Escape Artist

[Bubblezzz]

My new foster dog is an escape artist. :o THREE times he has squeezed past us to slip out the door. Last night was the most HORRIBLEST (there should be such a word) experience we had ever. :-?

We live in an apartment block and have one gate and a main door. Woolly managed to slip past us and ran all the way down the street (thank god it was late and there were hardly any cars!!) all the way to a shopping mall nearby!! Bf chased after him like a loony, while I dragged our groceries in, called Cosmic back in and relocked the door in a jiffy.

To make matters worse, stupid me left the mobile phone behind and ended up running up and down the block (where Woolly ran previously) for nothing!! :P By the time it got into my head that I should go get my phone, I was already having a full-blown asthma attack. :(

Got phone. Called the bf. Sucked up some ventolin (asthma medication). Found out that he had Woolly. Grabbed leashes, walked (Cosmic as well) to where they were and almost smacked Woolly. :oops: I was so terrified and angry. :oops:

I know it's not his fault and that we should have gotton a better hold on him BEFORE we opened the gate. :oops: This is the first time I've had a runaway dog - now I can really really REALLY sympathise with and understand what it's like for those of you who have to deal with this on a daily basis. :-?

[JackieMaya]

Yikes! I'm glad you got Wooly back home and that you were able to get your asthma under control.

If Maya gets out the back door without being attached to her harness, she immediately bolts to the back of the yard and jumps the fence. So I know what that's like.

Wooly sure is a cutie pie! I hope he figures out that he has it pretty good right where he is!

[imported_Irena]

i'm glad Wooly ok, but it is a funny story :lol:
there always a fist time, look at the bright side, you'll be ready for the next time :D

[imported_Kat]

oh dear, Wooly Houdini! Got to love that Ventolin though for quick action :wink:

[Bubblezzz]

JM - I can't imagine how you manage. Has Maya ever shown any signs of improving with her recall? How do you guys train her?

Cosmic will dance all around the front gate and corridor, but he won't leave the immediate area and comes when he's called. It DID take us months and months to achieve that though (his recall). And we trained him when he was a puppy.

I wonder if recall training will work with a older, once-stray dog. :?

[rotten_two]

yes recall will work -- you can teach an old dog new tricks! the other thing you might try is sit and stay or wait at doors/gates. i don't know how long you will have wooly (he is a foster right?) but if you could get to a place where he would automatically sit at any door or gate that would be quite beneficial to you and his forever family. you could at least start the training and his family will hopefully keep it up.