Dog digs under fence!
October 6, 2009 6:22 PM Subscribe
Peanut digs under fence and escapes. Need help asap!
Big strong Chihuhua, skilled excavator, 100' chainlink fence, soft soil/humus below fence. Need cheap fast stopgap AND cheap long-term answer.
Actions to date:
1. Blocked hole with mix of wood and stones. Peanut removed blockage and dug again, with success.
2. Blocked hole with boulder. Peanut dug elsewhere along fence, with success.
3. Imprisoned dog in house all day. He suspended digging for day, but all parties sustained emotional damage.
REQUIREMENTS:
We need 2 solutions: 1) a quick stopgap (literally); and 2) a long-term answer.
Senior Discount. That means the solution must be cheap and not backbreaking.
Must keep us a day or 2 ahead of the Peanut!
Actions to date:
1. Blocked hole with mix of wood and stones. Peanut removed blockage and dug again, with success.
2. Blocked hole with boulder. Peanut dug elsewhere along fence, with success.
3. Imprisoned dog in house all day. He suspended digging for day, but all parties sustained emotional damage.
REQUIREMENTS:
We need 2 solutions: 1) a quick stopgap (literally); and 2) a long-term answer.
Senior Discount. That means the solution must be cheap and not backbreaking.
Must keep us a day or 2 ahead of the Peanut!
Could you maybe put him on a line attached to a post somewhere so he can't reach the fence?
posted by gchucky at 6:25 PM on October 6, 2009
posted by gchucky at 6:25 PM on October 6, 2009
Dog mittens? I have no idea how stupid this suggestion is, but it seems like it might at least slow him down.
posted by foodgeek at 6:26 PM on October 6, 2009
posted by foodgeek at 6:26 PM on October 6, 2009
Having grown up with escape-artist chihuahuas, I sympathize. But I'm afraid that either you go with the mesh wire starting underground, or you build around the problem area with old bricks. We happened to have a lot of old bricks, which solved the problem, along with the mesh wire. (Wood is no good; it can be worn away.)
posted by Countess Elena at 6:28 PM on October 6, 2009
posted by Countess Elena at 6:28 PM on October 6, 2009
Stake down 4'x100' of chicken wire on the ground in front of the fence (curl it a bit up the fence).
(If successfully digging under all that he'd earn a part in The Great Escape).
posted by artdrectr at 6:35 PM on October 6, 2009
(If successfully digging under all that he'd earn a part in The Great Escape).
posted by artdrectr at 6:35 PM on October 6, 2009
If you want a cheap and fast stopgap, then what you want is a rope.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 6:38 PM on October 6, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 6:38 PM on October 6, 2009 [1 favorite]
I think you can bury chicken wire in the area where the dog digs, parallel to the ground surface and a couple of inches under. When the dog encounters it on their next visit it will be unpleasant for them. Of course, this will just encourage them to try nearby, so you may need to lay in quite a bit of it.
posted by maxwelton at 6:38 PM on October 6, 2009
posted by maxwelton at 6:38 PM on October 6, 2009
We had the same problem years ago and someone suggested that if the dog cannot see what's on the other side of the fence then they won't dig. We put plastic strips through the chain links and it worked for our digger, but he was a bigger dog so I'm not sure if the mentality is the same. *shrug*
Or go with gchucky's idea and put him on a line... that would be the cheapest solution.
posted by patheral at 6:41 PM on October 6, 2009
Or go with gchucky's idea and put him on a line... that would be the cheapest solution.
posted by patheral at 6:41 PM on October 6, 2009
invisible fence?
