Digging to escape

Are your dogs out all day? Maybe they're bored. Personally, my dogs aren't left  by themselves outside or they probably would get into all sorts of mischief.[]

Yeah, they are outside by themselves sometimes. If we are gone for less than 4 hours  or so we will crate them, but if its longer we leave them outside. Luckily, Our schedules clash on most days, however some days we both work for the same 8 hours. They have plenty of toys and kongs while theyre out, but I was thinking along the same lines that you were. I wish I didn't have to leave them alone, but I'm really torn on crating for more than a few hours. Any ideas on how to resolve?

How much excercise are your dogs getting?   Sounds like probably not enough.  Labs are a high energy breed and when you add husky into the mix, it's just an even higher energy.  These are both breeds that love to have a job, if they don't have one, they'll create one.... such as digging under your fence [:-]  And by excercise I don't just mean physical labor (although that does help!) they need something to keep their minds entertained and working. 
 
What kind of activities do you do with your dogs?  Obedience, Agility, fly-ball, long jogs? 

I'm sorry, I would NEVER leave my dogs out when I'm not home to supervise and keep an eye on things, and I live out in the country.  Our new house has an 8 foot chain link LARGE run, and I still won't leave them outside when I'm gone.

What I would do is get some chicken wire.  I know you have already done this but you have to run it along the entire perimeter of the fence.  Otherwise, they will just dig somewhere else, as you have seen.
 
Lay the chicken wire flat on the ground on your side of the fence.  Stake it down with landscape stakes so you can mow over it.  Now the dogs will have to dig a 4 foot tunnel to get out of your yard.
 
I have seen dogs who were able to shred chicken wire.  If your dogs do that, you will need to go with a stronger guage of wire, using the same process.
 
Personally, I see nothing wrong with leaving your dogs outside during the day, but if you can't find a way to contain them, you must find another option.  I realize that dogs, left outside alone, do get stolen or poisoned or all kinds of other terrible things.  It happens, but it has never happened to anyone I know.  People get killed crossing the street too.  Doesn't keep me from crossing the street.  You weigh the benefits and the risks and you make an informed decision. 
 
I should mention that I live in the country too.  My brand new $14,000 Kubota is in an unlocked shed with the key in it.  Just so you know the perspective from which I speak.  It is quite possible that a prudent person is more cautious than I am.

Maybe you could build them a dog run with a cement floor that is enclosed. That way they're not crated, but are safe and thhey can't escape.

Exercise is pinnacle, no doubt of that.

Though there are other options of making outsidetime fun, as well as being an outlet for the escape aspect.

I'll find out the name of the stuff a lot of folks I know swear by for digging.

thanX,


B.B

My friend swears by straw.  For some reason dogs will not dig in straw as it is bedding.  Its worth a shot.  To get my big dog to stop digging I made it his part time job.  I made an area in the yard where we routinely go out and dig together.  He doesn't get to stop till I say so.  It quells the urge to dig at other times.  Of course if he was left alone in the  yard he would dig his way out if he couldn't break the fence, or jump it or something else.  My dogs are all huskies and I never ever leave them out in the yard alone.  They get in enough trouble when I am out there!

another option is to run a strand of electric fence tape in front of the real fence, so doggy gets a zap when he tries to go dig. And work on that "tire the dog out" when you are home.

Well thank you all for your input and suggestions. Still trying for a solution though. [link>http://forum.dog.com/asp/showProfile.asp?memid=13550]Probe1957-[/link] I took your suggestion and it worked for about a week. I was so happy! But, I came home today and the dogs dug a whole THROUGH  the chicken wire, just ripped right into it. They get alot of exercise, a few walks/runs a week and at least one trip to the dogpark to run free for an hour or more. From what the neighbor tells me, its Tucker ( the husky/lab) doing the digging and big sis just joins him on the other side. I'm gonna try the straw too Huskymom....now in the past we tried to 'train' hayley to dig on queue but it never really stuck, any ideas or tips on how to do that? Everything I've read says to catch them digging and then commend it or move it to the right spot. But he only will dig if im not there. On the electric fence note, My yard is a big u, and is long but at one point only about 10 feet wide. I've heard that the fence will take away a few feet of space for the dogs so I'de rather install a wall a few feet into the ground. Anyone had experience with either?
 
 

P.S. Probe1957- I am gonna try a thicker guage like you suggested, thanks.

I've heard about people taking boards of plywood and digging a trench along the fence-line and burying the board in the trench, vertically about 3 feet deep.  so it would be like a wall in the ground.  I've heard that worked for some.  I've also used Cayanne pepper sprinkled very heavily on the ground where they were digging and that stopped my guys from digging, a couple of nose-fulls of dirt with pepper in it and they quit.  But my guys were never as adament about it as yours seem to be.  Good luck!

ORIGINAL: catlovesdogs

P.S. Probe1957- I am gonna try a thicker guage like you suggested, thanks.

I would certainly do that before I tried putting a fence partially underground.  I imagine that would be expensive. 

Try the wire they make rabbit cages out of or something like that.  The problem with heavier guage wire is it is harder to handle.  It is more difficult to stake it down flat so you can mow over it.  It can be done, but expect it to take more time than your chicken wire did.

I can assure you, there is a wire guage heavy enough that your dogs can't tear it up.  It is just a question of finding it before you go broke buying fence material.  []

Sounds like you've gotten some good suggestions.

I know this sounds like an old wives tale- but it worked for my aunt who had a greyhound that thought he could tunnel under the house. She took their poop and shallowly buried in the hole he dug. In your case I don't know that it would stop from digging new holes, but I bet it would make them leave the old holes alone. I know my dog carefully tip toes over any poop piles left by rude neighbors, and freaks if he missteps and gets his foot in it.

It's cheap and worth a try!