dog getting out of yard

Question
Hi!  I have a 9 yr old min-pin.  He can get through the fence, so we bought a stake with a long line so he would have plenty of room to explore.  Twice now, he has gotten loose.  The first time, I Thought it was because I was using a collar...but the collar was still on him so it was the clip and the ring on the collar.
So then I put him in a harness...but he still got out because there seems to be something about the clip on the line and the ring on the collars that aren't secure.  I even bought new ones.

Is there another method you recommend..or is there a certain brand of tie outs and harnesses that are more reliable than others?  Thanks!!

Answer
Hi Savannah,

Thank you for writing to me about your escape artist min-pin.  I'm not sure if this is a new dog, a new home?  What happened before, during the last 9 years in terms of him having a yard?

Without a photo of the fence and how it's installed, it's difficult to give advice.  I have a 6 foot stockade fence installed on my property, actually doubled, touching the ground and no dog has ever escaped.  In places where it is possible to dig under, I have put boards and even 4x4's.  Some people use heavy mesh metal wire that they dig into the ground.  

You can also use an electric fence about a foot or two in from the regular fence.  That way your dog gets a warning and will likely not tamper with an escape route.

It's very difficult for a dog to be isolated from the pack and den.  You didn't mention as to why your dog is outside all alone in the yard?  He's probably having some separation anxiety and feeling very lonely, like an outcast.  He may also be very bored out there by himself.  Perhaps he could be taken on long walks and tired out.  This is also a great way to bond with your dog and great exercise for the human.  

Can you play games with him in the yard instead of tying him up and leaving him all by himself?  Frisbee? Fetch?  Dogs are pack animals and it is emotionally painful for them to be all alone.

Can he be in the house with you or while you are at work?  He might not be as lonely with the TV on.  How about another doggie companion?

I think that the problem is more that he's alone and bored/lonely than the fence but if you can secure the fence and give him things to play with, like cubes that spit out food pellets when they are turned, a nice juicy marrow bone or other mentally stimulating toys (no rawhide or anything that can stick in his throat), the situation might work for you.

He's a very determined boy which shows high intelligence and for these dogs, lonliness is particularly distressing.

Best of luck,
Shelley Davis