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I have a Chihuahua mix with possibly terrier , I found him about 3 years ago and he was about 1 years old at the time. He was an inside dog for a couple years and then we moved and had to become an outside dog. I work 60 hours a week and do not have time to give him much attentions. Although he has my other dog, which is the same breed of whatever they are, to play with and a decent size yard it still does not seem to be enough for my boy dog. He digs into the neighbors yard constantly, either side neighbor he has visited them both, now I have to keep him on a long chain but not long enough to reach the fence because he always seems to get out and under the wooden fence! He is interested in the other dogs on other end but we have a new neighbor with a big dog that can possibly hurt/kill him so I have to make sure I do not let him off the chain but I feel bad keeping him on that constantly but he wont stop or listen. He also barks constantly at anything he hears from the neighbors. I am probably known as the annoying neighbor with the bad dogs that I cant tame. It is exhausting and I do not know what else to do. My absolute last resort would be giving him away because I love that dog but right now he is getting on my last single nerve and I have had enough. Please help!!!
OP, someone with fencing knowledge should give you help here. It's not something I know much about, but I have seen television programs which describe something like a long metal sheet which is hammered down into the ground at the bottom of your fence so that even digging dogs like terriers can't dig out.
Maybe call some fencing companies or visit a hardware store to get an idea for a below fence pet barrier?
Once you solve the fencing problem and can let the dog off chain, look into things that might help the dogs feel more secure so that they don't bark as much during the day. How about putting a nice comfortable dog house that is like a crate into a shady spot. That should make the dog feel secure. How about providing activity toys every day, such as a peanut butter filled kong or toys that have dry food inside?
Don't give up, there are solutions.
Mod might move this to the pet forum, but people on the house forum might know more about fence options.
How about not leaving your dog outside all the time unsupervised?
It's just good dog ownership. They're flippin' chihuahua mixes, not Great Pyrennes. A hawk could snatch them up in a second. My dad lost a beagle pup that way years ago. Left it out in the yard after a snowfall while he made coffee and came back to tracks that stopped in the middle of the yard and no puppy. Though in that case, it was twilight and probably an owl. A redtail hawk thunked down beside me in a suburban development once, too. It had been aiming for the neighbor's cat who was standing near me. Broad daylight, tons of people around.
I've got a neighbor like you who leaves their small-breed dog outside all day. He barks pretty much constantly when he gets started. I work from home, so that's just AWESOME, let me tell ya.
Take your dog for walks on a regular basis or let it out in the yard and play ball with it. Pay attention to it and don't abandon it outside on a chain.
Terriers can be diggers. It's sorta what they do (looking for rabbits and foxes and stuff). You might try sprinkling some cayenne pepper on the dirt just along those boundaries where he's digging. I know our neighbors' dog used to get into our yard and dig in the garden (I don't know for what) but my dad did the cayenne pepper thing, the dog got into it, yelped a little, and never came back. It's worth a try. (you might have to hose him off if he gets into it so he doesn't spread it around the rest of the yard and get it all over himself)
He's missing human companionship or he is trying to return home from whence he came. Normally, a second dog (or even a cat) is enough to occupy a dog when the humans aren't around. This guy is wanting out. Don't chain him. That will only make his need to escape even more necessary.
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