# The Escapees!!!!!!



## Gwen (Aug 9, 2007)

Last evening, I came home from work & went outside to play with the boys. They were absolutely WIRED and didn't want to come into the house as they played tag, threw toys in the air, wrestled. We had a fresh fall of snow & the boys were just loving it. I had a meeting to attend so I went into the house for a quick cup of tea and left the boys in our 3/4 fenced in back yard. I sat down with my tea & I noted fresh dog footprints across our front yard??????  Then I saw Nygel  then Thai  They were both running free and out on the road in front of our home. 

I ran outside & called them both but they were just running like crazy dogs. Nygel just narrowly missed getting hit by a car but the driver slammed on their brakes and put the car into a skid on the icy road. Thank goodness they weren't driving fast like many do on our road :crossfing:crossfing

Ron came outside to help me but in the confusion let Razz out to join in the antics. :doh::doh::doh: Now we have 3 wired dogs.

I finally caught all of of them who thought that the game of tag was continuing and got them into the safety of our house.

I then went to find out how they escaped - we've lived in our home for 5 years & no other incidents like this. They had dug a tunnel under the fence gate! :doh::doh:

The tunnel is now filled in and a large board has been nailed to the bottom of the gate to prevent any future escapes. As well, large, flat rocks have been placed along the gateway and they will not be able to dig through those. :crossfing:crossfing:crossfing

After repairs were made, I went into the house & discovered the main culprit who was covered in mud on his front legs, chest & head - NYGEL!!!! Thai had just followed.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

You do know that neutering adult male dogs will keep them from wandering.


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## Bentley's Mom (May 19, 2011)

Oh my gosh how scary. I'm so glad they're all ok. I've read how good pets are for your health and blood pressure but I have my doubts


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## Gwen (Aug 9, 2007)

Megora said:


> You do know that neutering adult male dogs will keep them from wandering.


This is the first incident of this type and Nygel is almost 4 years old and Thai just turned (1). They did not run further than the next door neighbours home. I'm 99.9999% sure that this had absolutely nothing to do with "lookin' for luv in all the wrong places". 

My boys are not neutered as they are included in a very selective breeding program with their breeder/co-owner.


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## Gwen (Aug 9, 2007)

Bentley's Mom said:


> Oh my gosh how scary. I'm so glad they're all ok. I've read how good pets are for your health and blood pressure but I have my doubts


I sure got my exercise running & tested my blood pressure without having a stroke or a heart attack!!!! Thank goodness I had suitable dress boots on for running in the snow and not heels!


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

I wonder how long the 'prisoners' were secretly working on that tunnel!

I'm so glad no body was hurt and they got safely rounded up. I must have been a horrifying frantic episode.


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## BajaOklahoma (Sep 27, 2009)

Megora said:


> You do know that neutering adult male dogs will keep them from wandering.


Bennett never heard that.
He was neutered at 6 months (the protocol back then).
Our yard guys tried to open the side gate, which doesn't open well. They couldn't shut it, so they just left it partially open and didn't say a word to us. It's on the side of the house where the dogs like to poop.
Bennett took advantage of the partially open gate the next day. I always stand at the back door when they go out, he didn't return like he always did. He took off down the street to go to the park. fortunately he did come back when he heard my voice.
Bennett was 8 at the time. And we got new yard guys.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Gwen said:


> This is the first incident of this type and Nygel is almost 4 years old and Thai just turned (1). They did not run further than the next door neighbours home. I'm 99.9999% sure that this had absolutely nothing to do with "lookin' for luv in all the wrong places".
> 
> My boys are not neutered as they are included in a very selective breeding program with their breeder/co-owner.


I know, I'm just teasing. It has to do with what I have to listen to every time I call my vet and get put on hold and drives me nuts. Neutered pets are not aggressive and never wander... :wave: 

Seriously though - you know the saying about how when it snows drivers need to learn all over again how to drive in it?

With our dogs (the neutered guy and the intact one), they both need a little extra oversight the first week or two of snow while they relearn their boundaries. And they go completely deaf when it means going back inside. Even this morning when I took Jacks out in the DARK, he wandered off into the woods. There I was in my heels going into a panic about having to chase him down. :doh:

ETA - I'm really glad this is something we can all chuckle over and tease about. Thank goodness nobody got hurt. I can only imagine how rattled you must have been about the narrow miss with the car!


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

That sounds scary, almost tragic, and hysterically funny all at the same time...too bad you didn't have a video cam running...you might have gotten top prize on America's Funniest Videos!


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## Gwen (Aug 9, 2007)

Penny's Mom said:


> I wonder how long the 'prisoners' were secretly working on that tunnel!


Under 5 minutes..... Take off my coat & boots, walk up the stairs, warm up a cup of tea, put milk in the tea & walk to the living room to put my feet up for a few minutes before heading to an evening meeting. 

I honestly think that they were wired from the freshly fallen snow which they LOVE and that they may have been chasing a chipmunk who runs from under our deck in the backyard through the fence to the safety of the "other side". Nygel just goes crazy when he sees the chipmunk. Thai's a follower to his big brother.


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## maple1144 (Oct 18, 2009)

wow, those rascals, so happy that they are ok, must have been super scary!


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## BIGDAWG (Sep 28, 2008)

Okay folks, now picture me running up the icy driveway in summer sandals trying to catch them... :doh:


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## Gwen (Aug 9, 2007)

Just discovered the culprit........ a cat which has decided to to make our home his home! The cat is now laying in the front garden with its back against the window. The dogs who are inside, see the cat & are FREAKIN':doh::doh::doh::doh: Now what to do considering that someone probably dumped this kitty.


