at the gate not to enter unaccompanied by the owner.  I think they were more work and worry then they were worth since he has gotten rid of them all.

Since I have to cut the grass today, I have to remove the barricade. So I will see if he is still trying to jump the fence and decide what to do next.....tomorrow morning.