Keeping Wandering Wilbur at Home

Last time, we examined the possibility of the Electronic Fencing system as a way to keep your Wandering Wilbur from leaving the premises...But what if you aren't keen on the idea of shocking the daylights out of him, in order to "make him" understand the safe zones?

    There are other ways to do this! Hooray!

What on earth is a Coyote Roller??

Simply put, it is an addition to your existing fence.  It sits just above the top of the fence, and prevents creatures from grabbing the fence-top to pull themselves over.  These devices are amazing!  Even a bird cannot land on it, as it is designed to roll with the slightest amount of pressure.  They can be very aesthetically pleasing, and made to match your decor.  If your dog climbs your fence, these may be the very thing you are looking for.

You can also make a coyote roller pretty inexpensively, if you think hard enough.

 

Let's say your dog soars over the top of your fence, and the HOA won't let you raise the fence height. Option A:  Create a dog pen.

While I do not think this should be your dog's "whole new world," I do think this is a safe alternative to strapping a battery device to his neck.  A good dog pen can be attached directly to a dog door leading in to  your home (if you wish), and can offer your dog a place to roam freely, without escape.  Mind you, a dog that climbs or jumps a high fence, may now take to digging if you put a roof over his head, leaving you with new problems to solve, but this may work for your situation.  A good pen should give the dog plenty of room to play, have shade, be cleaned every day, and have access to adequate shelter---"shelter" does not mean a sad dog house parked in the sun; those things are like ovens in the wrong place.

Option B: Tie him up.

While safer to use a body harness, some dogs will chew it
right off themselves, leaving you with a collar as the
only alternative...do not leave him alone

Using a cabled, overhead trolley system to give your dog a safe place to explore, might be one of the most affordable (think less than $50) and simple ways to avoid a fence-flyer's adventuring.  The cable attached to your dog's body harness should be placed in a manner, using the 'stops' on the overhead cross-cable, that prevents him from reaching anything that he may get tangled around.  When done properly, these systems can allow for running, a good thing.  They can also be set up in impermanent fashion, allowing you to take them down when not in use, or to take them camping :)

Traditionally tying your dog with an in-ground cable is not as safe as the overhead trolley.  The dog can tangle his own legs (not all dogs are smart enough to avoid this), and a strong dog will pull that corkscrew right out of the earth.

Some rules to live by if you choose to tie your dog:
1.  DO NOT LEAVE HIM UNATTENDED
2. DO NOT LEAVE HIM UNATTENDED
3. DO NOT LEAVE HIM UNATTENDED

A dog on a chain (see other articles on this subject, not only from my blog, but from any number of sites/professional trainers/veterinarians/animal control officers/etc) is open to all sorts of trouble.  He may develop behavioral problems such as anxieties and aggression.  He can be hurt by malicious Humans, other dogs, wild animals, and worse.  He may be stolen.  He may be teased.  There is absolutely no reason to leave a dog tied up and unattended.

It is an illegal practice in most cities/states to "tether" your dog and leave him alone.  Just don't.

My favorite of all the ways to keep Wandering Wilbur from taking off, is to walk your dog more. Seriously.  Some may argue that dogs who live in apartments have it bad, but if you are a responsible Human, and you share apartment space with a dog, what do you do ?  You walk your dog;  A Lot.  I admit, that since buying a home with a yard, my dogs have not been walked nearly as often as they were when we had a townhome.  Some of us have grown so complacent with the idea that "he has a yard," that the dog never gets to go for a walk.  Not only is this unhealthy, but it leads to poor manners all the way around.

I have heard the argument that you "don't have time" to walk the dog....well....no.  I just can't buy that.  Do you have 10 minutes?  Great, you can practice good leash manners up and down the driveway, or let your pup sniff around the bushes for a few.  Think about it.  Ohhh, you have an energetic dog who pulls like crazy?  He won't ever be satisfied with just ten minutes of leash time?

 Cool---Now your 10 minutes can be spent throwing a ball for him, using a flirt pole, making him Stay at one end of the yard, and having him "Come" to you, or even chasing small bits of treat thrown around.  I guess what I'm trying to say, is that you could be spending more quality time with your dog, instead of chasing him around the neighborhood.