My dog is a yard escaping jerk

[nomad100]

Cricket, our foster Pittie, has turned out to be an escape artist.

Wednesday evening, he managed to push on the gate hard enough to get the latch to pop and was out. I was sitting outside with him and Willow and he did it so quick, I barely had a chance to yell "NO!" before he was out. Luckily I caught him in about 5 minutes. Though I am sure the sight of me running down the street in my work clothes and crocs (that I only wear in the house and backyard, I promise was less than flattering.

Yesterday evening, he climbed the wood I had covered/propped against the gate and got out. DH, like an asshole, had let him out after work without watching him. He went to play with the neighbor's dogs so was caught pretty quickly. Then, once we got him back in the yard, in less than 30 seconds, he managed to squeeze under the fence through a hole the bunnies dug under the fence.  He was found over a mile away and was gone for over an hour.  While I was fixing the hole in the fence but before I fixed the "gate ladder," DH let him out in the backyard again (sometimes I wonder about DH's brain) and Cricket climbed the wood and got out a third time. I was able to catch him in about 5 minutes since by that point he was so tired he didn't go far.  So in total, last night we spent over 2 hours trying to track his brindle ass down and get him home.   I still have no idea how he fit that giant head of his through such a small hole.

So now, until we can get the gate fixed and line the base of the fence with chicken wire and rocks this weekend, Cricket is only allowed out with a long lead in the backyard. He is SO not happy and gives "I am suffering horribly on a leash in the backyard" sighs and mopey looks. Too bad escape artist. Until we turn the backyard into unbreakable doggie jail, you are on leash lockdown.

Willow, our resident dog, just keeps looking at him like Cricekt is an ass and I keep looking at DH like he is an ass.  And I may or may not have yelled at DH that if anything happened to Cricket because DH wasn't paying attention that bad things would happen to DH in his sleep. 

But on a positive note, the 2 dogs are getting along fabulously. They actually seek each other's company out and can be seen sleeping together on the couch most evenings. :Y:

[Saint Monica]

This post sucks b/c there are no pictures.

your foster is trying to impress you with his skills!

[nomad100]

Saint Monica

You are right, I was delinquent in not providing a photo. 

Here he is posing for the camera.  Check out the size of that melon.  How did it fit through a hole that wasn't more than 6 inches in diameter? 

[purrbox]

Sounds like you're going to have your hands full this weekend. At least he's cute.

[mcmel]

He's so handsome! I'm glad you found him safe every time. We've delt with some Houdinis before and it's exhausting.

[BlackCanary]

What a handsome guy! 

Sneaky little bugger. 

[nomad100]

Sept 27, 2013 9:03:26 GMT -5 loonylunalovegood said:

I've dealt with this. Its a bitch, but once he figures out that you're his home (for now) he'll hopefully stop doing it.

I hope so.  We have had him for a month now and it looks like he could be with us for a while since the rescue still hasn't gotten any applications on him. 

[Saint Monica]

He is cute. I think he knows he is a cuteness machine.

[nomad100]

Sept 27, 2013 9:13:45 GMT -5 Saint Monica said:

He is cute. I think he knows he is a cuteness machine.

He knows he is so handsome.  And he is a world class snuggle bug.  I thought Willow was a snuggler and then we met Cricket. 

Last night, after all the travels and excitement, he fell asleep when I was rubbing the underside of his chin while we were watching TV.  So there I was, sitting on the couch holding his head in my hand, while he was just snoring away.  Insert heart melting emoticon here. 

[Saint Monica]

Sept 27, 2013 9:51:10 GMT -5 nomad100 said:

Sept 27, 2013 9:13:45 GMT -5 Saint Monica said:

He is cute. I think he knows he is a cuteness machine.

He knows he is so handsome.  And he is a world class snuggle bug.  I thought Willow was a snuggler and then we met Cricket. 

Last night, after all the travels and excitement, he fell asleep when I was rubbing the underside of his chin while we were watching TV.  So there I was, sitting on the couch holding his head in my hand, while he was just snoring away.  Insert heart melting emoticon here. 

Now I need a Willow picture. 

[nomad100]

Saint Monica
Here is a sleeping Willow.  


And here is begging Willow.  Notice the pleading look in her eye.

[Saint Monica]

nomad100 Give Willow whatever she wants!!

[juliagoulia]

Ooooomg he is such a handsome boy! You can't be mad at him ever.

[VeryViolet]

They are so damn sneaky. My pup doesn't run away so much as he wanders off and comes back when he feels like it. Obviously, I still worry with cars, other dogs, bad people, etc. but I am not worried about him just running off for good. Also, he knows he can get away with being a defiant little ass with my husband but not with me. So DH sees me let him out of the car and he just trots to the house off leash, or the dog sits in the garage with me with the door open and then DH thinks he can do these things with the dog, he cannot. A few months ago the dog ran off, DH chased him but couldn't catch him so he came back to the house. We knew the dog was in the woods dicking around. About five minutes later I see the dog barreling down the street with something in his mouth. As he gets closer it appears to be a small baby, I freak out thinking he has murdered a child or something. Nope he just stole a little girl's baby doll and brought it back to prance around our yard with it and show how awesome he is.