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A little while ago I posted about my Pom/Sheltie mix, Sienna, and how she escapes from everything. (Her motivation is to get at the cat food, which the cats are free-fed.)
So, after her nearly disastrous incident with a wire gate (involving foot x-rays, she's ok now though), I decided to get her a soft-sided ex pen.
It has a roof, is lightweight and seemed injury-proof. Well, that lasted ONE DAY. My genius dog discovered that she could pull up the velcro floor, and lift the thing up with her head (I'm assuming) and voila! Cat food buffet.
Ok, fine. So I go back and exchange the pen for a soft sided CRATE:
Now, this is a CRATE. No velcro floor in here. It looks REALLY escape proof to me.
Again, this lasted ONE DAY. Sienna, who could apparently be a member of doggie Mensa, figured out how to UNZIP THE THING FROM THE INSIDE WITH HER PAW!!!! I thought she was watching me rather closely while I zipped it up.
I believe the score is now Sienna: 5, Mom: 0
Off to buy a luggage lock...
And possibly a webcam, 'cause this is too good not to share.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
17,330 posts, read 33,013,815 times
Reputation: 28903
Quote:
Originally Posted by misfitz
A little while ago I posted about my Pom/Sheltie mix, Sienna, and how she escapes from everything. (Her motivation is to get at the cat food, which the cats are free-fed.)
So, after her nearly disastrous incident with a wire gate (involving foot x-rays, she's ok now though), I decided to get her a soft-sided ex pen.
It has a roof, is lightweight and seemed injury-proof. Well, that lasted ONE DAY. My genius dog discovered that she could pull up the velcro floor, and lift the thing up with her head (I'm assuming) and voila! Cat food buffet.
Ok, fine. So I go back and exchange the pen for a soft sided CRATE:
Now, this is a CRATE. No velcro floor in here. It looks REALLY escape proof to me.
Again, this lasted ONE DAY. Sienna, who could apparently be a member of doggie Mensa, figured out how to UNZIP THE THING FROM THE INSIDE WITH HER PAW!!!! I thought she was watching me rather closely while I zipped it up.
I believe the score is now Sienna: 5, Mom: 0
Off to buy a luggage lock...
And possibly a webcam, 'cause this is too good not to share.
OMG, I'm sorry for laughing. But I'm laughing WITH you.
Sienna is freakin' brilliant!!!! Please do videotape it, although your written description already had me crying from laughter.
PS. I tried to give you rep points, but apparently I have to spread some around before I give some to you again.
The solution is to stop free-feeding the cats. Cheap and easy to do. Feed them at set times, let them at it for 15 or so min then pick it up. The cats won't starve to death while they learn to eat "now."
Have you tried getting a tall ex-pen? Also, feed the cats up somewhere, my cat's food is up hi and even my JRT who can jump 5' in the air from a standstill can't get to it.
I share your umm errr pain but it is pretty funny and I'd love to see photos or webcams.
The solution is to stop free-feeding the cats. Cheap and easy to do. Feed them at set times, let them at it for 15 or so min then pick it up. The cats won't starve to death while they learn to eat "now."
That would be the obvious answer, or at least put the food up high out of the dog's reach (though knowing her she'd figure out how to scale the fridge.) But my roommate, who owns the majority of the cats, will not budge on this.
And yeah - LOL myself!!! It was all I could to keep a straight "I'm not happy with you" face when I came home to that. Must...not...let...dog...see...me...laughing...
How about applying for Letterman's "Stupid Pet Tricks" - the other nite they had a parrot who got out of a big cage faster than a 5 yr old volunteer from the audience. It was pretty darn cute (although they didnt win, you may be able to find it on U-tube). Would prob. go along w/ the suggestion of a tall x-pen or very tall baby gate and give her toys to keep her busy while you're gone and also leave the tv or radio on (which you 're prob. doing). Best of luck w/ your little Houdini.
I realized that the crate came equipped with it's own version of a lock. Above the zippers, there is a clip like the kind on the end of a leash. So I clipped the zippers together, effectively locking them. Voila! Score one for me. Or so I thought.
I came home 2 hours later to Sienna greeting me at the door. She had managed to SHRED the (seemingly very tough) mesh, destroy the zipper, and snap off the plastic clip, on my brand new, $130 crate.
This is a crate built for dogs the size of a German Shepherd.
I'm seriously considering the Stupid Pet Tricks suggestion...
The best luck I've had restraining her at home is (and please don't shoot me but it's the only thing she doesn't escape from...much) leaving her harness on and tying her to the leg of my bed on a 10' leash. That, coupled with hiding the cat food around a corner out of her direct sight, has actually managed to keep her in one place. Mostly. For now.
She still has access to the (#$*@!!!) crate, and her water dish, and her toys that she doesn't play with, and plenty of open floor, and the top of my bed.
And as long as she can't reach any chairs to wrap the leash around, she can't remove the harness herself. (Now if she CAN reach the chairs, this is no difficult matter...apparently she can also escape from a harness.)
She is currently sleeping happily under my desk at work, having mostly won this war.
So final wrap-up is I believe Sienna: 10, Mom: 1/2.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
17,330 posts, read 33,013,815 times
Reputation: 28903
Quote:
Originally Posted by misfitz
And now for installment #3...
I realized that the crate came equipped with it's own version of a lock. Above the zippers, there is a clip like the kind on the end of a leash. So I clipped the zippers together, effectively locking them. Voila! Score one for me. Or so I thought.
I came home 2 hours later to Sienna greeting me at the door. She had managed to SHRED the (seemingly very tough) mesh, destroy the zipper, and snap off the plastic clip, on my brand new, $130 crate.
This is a crate built for dogs the size of a German Shepherd.
I'm seriously considering the Stupid Pet Tricks suggestion...
The best luck I've had restraining her at home is (and please don't shoot me but it's the only thing she doesn't escape from...much) leaving her harness on and tying her to the leg of my bed on a 10' leash. That, coupled with hiding the cat food around a corner out of her direct sight, has actually managed to keep her in one place. Mostly. For now.
She still has access to the (#$*@!!!) crate, and her water dish, and her toys that she doesn't play with, and plenty of open floor, and the top of my bed.
And as long as she can't reach any chairs to wrap the leash around, she can't remove the harness herself. (Now if she CAN reach the chairs, this is no difficult matter...apparently she can also escape from a harness.)
She is currently sleeping happily under my desk at work, having mostly won this war.
So final wrap-up is I believe Sienna: 10, Mom: 1/2.
Sigh.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I'm so sorry, but Sienna cracks me up. And how you write about it? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Hilarious!!!!!
Speaking of escaping from harnesses, Artie wears a harness when we walk. When I bring him to my neighbor's (on his leash) to play with his two puppies in his yard, I just let go of his leash. The puppies each grab the leash in their mouths and "walk" Artie. Anyway, the three of them -- Artie with the pups mouth-walking his leash -- went into the bushes and when they came out, Artie was out of his harness with a big smile on his face. The pups came out with the leash and harness in their mouths. Ta da! Like magic!
But your Sienna can do it all on her own? She's a star!!!!!
One last word: VIDEO. (Please!)
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I thought she was watching me rather closely while I zipped it up. 