It's kept my husky in my yard with absolutely no fence... she hasn't gone outside the limits she was trained on...
posted by HuronBob at 6:50 PM on October 6, 2009
It's kept my husky in my yard with absolutely no fence... she hasn't gone outside the limits she was trained on...
posted by HuronBob at 6:50 PM on October 6, 2009
Seconding an invisible fence. A lot less work, but more expensive than the other offerings.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 7:18 PM on October 6, 2009
posted by JohnnyGunn at 7:18 PM on October 6, 2009
As others have said, I'm pretty sure the cheapest stopgappiest cheap stopgap is to put the dog on a chain/rope/whatnot when it's in the backyard. If it needs more room to run, maybe go for one of those ropes that moves freely along another, fixed rope (I know there's a name for this, but I have no idea what it is--I hope you know what I mean).
I'm not sure about the long-term answer--I can think of plenty, most of which have already been mentioned, but few of them are cheap or non-labor-intensive.
posted by box at 7:21 PM on October 6, 2009
I'm not sure about the long-term answer--I can think of plenty, most of which have already been mentioned, but few of them are cheap or non-labor-intensive.
posted by box at 7:21 PM on October 6, 2009
Our stopgap measure was to put 1' paving slabs along the fence where our puppy dug (and a few bricks when the slabs ran out.)
posted by Hardcore Poser at 7:21 PM on October 6, 2009
posted by Hardcore Poser at 7:21 PM on October 6, 2009
(I meant to say 'on the ground beside the fence....')
posted by Hardcore Poser at 7:21 PM on October 6, 2009
posted by Hardcore Poser at 7:21 PM on October 6, 2009
Another solution is to spread a 2' strip of quarter-down gravel along the fence. It doesn't have to be very thick at all; even a half-inch would do. Dogs don't dig these rough surfaces.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 7:25 PM on October 6, 2009
posted by Hardcore Poser at 7:25 PM on October 6, 2009
I was going to say, get some stair runner rug and make a 'warning track' all along the inside of the fence. Would the dog be smart enough to start digging 3 ft. back, before the rug, or just walk up to the fence on top of the rug and see that he can't dig? I think slightly buried chain link would work better, but the dog might not get it until half the yard was dug up an inch deep. I'd also be afraid of injury to the dog's paws with buried chicken wire or chain link.
posted by ctmf at 7:36 PM on October 6, 2009
posted by ctmf at 7:36 PM on October 6, 2009
Please do not tether your dog in the yard if you plan on leaving him there unattended - it's a recipe for disaster. My suggestion would be electrical fencing strung along the bottom of your fence. A few mild shocks should make him think twice about digging.
Most dogs dig in the yard and try to escape from boredom. I would keep him inside unless he can be supervised in the yard.
posted by tryniti at 7:44 PM on October 6, 2009
Most dogs dig in the yard and try to escape from boredom. I would keep him inside unless he can be supervised in the yard.
posted by tryniti at 7:44 PM on October 6, 2009
After trying almost every other suggestion in this thread, we ended up using a combination of paving stones (like Hardcore Poser's idea) and railroad ties, with long metal spikes holding the fence to the ties. Our beagle has not escaped from the yard via digging under the fence since then.
We suspect he is now working on climbing over. ::sigh::
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:53 PM on October 6, 2009
We suspect he is now working on climbing over. ::sigh::
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:53 PM on October 6, 2009
Please do not tether your dog in the yard if you plan on leaving him there unattended.
Most dogs dig in the yard and try to escape from boredom. I would keep him inside unless he can be supervised in the yard.
What tryniti said.
posted by Seppaku at 8:07 PM on October 6, 2009
Most dogs dig in the yard and try to escape from boredom. I would keep him inside unless he can be supervised in the yard.
What tryniti said.
posted by Seppaku at 8:07 PM on October 6, 2009
Don't tie your dog up. That's a bad idea.
Railroad ties or similar huge landscape timbers worked for my digger; they're a royal pain to find and transport but they did the trick. They're not expensive, just bulky. You need to put one on each side of the fence. Concrete block might work as well - I think it's the combination of heavy object and distance out from the fence that discourages them. In a very long term solution, plant thick vines like morning glory around the fence. They'll anchor it deep in a couple of years, and, as someone said above, there does seem to be a lessening of digging/escape behavior if the dog can't see out of the fence.
