Puppies (full grown) escaped from garden - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Nicksy · 02-26-2016, 12:04 PM

Hi everyone, just wanted to share. I got a phone call at work today saying that my puppies had been seen crossing roads and running down our street and my neighbours didn't know where they had gone.

Anyway, we got a phone call from someone at the bottom of the road who knew the puppies (they have a cairn terrier roughly the same age) and had seem them running down the road, ran outside to catch them and found them in her drive. She called their names and managed to get them inside, where they spent an hour playing with their friend Buddy until I could get there. Unofficial play date!

Trouble is, we can't figure out how they got out ... there are no holes in or under the fences. Either they both climbed vertical wooden fences, or someone went snooping in our back garden!!!! :-s

So glad the lady was in and they followed Buddy's scent into her drive - god knows what would have happened if they got to the big road at the bottom, or if someone else had found them - I might not have got them back.

Magnus · 02-26-2016, 12:48 PM

Personally, I wouldn't let my furries outside at any time without supervision. I've heard so many horror stories where dogs have been stolen/taken by predators (human AND animals).

Yorkiemom1 · 02-26-2016, 03:25 PM

I have never put my yorkies (or my children when they were young) outside, unsupervised, and never will.....not even for a second! Thank goodness they survived the road, birds of prey, roaming dogs, wild animals like coyotes or big old mean house cats, and then there are the thieves that scour the newspapers and yards for yorkies to steal and resell for a tidy profit.....

Tay65 · 02-26-2016, 03:44 PM

You are very lucky to have them back. Noone was home while they were outside? I would never do that. I treat my baby as if she's human.

JadeD · 02-26-2016, 03:57 PM

I am so glad someone grabbed them for you! I make sure that most of my neighbors know what my dogs look like and they also know that my dogs are never allowed to just run free, so if they see them free they will either let me know or try to catch them. I also know all my neighbors dog's and do the same except for the neighbor who lets his dog run free all over my property, there is no point in telling him that his dog is on my property because he doesn't care. He has an underground fence but he won't put the collar on the dog because the dog "whines and doesn't like it." Anyway, glad your neighbor cared enough to grab them and keep them for you. I would do the same for a neighbor of mine that wasn't home or I couldn't reach and I would leave a note on their door to let them know where their dog was or call them if I could.

I don't have a fence and have to walk all 4 of my dogs on leashes at least 4 times a day. If I had a fence it would be just for letting them out to potty for a few minutes while I was not far or to go out and play in while I get some sunshine.

I hope you figure out how they got out, I would be terrified if I came home and my babies were gone.

TxVicki · 02-26-2016, 04:08 PM

I am glad that your babies are safe and back home where they belong.

I will say this, NO HOW, NO WAY would I ever leave my dog's outside alone when I wasn't home, OR have any access thru a doggie door to outside when not home.

This situation could have turned out very bad.

I am ALWAYS outside when my dog's are out, even tho we have a 6 foot fence all the way around. You just never know what can happen when they aren't being watched.

Nicksy · 02-27-2016, 11:40 AM

I guess what I was looking for with this thread was suggestions as to how they could have escaped, for instance has anyone ever heard of a yorkie being able to climb a 4-6 foot vertical wooden fence with vertical slats? I am doubtful about this as I have never seen them climb and both dogs got 'over' (one is a teapot and the other is ~7.5 lbs).

I think the most likely cause was that a cat knocked the latch as it went over the 6 foot gate (husband didn't lock it). Curious puppies found open gate and went for a walk, gate blew shut before I got back after neighbour phoned.

Less likely, someone got into our back garden and left the above gate with the latch open when they left, without moving our bins to get out onto the driveway or being seen coming from behind our bins (or entering our property). Puppies were inside asleep when this happened but later found the gate open and went for a walk. Gate blew shut before I got back. Our property is overlooked by home-all day neighbours and the side street, and we use a burglar alarm so I think this is unlikely. We also live in a very low-crime area e.g. 2-3 a month.

They have cat flaps that we installed to help them with potty training. They can now hold their bladders all day, so I will start locking the flaps whilst we are at work, but given their early life of freedom I think they will be bored locked in the kitchen all day ... so I would feel bad about doing this. They are a bit young and playful to be left to roam the house unsupervised . The only threat in the garden would be a dog thief - which I would say is a slim risk as they are not visible from the road (they are too large for birds of prey). We have a camera in the kitchen so I had been checking on them several times a day up to now.

Out on the road the only threat would again have been opportunistic thieves and cars.

Russpilot · 02-27-2016, 11:54 AM

So glad that they made it back home. I would be devastated if my girls got out!

Mayzoo · 02-27-2016, 12:09 PM

Live and learn. I am very glad they got home okay. I hope you discover how they got out or they may get out right under your nose next time

.

