Digging under fence

chowpups · Post by **chowpups** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 9:39 am

Hi, Iam new to this board but glad I found it.. I have had 3 chows in my life and this last one has been the first to dig under the fence to escape.. I never leave her out very long cause I like her as a indoor pet best. But the other night the weather was finally breaking and she was enjoying the fresh air so I let her out and I noticed all of a sudden she was on the other side of the fence. There was a low spot and with the snow melting the ground was soft enough to quickly dig and just enough for her to slip threw. There was a rabbit on the other side and Iam sure thats what attracted her. But she will not come back when called when the critters are more fun than me.. My question is does anyone know any tricks to distract the digging?? I hate to put her in lockdown.. (house arrest lol). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. She loves being out on our patio overlooking the yard, but I can't take the risk of her getting out that quickly.. seriously I was standing there covering the law furniture and next thing she was out..
Nancy

CHowgal · Post by **CHowgal** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 9:43 am

Hi Nancy! Welcome to the board!

I wish I had advice for your problem, but I haven't had this issue. Hopefully someone will have something for you.

chowpups · Post by **chowpups** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 9:49 am

Thanks Chowgal, if any place would have an answer this board would.. I love all the helpful tips.. Even after owning 3 chows they are all so different..

CHowgal · Post by **CHowgal** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 10:32 am

You're deffinately right on both accounts.

Each chow does have a different personality. And everyone here gives awesome advice.

TJordan · Post by **TJordan** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:37 am

My first chow was a digger. He had his favorite spots to dig. So we dug down and placed some bricks just below the fence line. Then covered them with dirt. He soon learned he couldn't escape any longer. Of course he didn't ever try to dig in a new place either.

bama · Post by **bama** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:56 am

Ah ha! You have an escape artist!! LOL

I've had 4 chow kids in my life and only one of them was an escape artist.
He was neutered, so romance wasn't the reason for his escapades on the outside!
I would let my chowboy out to do his business and he would take off!
He simply loved to chase cats, squirrels, and the neighbor's little yip yap dog!
My chowboy dug under the fence, as well as, climbed over the fence!
Like your chowkid, he would not come back when in hot pursuit!
What did I do?
I installed a wooden fence, and attached chicken wire to the bottom of the wooden fence.
The chicken wire was rolled to the inside of the yard by about one foot and buried under the
ground. I then put in a flower bed along the entire fence to hide the chicken wire!
It was extreme, but it kept him inside the back yard.

chowpups · Post by **chowpups** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 12:36 pm

Oh, thank you for the ideas.. I think the bricks buried might be the trick.. Its a wrought iron fence and the reason there is some gap is to allow water flow from house to house with out trapping it on ones yard?
Something about the township with landscaping.. anyway that would allow water incase of flooding to continue the flow... Nikki is 2yrs old and never did this before?? Shes a wonderful dog and very friendly, she ran over to the neighbors finally to see their 2 dogs (c.corso and rotty) and then off to the next house to see a goldendoodle then to the next to see a chesapeake bay retriever.. she made her rounds then finally ran in to the first house with their 2 dogs and they grabbed her.. I think I over socialized her as a pup..?????????? She just came back from vacation with 3 border collies and I think she thought she had to go tell the world about it.. lol..
Again thank you all for your help, I was just pulling a blank ..

bama · Post by **bama** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 1:06 pm

In the case of a wrought iron fence...
I would go to Lowe's or Home Depot and get some metal spikes and drive them into the ground
The spikes are sold as a iron reinforcement for concrete.
They are about a foot long and can be driven into the ground along side your existing posts.

I hope this helps.

chowpups · Post by **chowpups** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 1:24 pm

Thats a good idea too.. The spot shes found is where the fence has a double gate to open for lawn equipment to get in to mow.. so the spikes wont work there but it will around the rest of the area incase missy decides to find more loop holes...She keeps looking at me like what did I do wrong???? She must feel like shes on house arrest. The leash comes out every time she looks at the door.. lol

vicster605 · Post by **vicster605** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 1:28 pm

What Bama just said about driving stakes down really works!!! My husband did that with a couple of Kearra's favorite spots and it solved the problem

Simple and quick too

vicster605 · Post by **vicster605** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 5:23 am

LOL right after I posted this Kearra dug herself another hole next to the one with the stakes

Oh well, more stakes LOL too smart for her own good!!!
Can't believe she has turned into an escape artist

Its like the battle of the wits around here

CHowgal · Post by **CHowgal** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 6:28 am

vicster605 wrote:LOL right after I posted this Kearra dug herself another hole next to the one with the stakes Oh well, more stakes LOL too smart for her own good!!!
Can't believe she has turned into an escape artist Its like the battle of the wits around here

At least she's not opening the gate at her own will or physically prying the fence apart. That's Tippsy's way of getting loose. And she's also figured out a way to get off of her leash.

I'm starting to wonder what I'm gonna do with her.

chowpups · Post by **chowpups** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 6:46 am

OH, my what did I start?? Yes, these little bears are very smart.. so sorry your's is now digging too.. Its so funny cause she hates getting dirty but she was such a mud turtle digging out that I had to laugh at her. If she wanted that rabbit so bad that she would put her self thru the mud.. Usually she will walk up the hill to the dry section along the fence so she doesn't even have to touch the wet grass.. its kinda funny to watch.
And the hole was not very deep so she is just all fur.. (coated with mud). Its alittle cold here in PA today but the bricks and spikes are going in.. I am heading out to home depot and getting the materials..

bama · Post by **bama** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 12:41 pm

Hey, why not drive the stakes through the holes in the brick? Haven't tried that, but seems like a winner to me!

vicster605 · Post by **vicster605** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 3:36 pm

LOL Kearra doesn't like to get dirty either she only digs down enough to do the shimmy and out she goes (shes very tiny so its hard to find her dig spots).....not a speck of dirty on her.....always leaving us to wonder WHERE and HOW she got out????

OK so now I have to get some bricks to go with the stakes, worth a try

Lil' Baggage as our friend Judy would say

rufnedge-2 · Post by **rufnedge-2** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 8:29 am

chowpups, my boy was doing this and each time i would get his attention by changing his attention/ direction by getting him to play a game of ball - i had to be repetative meaning each time he did it i deflected his attention to do "something else". i didn't go over to him and yell or anything like that nor did i make a big deal out of the bad behavior. so next time he does it throw a ball (if he likes ball time) and see if he'll play. deflect deflect deflect!!

This and on top of the other suggestions , small hole fencing wire is a must, if possible the sturdy stuff get someone to help you.

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Digging under fence

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