My dog would come waay before my deck. our deck was rippied apart when my duck got stuck under there. There was a small opening and when he got under there, he was too dumb to get back out. After 45 minutes of him going around quaking in a panic my dad ripped up the deck himself. Im sorry but my dog is worth way more then a deck. I wouldnt chance anymore then a half hour before tearing it up if it were my dog