Jkpal · 02-27-2016, 02:07 PM

Even in light of your latest post, please do not leave these little loves outside unattended. I understand all you're saying about their being bored in the kitchen (so they'll sleep a little more probably), the security of your yard and residence, et al, but anything can happen when they're left outside alone--Whenever outside, these pups should have a real live human nearby, ever-on-the-alert. You said yourself you don't know how they got out, but obviously they did and it can certainly happen again and you don't want to lose them...

Mayzoo · 02-27-2016, 02:31 PM

I missed your second post.

My family had a small dog that could escape from anywhere when I was a small child. He was a mutt, but if he could do it at 8-10 lbs, any small dog with guile can do it. We had a 6 foot wooden privacy fence and still my family did not keep him in. I was little, but knowing my sister, I am sure she tried diligently.

The methods of escape for these types of dogs is so vast, none of us have any way to speculate how they may have done it.

He was gone so often, he went through less than 15lbs of food a year, and my sister's best friend also thought she "owned" him until my sister went over to meet the new dog.

If you want to keep them safe, they will have to stay indoors unless supervised.

Shicks · 02-27-2016, 06:14 PM

My little guy is wild outside. Will take off in a heartbeat. Anything seems to set him off, from bugs, bees, birds people, wind, snow, etc.
So of course I have him on a leash. Even if I had a fence, I still wouldn't trust him. There are days I'm outside more than in to let him play & be himself.

Nicksy · 02-28-2016, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mayzoo

Live and learn. I am very glad they got home okay. I hope you discover how they got out or they may get out right under your nose next time

.

Yes this is what i am concerned about as they will choose to spend the whole day outside with us if we are gardening.

maggiefromnj · 03-01-2016, 09:15 AM

They may be too little too jump out, doesn't mean something bigger can't jump IN! Or something can dig in. It will be very hard to tell how they got out. Grass against a fence can hide a depression big enough for them to slip under. You will have to check very carefully every inch of fence.

They will be fine inside during the day.

Jkpal · 03-01-2016, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maggiefromnj

They may be too little too jump out, doesn't mean something bigger can't jump IN! Or something can dig in. It will be very hard to tell how they got out. Grass against a fence can hide a depression big enough for them to slip under. You will have to check very carefully every inch of fence.

They will be fine inside during the day.

Aamen!!!

02-26-2016, 12:04 PM	#1
Nicksy Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: GB Posts: 24	Puppies (full grown) escaped from garden Hi everyone, just wanted to share. I got a phone call at work today saying that my puppies had been seen crossing roads and running down our street and my neighbours didn't know where they had gone. Anyway, we got a phone call from someone at the bottom of the road who knew the puppies (they have a cairn terrier roughly the same age) and had seem them running down the road, ran outside to catch them and found them in her drive. She called their names and managed to get them inside, where they spent an hour playing with their friend Buddy until I could get there. Unofficial play date! Trouble is, we can't figure out how they got out ... there are no holes in or under the fences. Either they both climbed vertical wooden fences, or someone went snooping in our back garden!!!! :-s So glad the lady was in and they followed Buddy's scent into her drive - god knows what would have happened if they got to the big road at the bottom, or if someone else had found them - I might not have got them back.

02-26-2016, 03:25 PM	#3
Yorkiemom1 Rosehill Yorkies Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 9,462	I have never put my yorkies (or my children when they were young) outside, unsupervised, and never will.....not even for a second! Thank goodness they survived the road, birds of prey, roaming dogs, wild animals like coyotes or big old mean house cats, and then there are the thieves that scour the newspapers and yards for yorkies to steal and resell for a tidy profit..... Last edited by Yorkiemom1; 02-26-2016 at 03:26 PM.

02-26-2016, 03:57 PM	#5
JadeD YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC Posts: 1,201 Blog Entries: 1	I am so glad someone grabbed them for you! I make sure that most of my neighbors know what my dogs look like and they also know that my dogs are never allowed to just run free, so if they see them free they will either let me know or try to catch them. I also know all my neighbors dog's and do the same except for the neighbor who lets his dog run free all over my property, there is no point in telling him that his dog is on my property because he doesn't care. He has an underground fence but he won't put the collar on the dog because the dog "whines and doesn't like it." Anyway, glad your neighbor cared enough to grab them and keep them for you. I would do the same for a neighbor of mine that wasn't home or I couldn't reach and I would leave a note on their door to let them know where their dog was or call them if I could. I don't have a fence and have to walk all 4 of my dogs on leashes at least 4 times a day. If I had a fence it would be just for letting them out to potty for a few minutes while I was not far or to go out and play in while I get some sunshine. I hope you figure out how they got out, I would be terrified if I came home and my babies were gone. __________________ It's raining Yorkies here! LOL Teek ,Rowan , Raksha (Grand Puppy) , Raelyn

02-26-2016, 04:08 PM	#6
TxVicki Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: At Home Posts: 8,386	I am glad that your babies are safe and back home where they belong. I will say this, NO HOW, NO WAY would I ever leave my dog's outside alone when I wasn't home, OR have any access thru a doggie door to outside when not home. This situation could have turned out very bad. I am ALWAYS outside when my dog's are out, even tho we have a 6 foot fence all the way around. You just never know what can happen when they aren't being watched. __________________ [SIZE="3"VICKI & ALLIE[/SIZE]

02-27-2016, 11:54 AM	#8
Russpilot Donating 500 Club Member Join Date: May 2015 Location: Jacksonville, FL USA Posts: 881	So glad that they made it back home. I would be devastated if my girls got out! __________________ Russ, Denise, Bella and Bailey .