While you get that or other long term solutions in place, there are two short term ideas I can come up with off the top of my head. The first one involves hiding and leaping out at your dog whenever he digs. It's like house training - catching them in the act is crucial. If you catch him doing it and throw a fit, he knows absolutely that digging is verboten. He might well still do it while you're not around but the behavior will lessen, perhaps long enough for you to get railroad ties.
The second one is way more rocks. If you have them around, dump them all around the fence. As you've noticed, it doesn't really stop them but it does slow them down.
Good luck!
posted by mygothlaundry at 8:39 PM on October 6, 2009
Railroad ties or similar huge landscape timbers worked for my digger; they're a royal pain to find and transport but they did the trick. They're not expensive, just bulky. You need to put one on each side of the fence. Concrete block might work as well - I think it's the combination of heavy object and distance out from the fence that discourages them. In a very long term solution, plant thick vines like morning glory around the fence. They'll anchor it deep in a couple of years, and, as someone said above, there does seem to be a lessening of digging/escape behavior if the dog can't see out of the fence.
While you get that or other long term solutions in place, there are two short term ideas I can come up with off the top of my head. The first one involves hiding and leaping out at your dog whenever he digs. It's like house training - catching them in the act is crucial. If you catch him doing it and throw a fit, he knows absolutely that digging is verboten. He might well still do it while you're not around but the behavior will lessen, perhaps long enough for you to get railroad ties.
The second one is way more rocks. If you have them around, dump them all around the fence. As you've noticed, it doesn't really stop them but it does slow them down.
Good luck!
posted by mygothlaundry at 8:39 PM on October 6, 2009
If you want a cheap and fast stopgap, then what you want is a rope.
Oh dear, that sounds a bit drastic.
posted by artdrectr at 8:47 PM on October 6, 2009
Oh dear, that sounds a bit drastic.
posted by artdrectr at 8:47 PM on October 6, 2009
When I trim the rose bushes, I scatter the debris at the bottom of the fence.
Also, clip his nails short.
posted by Acacia at 9:02 PM on October 6, 2009
Also, clip his nails short.
posted by Acacia at 9:02 PM on October 6, 2009
I like the chicken wire idea. Take a roll of chicken wire and run it the full length of the fence. Curl on side up against the existing fence and bend the other side into the dirt (you may want to use garden or tent stakes to secure it to the dirt). Make sure there are no gaps where it runs against the existing fence. No tiny dog will bother digging through 2 feet of chicken wire to escape the yard. Be prepared to deal with a very frustrated chihuahua.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 11:17 PM on October 6, 2009
posted by The Light Fantastic at 11:17 PM on October 6, 2009
Nthing that rope is dangerous—it’s a really bad plan to tie up unattended animals. I love mygothlaudry’s idea about planting morning glory—which grow very fast and will do well in your region. I suspect blocking Peanut’s view with foliage coupled with some kind of border barrier (that would make him have to start digging further back from the fence) will do the trick.
(When I first got to this thread, I misread “chihuahua” as “chinchilla” and I cannot tell you how jaw-droppingly impressed I was with Peanut!)
posted by applemeat at 5:30 AM on October 7, 2009
(When I first got to this thread, I misread “chihuahua” as “chinchilla” and I cannot tell you how jaw-droppingly impressed I was with Peanut!)
posted by applemeat at 5:30 AM on October 7, 2009
I agree - rope sounds dangerous. So does chicken wire.
I have no idea how expensive this is, or how effective, but could you make a sandbox type area inside the yard where Peanut could dig for toys and treats? I am thinking to make the inside of the yard as entertaining as possible. I saw this approach (without the hidden toy and treat treasure) on that show It's Me or The Dog (the dog wasn't escaping but was digging holes all over the yard).
