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Houdini of a dog

19 8:57:40

Question
QUESTION: I have a Alaskan husky cross named KODY, she is 2 years old and she looks like a border collie. She escapes from the back yard by digging, breaking through the fence and ????.  She is punished by being tied up as soon as we get her back and if it is late she is banned to her bed.  This can happen after a walk, after an hour of playing fetch or plaing with the water which she loves.

ANSWER: I'm not sure what your question is. Other than more secure fencing I don't know how you can leave her out and keep her from escaping. You could try invisible fence, but if she's that determined, she will go through it and not be able to get back in. You could use concrete blocks for flooring and put up a run (made with the welded panels, not chain link - which she will undoubtably peel like an orange.) Or you can keep her in with you and do her exercising under your supervision. It's pretty difficult to train a dog to stay in the yard when you're not present to know what goes on. And once you get her back, I wouldn't punish her. After all, what you are really doing is punishing her for allowing herself to be caught. Sandy Case MEd CPDT www.positivelycanine.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: not a question, but a comment.  She is home and happy.  what I was trying to say was after having been played with or walked, she will go through, under or over the fence in a 1 minute period if she is not constantly watched.  I guess I am trying to figure out what to do to make her not want to run away the minute she is unsupervised?

Answer
Huskys tend to turn up in our shelter regularly, because they can be such escape artists, and they are bred to love to run. All I can suggest - if you can't do fencing that she can't get under (concrete runner or blocks and can't get over - you might try the fence tops that angle in - like in security yards except you'd use chicken or rabbit wire instead of razor wire, or coyote rollers - is to go out with her and let her drag a long line. You might try an invisible fence line inside your regular fence, but if she's really determined, I'm not sure she'd respect it. If you do go that route - you have to train her where the fence boundary is. The companies which are not do-it-yourself generally have someone who can help you. Sandy