02-26-2016, 12:48 PM	#2
Magnus Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Northern VA Posts: 3,192	Personally, I wouldn't let my furries outside at any time without supervision. I've heard so many horror stories where dogs have been stolen/taken by predators (human AND animals).

02-26-2016, 03:44 PM	#4
Tay65 YT Addict Join Date: May 2015 Location: Washington,pa, united states Posts: 287	You are very lucky to have them back. Noone was home while they were outside? I would never do that. I treat my baby as if she's human.

02-27-2016, 11:40 AM	#7
Nicksy Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: GB Posts: 24	I guess what I was looking for with this thread was suggestions as to how they could have escaped, for instance has anyone ever heard of a yorkie being able to climb a 4-6 foot vertical wooden fence with vertical slats? I am doubtful about this as I have never seen them climb and both dogs got 'over' (one is a teapot and the other is ~7.5 lbs). I think the most likely cause was that a cat knocked the latch as it went over the 6 foot gate (husband didn't lock it). Curious puppies found open gate and went for a walk, gate blew shut before I got back after neighbour phoned. Less likely, someone got into our back garden and left the above gate with the latch open when they left, without moving our bins to get out onto the driveway or being seen coming from behind our bins (or entering our property). Puppies were inside asleep when this happened but later found the gate open and went for a walk. Gate blew shut before I got back. Our property is overlooked by home-all day neighbours and the side street, and we use a burglar alarm so I think this is unlikely. We also live in a very low-crime area e.g. 2-3 a month. They have cat flaps that we installed to help them with potty training. They can now hold their bladders all day, so I will start locking the flaps whilst we are at work, but given their early life of freedom I think they will be bored locked in the kitchen all day ... so I would feel bad about doing this. They are a bit young and playful to be left to roam the house unsupervised . The only threat in the garden would be a dog thief - which I would say is a slim risk as they are not visible from the road (they are too large for birds of prey). We have a camera in the kitchen so I had been checking on them several times a day up to now. Out on the road the only threat would again have been opportunistic thieves and cars.

02-27-2016, 12:09 PM	#9
Mayzoo YT 500 Club Member Join Date: May 2015 Location: Texas Posts: 534	Live and learn. I am very glad they got home okay. I hope you discover how they got out or they may get out right under your nose next time . __________________ Mario was adopted May 2015. Now he is a service dog and brother to Bailey the Airdale mix

02-27-2016, 02:07 PM	#10
Jkpal YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Lake Geneva, WI Posts: 2,776	Even in light of your latest post, please do not leave these little loves outside unattended. I understand all you're saying about their being bored in the kitchen (so they'll sleep a little more probably), the security of your yard and residence, et al, but anything can happen when they're left outside alone--Whenever outside, these pups should have a real live human nearby, ever-on-the-alert. You said yourself you don't know how they got out, but obviously they did and it can certainly happen again and you don't want to lose them...

02-27-2016, 02:31 PM	#11
Mayzoo YT 500 Club Member Join Date: May 2015 Location: Texas Posts: 534	I missed your second post. My family had a small dog that could escape from anywhere when I was a small child. He was a mutt, but if he could do it at 8-10 lbs, any small dog with guile can do it. We had a 6 foot wooden privacy fence and still my family did not keep him in. I was little, but knowing my sister, I am sure she tried diligently. The methods of escape for these types of dogs is so vast, none of us have any way to speculate how they may have done it. He was gone so often, he went through less than 15lbs of food a year, and my sister's best friend also thought she "owned" him until my sister went over to meet the new dog. If you want to keep them safe, they will have to stay indoors unless supervised. __________________ Mario was adopted May 2015. Now he is a service dog and brother to Bailey the Airdale mix

02-27-2016, 06:14 PM	#12
Shicks YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Friendsville Tn. Posts: 879 Blog Entries: 1	My little guy is wild outside. Will take off in a heartbeat. Anything seems to set him off, from bugs, bees, birds people, wind, snow, etc. So of course I have him on a leash. Even if I had a fence, I still wouldn't trust him. There are days I'm outside more than in to let him play & be himself. __________________ Yorkies makes us happy

03-01-2016, 09:15 AM	#14
maggiefromnj YT Addict Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: nj Posts: 497	They may be too little too jump out, doesn't mean something bigger can't jump IN! Or something can dig in. It will be very hard to tell how they got out. Grass against a fence can hide a depression big enough for them to slip under. You will have to check very carefully every inch of fence. They will be fine inside during the day.