Jasmine could have been killed
 

I was so mad at Jasmine Saturday and scared to death at the same time.
We live out of town, but on a busy highway. We live on 30 acres Our house is a long way back from the highway. It has a winding road (driveway) that goes to the highway. There is lots of trees and a hill between the house and the highway. Saturday morning all 3 of the dogs wanted out. (I just had my silky cafftan and houseslippers on. My hair not combed.
We have always taken Jasmine out on a leash, but not the other 2. They always stay right beside me. I thought I would try Jasmine without a leash. BIG MISTAKE. The minute I stepped out, she started running to the right of me through the trees and then doubled back and ran to the left. I started yelling"come here baby, come here to mama" and trying to run after her. She would not stop. She found the road down to the highway and started to run down it, I couldn't keep up with her as I am no spring chicken. I yelled at our Westie to go with her, he started after her and looked like he was even trying to head her off, but couldn't. The closer she got to the highway, the more I began to panic. I could just see her and Duffy running right on to the highway and getting killed. I was screaming at her by then and crying. She just kept running. When she got to the highway, thank God instead of running right on to it, she saw something in the ditch that caught her attention and stopped and I was able to get around between her and the highway. I headed her off and she started running through the gate and back up the road, About half way there, she took off through the field with all the tall grass, brambles, etc. She finally stopped and I was able to grab her. I think she stopped because she was exhausted. I was so scared and mad I picked her up and paddled her little behind. The first spanking I ever gave her. When I got back to the house, I put her in the crate and made her stay there for about 3 hours. The crate is in the familyroom/kitchen and every time I walked by it, I bitched at her. By this time my husband thought it was funny. I just couldn't get my mind off of seeing her killed before my eyes. It still scares me to think about it. I could have lost her and Duffy both as he was staying right with her.
I was wanting to get a pet door, but can't trust her. What can I do to get her not to run off. We have a pool and 3 large decks all across the back of our house. We spend so much time out there in the summer and I love to spend time gardening and taking care of all my flowers. I want her to be able to spend time on the decks and go outside with us. What do I do?

PS All the motorist going by on the highway, must have thought I was a crazy woman running down the road in my long flowing (and a little flimsy) cafftan with my frowzy, uncombed hair, screaming and crying.

Bailey was a BOLT and RUN dog for a long time, and I soon realized DON'T chase them, They love it,and it makes if more fun for them,, I then started to ignore, him and he would always return, with a " Hmm, no reaction, no chasing and yelling, look." That's not any fun.
But, I understand the first time,,is horrible, I have SO been the crazy lady in the neighborhood running and yelling for the little crazy dog. I'm sure my neighbors were quite amused. :rolleyes:

Bless your heart. I know what fear you must have been feeling. They can give you a heart attack. That's the terrier in them. I would really suggest fencing the back area. That way you could all relax and enjoy the back decks and yard, too. That's the only suggestion I have. That's the first thing we did after our house was finished. Called a man and had two areas fenced, so we could open the back door and that was their freedom. Ours have loved that yard and each has spent so much time out there that it is unbelievable. They were all very possessive of it, too. Those darn birds better not light in their yard or they'd get chased away pronto! :D

:eek: Oh my God I can just imaging how scary that was! You poor thing! I have never let Louie off the leash either....one time when my daughter and I were at my sons football game we brought Louie and I had him on the leash....well, we were standing at one of those chain link fences....on the other side of it was a cemetary....well, Louie slipped under the fences and somehow scoochied himself out of his harness.....now im on one side of this neverending fence and he is on the other! :eek: ....I was soooooo scared......it took a few minutes but I finally coakst (sp) haha.......him into crawling back to me......I dont think I would ever let either of mine off a leash. I would not trust them. They are way too playful and curious. I was thinking of making a huge fenced in area for them in my yard this spring. Something escape proof. I dont understand how people know the first time they let their dogs of a leash that they are not going to bolt? Is it their temperment? Anyways, im rambling, but Im so glad that this story of yours had a happy ending.....that last part had me :yelrotflm

so glad she is ok, i know the feeling, i think it makes you age 10years when something like that happens...the thing that gets me so mad , they keep running and its like they ignore you when your calling them...mean while your heart is in your mouth and all you could imagine is seeing them spatted on the road...what a terrible feeling that is....how can we get them to come when we call them...?

