Still Chasing!

Saturday, April 22, 2023

More on the same topic of my puppy, Chance, and his escaping skills.

All day yesterday, he was uncontainable, although I had constructed barriers. I couldn’t figure out how he continued to manage to escape. Whenever he showed up uninvited, I added a new physical construct to keep him contained.

At least Chase wasn’t leaving the property. He happily hurried to join me if I were outside and hung around the house if I were inside. Upon my exit, he’d show up, all tail-wagging and body-wiggling.

I did introduce Chase to an e-collar and began to work with him. But the collar is for reinforcement rather than punishment. Zapping him during escape trials would require my continuous presence to watch him. Plus, soon, he will comprehend a relationship between his e-collar and my physical presence.

He has stressed me out for not knowing how to keep him completely safe. He must not happen onto a busy highway that runs near my property. Last night, I lay awake for hours and considered possible options. After running through my mental catalog of observed escapes, I made some decisions.

Today, I will install a gate in my dogs’ common area. It may prevent Chase from accessing the five-foot fencing he leaps easily. Another install will be in the big kennel, a stand-alone, ten- by twenty-foot area with six-foot-fencing, which Chase climbs and goes over. I will add strips of garden fencing that stretch overhead and might prevent him from leaping to complete climbs.

I must be able to keep him safe!

Dear Friends: I’ll be off work and trying to resolve the problem for a few more days. Diana