Escape Artists

[Rajas Mom]

Scootergirl's most recent thread made me relive horror stories.  The most recent was a couple of Sunday mornings ago.  I got out of bed, let the dogs out and lounged around.  My husband's friend came over and I thought it was odd that they didn't start barking at him, but figured that my husband had them in the basement with him and they just managed to miss out on the action.

Until my husband came upstairs and a walked outside with his friend.  And noticed that Raja was across the street drinking out of a neighbors bird bath.  Bo was long gone and the gate was wide open.  After 30 minutes of searching I discovered that one of my neighbors had put them in their backyard's for safe keeping - they called me over.  Bo had just had a bath and his tags weren't on - scary!

Still no idea how the gate got open.  I'm thinking that clever Raja figured a clever way to do the deed.  We are now locking it.

So, what are your escape stories?

[Scootergirl]

Oh, please, please, everyone respond to this thread. It will make me fel so much better to know you have escape artists who suddenly go deaf when they get out, too!!

[+four+leaf+clover+]

Ughhhhh ... bad memories...!  For now the fences are good:  after a few more hundred bucks raising the height of the wire and creating a tilt-in.  Two naughty, naughty Irish setters.  The breed is part orangutan, did you know that?

[ruffian]

Umm I have Shiba Inu, they dont listen at the best of times, open gate, loose collar, door ajar, digging, climbing, jumping, you name it, they will do it, and then RUN.  RUN far and fast, I lost count long ago how many times they got loose, or how they have done it.  Tonka was by far the worse, there was a time that I had to tie him up in a fence, so I could find out where we was escaping from and how to stop it.  Gage has now learned that if he wants out he can put his head on a board and push it out, so we have had to go along and screw all the fence boards in, he doesnt go anywhere though. 

There was one time that ruffian got loose, with 15 feet of roap attached to her collar, I ran after her for half a mile or so, down railroad tracks.  She would not let me get even that close, she hit the first road and hung a left, toward the pulp mill, running faster now that she was on flat terrain.  By this time I was mad, worried and tired and all I could do is watch her run away.  Well this gentleman in a welding truck stopped and asked if I need help, I said sure, he drives up the road, opens his truck door to call her and she turns tail and runs TOWARDS him and jumps into his lap, she is pretty much lucky to be alive at this point  .

[KiraNGunnersmom]

I have Ruffins cousin, the Akita, and the wonderful runner instinct and deaf at that particular moment is one wonderful trait they share.
Kira was gone for 2 weeks when we lived in VA., 
RIght before we moved away form VA , we were walking Kira near our home, which was heavily wooded with tons of critters  running amuck. 
I let her leash go to get something out of the stroller and she took off and we couldnt catch her and before long she had ran so fast and disappered into the woods. 
I dont think I had ever cried so hard in my life.  I felt so sick.  We were moving to WA state in 3 weeks and my dog was gone. 
We called the animal shelter everyday asking is someone had brought her in to no avail.  On the sat before we left my friend picked me up for lunch and I had the classifieds with me in the van and I just decided to look in the lost/found ads. 
One ad just struck me, one it was in our area about 5 miles away it said a husky mix female had be found.
when we lost her she still had her leash and collar attached to her.  I called the guy and said I think you have my dog. 
He said to describe her and I said she was a FB Akita not a husky and she was 3 colors mainly white and had a purple halter and green leash. 
The line was dead silent for a few seconds, then he said "today was the last day for this ad to run. I was so sure no one would call for her.  I was really hoping that you wouldnt call."
I screamed like a fool and begged him to meet me now.  he did and when she saw us there was no denying she was our dog and we were her family.
After that incident, she did get lose a few more times but the funny thing is when we call her she comes back now, like she knows that if she is lost she may not come home to us!
Most recently our neighbors kids told us she was out in the neighborhood. I jumped in the van and found her, the minute she saw the van she ran to it and was happy to hop in,  it was well over 100 degress that day.
Funny thing is, Gunner will stay behind an open gate he will not leave the yard.  Kira has gotten out twice since we have had Gunner and each time he has stayed put. 
Maybe he just knows momma will be mad at me and doesnt want that.
 Kira on the other hand is like my skin kids with, Yeah she will be mad but she'll get over it sometime!

[Rajas Mom]

I was babysitting for a friends handicapped child, their black lab ran out the door. It was 10 below zero out and about 2-3 feet of snow. I called my mom over to watch the child while I tried to run all over the neighborhood trying to catch this dog. He did what many annoying dogs think is fun. Would keep coming just out of arms reach and then run away. I was freezing and headed back to the house to see how the child was doing. Mom came to the door held up a piece of baloney, called the dog and he came running in. 

Ahh, the old food trick, especially effective with labs.  Actually, I've discovered that when Bo is on the run it works better for me to call out, "Let's eat!" rather than his name.  I am not his owner you see, I am his human food dispenser.