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## Pumba19 (Oct 19, 2011)

glad to hear none of them got hurt! silly pooches!

Pumba's weakness is kids.. she managed to sneak out of my aunt's backyard (which has 2 neighboring middle schools) while we were staying there.. she learned that the 
spot where my aunt's fence meets the neighbors fence isn't actually connected and was smart enough to find if she pushed on it she could squeeze through.. needless to say thankfully she only went to play with the kids on the playground, but when she tried to go into the school they took her to the spca.. good thing i got there quick enough that they hadn't done any paperwork yet (because since we weren't living there, she wasn't registered with the town and i would have gotten a hefty fine).


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

That is so scary. I am sure you were having flashbacks to sweet Oliver when they were running in and out of the street. How long did it take for your heart to stop pounding once you got them back into the house?


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## Bentley's Mom (May 19, 2011)

Oh I think the kitty needs to be relocated. It's caused enough havoc at your house. Is there kitty rescue where you live?


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## Gwen (Aug 9, 2007)

fostermom said:


> That is so scary. I am sure you were having flashbacks to sweet Oliver when they were running in and out of the street. How long did it take for your heart to stop pounding once you got them back into the house?


Exactly my thoughts but the "feeling" was different with Ollie - I knew he wasn't coming back once he slipped from my hand. Hard to describe that "feeling" but I knew that the boys would be ok.

My heart didn't stop beating for at least 15 minutes after they were safe. By this time, I was late for my meeting & driving.


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## Gwen (Aug 9, 2007)

Bentley's Mom said:


> Oh I think the kitty needs to be relocated. It's caused enough havoc at your house. Is there kitty rescue where you live?


I don't know what we're going to do because all of the animal rescues have closed their doors to cats due to lack of foster parents. 

Unfortunately, many people in this area dump their cats without a second thought. It's also getting cold out and the kitties are looking for a warmer place and our deck provides that considering it's completely enclosed. 

Oh, what to do??????? I've never been a cat person and really don't want to become one. 

The only positive thing about having cats & dogs is that you wouldn't have to clean the litter box - the dogs would eat it! :doh::doh::doh:


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## Pumba19 (Oct 19, 2011)

Gwen said:


> I don't know what we're going to do because all of the animal rescues have closed their doors to cats due to lack of foster parents.
> 
> Unfortunately, many people in this area dump their cats without a second thought. It's also getting cold out and the kitties are looking for a warmer place and our deck provides that considering it's completely enclosed.
> 
> ...


the spca here also won't take anymore cats, so since we have a farm we have about 2-3 cats dropped off here a month and we now have about 100 cats and no idea what to do. even when the spca does take cats they charge $80 per cat to bring it in. i suggested to my grandma that we get a hunting trail cam to put at the end of the driveway to try and catch these people doing this and hopefully take legal action because it is ridiculous. i'm not sure how regularly this happens to you or if this is a first time thing, but it might be an idea to try as well?


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

In my old house, I did not have a fenced yard and about once a year my dogs would find an oppurtunity to run out of the house ( usually when company came and opened the door before we got there ). I remember the "frenzy" of chasing them down to get them home - it becomes a game to them. I used to purposely leave my car door unlocked. If I called "go for a ride" they would go running to the car - then I would have to take them for a ride around the block.

I always remember your Oliver story. Last week I was at the vet with both my dogs, my cat and my eight year old - big mistake to have made all the appts at once. I had Brady and MacKenzie on leashes. My vet parking lot was very busy, there was a car honking at another, and the highway is across the street. MacKenzie did not want to walk towards the building so I was trying to coax her, meanwhile Brady slipped out of his collar (he has never done that before) and was out of my reach - my heart dropped, I could not move without dropping MacKenzie's leash - I had the flaskback of Oliver (I always think of you guys when I go to the vet) - and I screamed at Brady STAY - and to my amazement he stopped in his tracks 10 feet away from me and STAYED until I was able to get to him. He is usually pretty bad with his stays. I shook for the next half hour - and I will never try to have all my appts like that again.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Gwen*

Gwen

Thank God that they are all safe and nothing terrible happened!! My heart was in my throat reading this.

Just be careful they don't dig another escape route-my Tonka (Samoyed) is like that about a squirrel in our backyard!


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

I think you should just keep the cat!  The dogs will love the the little "chocolate bars" from the sandbox :lol:

I keep expecting to find cats in our barn but so far, nothing.

Glad your bad boys all came home safely.


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## Gwen (Aug 9, 2007)

Nope the cat isn't staying.... I found out that the local rescue agency is taking cats at this time so all we have to do is get hold of this one.

I got out the rescue remedy to settle Nygel down as he's just so agitated and it has settled him down. Thank goodness. 

I just hope that we can get this poor kitty a happier home than underneath my deck.


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## Aislinn (Nov 13, 2010)

I have an escape artist as well. Dakota loves to open gates. She will do it in front of me and then look at me and 'smile'. She also digs tunnels when I fix it so she can't open the gate. Her sister, Avita also does the same. Avita is my son and daughter-in-law's dog, they live in the back of my property along with a 14 year old Golden. A fast way to stop the digging out from under the fence is to fill it with dog poop. (And then an inch or so of dirt on top.)They won't dig in that hole again. Of course, they can start new ones. The dogs don't go anywhere, only to go see if each other is out to play.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

A cat was the incentive to dig out?


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

I'm glad everything turned out OK.


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## My Big Kahuna (Dec 14, 2011)

Bentley's Mom said:


> Oh my gosh how scary. I'm so glad they're all ok. I've read how good pets are for your health and blood pressure but I have my doubts


HAHAHAHA that got a chuckle out of me


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