Who here has a runaway? Bear with me, I'm about to ramble......

[Teamshredit]

I was hoping that when we moved to our new house Daisy would stop digging her way out of the yard. Everything was fine for about a month and then the neighbors behind us got a new puppy. Yay.

Now she gets out at least twice a day,(either to play with Hailey the puppy or just to wander around) and because our back fence is blocked by thick bushes we have to drive to the other side of the neighborhood to get her. I am so frustrated! We have no freedom anymore and constantly have to watch her when she goes out...I literally have to guard the bushes because if she gets through she's gone. The neighbor's have tried to block the holes she dug, we've tried filling them, nailing more boards up. It's gotten so bad I've run through complete strangers houses to grab her before she pees on their carpet(a WHOLE other story!). We can't afford to get a new fence, and Chip refuses to tear out the bushes, which run the entire length of the yard. I have no other choice but to keep her on a leash and walk her, which cuts her exercise way down(and Luke because they love to run together). Oh, and this is no longer just a fence issue. Two days ago, we decided to keep them at home for a couple hours while we did errands to see how they behave. After an unsuccessful attempt at breaking through the locked kitty door, Daisy started chewing through the wall to make her own door. AAAAAAGH! What am I doing wrong? 
Escaping has become routine, and I feel like she has all the control.
I think it's a game to her, because everytime I drive down the hill to pick her up she's so happy! She has this grin on her face like "ha ha I got out and had fun tearing up the neighborhood.. ..let's go home and do this again!!!"  How can we break this cycle? Has anyone else successfully stopped a runaway dog?
Sorry about the ranting and raving.....any thoughts on this matter would be much appreciated.

[nostaw]

I had a newf that loved to dig her way out, I found the only way to stop her was to bury 2 foot square concrete slabs vertically at the side of the hedge. I buried them halfway so that the top half prevented her from pushing in between the bushes. It didn't stop the digging, but it stopped her escaping - she could never get down deep enough to get under. I just had to fill the odd hole up now and again. If you dont have the problem with pushing between the bushes I suppose you could lay them as a path round the edge it would stop her digging next to the fence.

Andy, Bell and Hovis

[Kermit]

I used to have two huskies who made it their life goal to escape as many times as possible. The only way to keep them in the yard was with something called "Fido-Shock"... I know, sounds terrible... but I got it at Home Depot. It is a wire that you run around the borders of your yard and it shocks them if they touch it. I of course tested it and it scares the bejesus out of you but it doesn't sting you nearly as bad as electric fence for horses! Anyhow, I had to run it around twice, one pretty close to the ground and one a little higher, but it WORKED. It's not very expensive from what I remember.

Maybe you could try it?
I feel for you!!!

[brandon]

I wouldn't have a fence without the hot wire / Fido-Shock.  I think any dog will eventually get bored and dig out, or climb the fence.. The hot wire was the only way I found to keep them in without fail.   My lab, who was extremly smart would get bored and dig out no matter what I tried,  I'd rather her get a jolt than have risked her getting hit by a car.   I got zapped plenty of times by it myself, and it wasn't that bad really. 

I did dog-sit a hateful little yorkie though, for a friend , who pee'd on the wire and refused to go into the back yard after that 

Oh, I got mine at home depot as well, along with the wire, etc.. was very cheap.

[ZooCrew]

I've also heard that burying chicken wire so far down (can't remember how deep) will deter diggers.  Never tried it, so can't tell you how it works, but I've heard it suggested several times.

[Teamshredit]

We've thought about concrete....bu t I'm all concreted out from fixing Luke's mess(we had to extend the patio out 2 feet when he tore up the bushes).

Fido shock sounds wonderful! I know she's tough enough to handle it.....I'm sure she'll develop an immunity to it eventually but it's worth a shot(or a shock....haha bad joke I know). We did chicken wire at the last place but I don't think I can dig back there...it's too jungle-y.
Not to mention we're regulars at home depot.....I'm getting it tomorrow!

Thanks all. 

[Teamshredit]

I just noticed this is in medical conditions...i t can stay here. She's making me looney!

[Icerotti]

I think there are some great ideas mentioned. I may make a shortcut to this post. Farley has started digging....... silly boy is digging up against the house   Hope he doesn't discover what it can do at the fence side...lol

Good Luck let us know what works!

[cricket36580]

So far I've got chicken wire, garden wire, and plywood down and Bella still digs.  At least for the moment she can't get out.  Just waiting till next week...

[chaosndestruction]

Arisha won't go through our electric fences...but after she found out that the metal gates weren't electric we were in trouble! She'd go over and bark at our neighbors goats (she doesn't want to hurt them just play). We finally had to break down and get a DT good dog shock color for her, it has a 1 mile range, and the bite isn't bad, it also has a vibrabration button so we can warn her first.  She hasn't gotten out for quite a while now.

We had to lay a low electric wire on one of our side yards too, because She would go under the other wires and play in our neighbors pond Nice stinky dog in January isn't a good thing! She hasn't gone under it since she touched the wire!

Getting a little shock is WAYYY better than getting hit by a car/shot by a neighbor who thinks your dog is after their livestock!