Otherwise, I think mygothlaundy makes sense - railroad ties or those concrete block thingies.
posted by KAS at 7:30 AM on October 7, 2009 [1 favorite]
I have no idea how expensive this is, or how effective, but could you make a sandbox type area inside the yard where Peanut could dig for toys and treats? I am thinking to make the inside of the yard as entertaining as possible. I saw this approach (without the hidden toy and treat treasure) on that show It's Me or The Dog (the dog wasn't escaping but was digging holes all over the yard).
Otherwise, I think mygothlaundy makes sense - railroad ties or those concrete block thingies.
posted by KAS at 7:30 AM on October 7, 2009 [1 favorite]
Railroad ties. They're like 10 bucks apiece and 10 or 12 feet long. They're heavy, but you just lay them where you want them. No digging or wiring or anything, so I dunno if that satisfies the senior discount clause.
posted by cmoj at 9:57 AM on October 7, 2009
posted by cmoj at 9:57 AM on October 7, 2009
...plant thick vines like morning glory around the fence...
...I love mygothlaudry’s idea about planting morning glory...
Surprised nobody else pointed this out already, and I think it deserves caps: MORNING GLORY IS POISONOUS TO DOGS
posted by madmethods at 10:25 AM on October 7, 2009
...I love mygothlaudry’s idea about planting morning glory...
Surprised nobody else pointed this out already, and I think it deserves caps: MORNING GLORY IS POISONOUS TO DOGS
posted by madmethods at 10:25 AM on October 7, 2009
How much exercise is your dog getting? Maybe daily walking--if not currently happening--would drain energy out of him/her so that he won't be as pent up and feel the need to dig? I notice that when my dogs don't get their walks, they're much barkier and more reactive...and they're generally couch potatoes as it is.
posted by choochoo at 4:22 PM on October 7, 2009
posted by choochoo at 4:22 PM on October 7, 2009
Response by poster: Such a wealth of ideas! There are a good 6 or 8 workable solutions for us here. We’re looking most closely at railroad ties, paving slabs, and what are basically fence extensions, i.e., chicken wire, welded wire, or chain link attached to the bottom of the fence and laid inward, parallel to the ground. Inward and dogward.
We think RR ties and Hoffa slabs might meet the Senior Discount requirement. The wire solutions, however, all seem to involve multiple bendovers and stress positions.
We appreciate the Countess’s thoughtful contribution, but tiny Peanut can move bricks. Unless they are joined with mortar – were the Countess’s bricks joined with mortar? Surely she herself did not wield a trowel. But we have no funds for servants.
We reject tethers, rope or otherwise. We also reject imprisonment, generally speaking, though opinions diverge.
We have an acre. Peanut has 2 friends: Roxy and Abby. Roxy is a young 40-pound hound, and Abby, the dog of our lives, is a middle-aged beauty who lost a leg to Atlanta traffic a year ago, and fought her way back home. The dogs have the run of the yard and the (inside) den.
Peanut must be stopped. We will report on his (non) progress.
posted by SallyHitMeOntheHead at 6:29 PM on October 7, 2009
We think RR ties and Hoffa slabs might meet the Senior Discount requirement. The wire solutions, however, all seem to involve multiple bendovers and stress positions.
We appreciate the Countess’s thoughtful contribution, but tiny Peanut can move bricks. Unless they are joined with mortar – were the Countess’s bricks joined with mortar? Surely she herself did not wield a trowel. But we have no funds for servants.
We reject tethers, rope or otherwise. We also reject imprisonment, generally speaking, though opinions diverge.
We have an acre. Peanut has 2 friends: Roxy and Abby. Roxy is a young 40-pound hound, and Abby, the dog of our lives, is a middle-aged beauty who lost a leg to Atlanta traffic a year ago, and fought her way back home. The dogs have the run of the yard and the (inside) den.
Peanut must be stopped. We will report on his (non) progress.
posted by SallyHitMeOntheHead at 6:29 PM on October 7, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ishotjr at 6:25 PM on October 6, 2009