You poor thing! :( I am so sorry you had to go through such a terrible scare. I know exactly how you feel. I'm not sure how you could get your little baby from bolting though.. Some never grow out of it. I am now in the process of begging my father to build us a fence around our backyard for the very same reason. We live back into the woods and we are far from the road but my babies have bolted and been caught down at the road too. I have learned though that when I take Harley out all by himself and keep a VERY close eye on him he tends not to want to go exploring like a mad man. When the others are all out with him.. They ALL leave.. Once four out of our five dogs were missing for about an hour or so and it took my mom in her car, me on horse back and my aunt walking around all through the woods to finally find and round up all of them. It was heart wrenching and I hope it never happens again. All of them were spanked and put away in seperate rooms/crates with no toys and no attention for the rest of the day. Some workers who were working on the power lines WAY WAY WAY down the road from where I live said they ran four dogs off the road and out of traffics way and said there were three medium sized and one tiny one.. And after hearing that all I could see in the back of my mind is seeing/finding all of my dogs dead on the road..

Wow! Thank god all turned out OK. I just put myself into your shoes. If mine would do that she would get more than a spanking. As cruel as it may sound, but next time she would not even think of doing it. The crate would be her only hope for salvation and she would not want to come out for some time.

I can relate!
 

When we got Gage, we let him out along with Gabby in order to work on outside potty training. We live way back off the road but we are on a dead end street, and we are also surrounded by woods. Gage would always get out the gate before we could stop him and forget stopping when we'd yell at him (made him run faster in the opposite direction). We started closing the gate (once we are all home for the day) and he is now at a point where even if the gate is open, he won't go out of it. Each time he goes to the gate, I tell him "backyard" (that's how we trained Gabby to not go in the front yard). It's taken us about 3 months of really working with him on it and it's finally paying off. Like someone else suggested, if your backyard is not fenced, you may want to consider doing that to contain your little one where you want. Best of luck!

I have the same problem with PIta, she can be soo good off leash sometimes, but when she gets it in her head to go to the neighbors, she's gone.

I bought a lightweight clothes line for $1.00 at Target and attach it to her harness, she has 65 feet of rope, and she can play all she wants but can't run down the road! I don't leave her by herself on it but when I'm outside it's sweet peace of mind!

Oh, Wow! I'm so sorry that happened! The only thing I can suggest is the same as Karen, and fence a part of the backyard for them. Or you could get an xpen & put it out there & keep her in it when your outside. Lucky has done the same thing before but it was dark & I live in a neighborhood, so it was very scary! I was running down the road screaming my head off at like midnight! I'm surprised I didn't get the cops called on me! LOL! :D

oh my, that must have been such a scare!! I'm glad it worked out! I think with patience and training, they will know not to run off. Good Luck!

Well, as big a fan as I am of teaching a solid "come" and "stay", I still would never trust a Yorkie in an unfenced area - it's just too risky!

It seems to me that you have 2 options: fence the backyard (or at least part of it) or keep your pups on a leash outside. If you don't want to leash your pups to you, they make all kinds of "tie-out" equipment for dogs.

I'm so glad that your baby excaped serious injury!!!

As scary as that, imagine this. We had just moved in our house, husband had built escape proof fence,LOL, for the first 3 days I stayed out there w/ my 10 little darlings every time they were out. Day 4 I left them alone, had to get some unpacking done, I look out my kitchen window & see this Yorkie running by,double take, it's one of mine.I go flying out the back door and it looked like a 3 ring circus of Yorkies. All 10 had escaped and running all over the place. Thank goodness 4 of my new neighbors heard my crazy old lady screaming & running in circles and came out to help. We finally rounded them all up and introduced ourselves. Great way to make a 1st impression in your new neighborhood.

Thank God everything turned out OK. I also firmly believe that even with a fenced in yard they still can escape. I would never let either one of mine out without a leash unless completely fenced in. These little guys get so easily distracted and by their nature want to go run and chase.

How scary.....when I was little my poodle was hit and kiiled by a car on the road in front of my house......I have nightmares about it to this day and will never let it happen again. We have a wrought iron fnece around our property that the yokries can fit through but the Westie and the standard poodle cannot. I let the westie and the poodle out by themselves but I have a covered patio area that I have x-penned off for the yorkies. The door to it is right off my computer desk off the kitchen nook and it is only open when we are home and in that room.

Otherwise they go out only on a leash. I have 19 exterior doors so I am always in a panic that someone is going to leave a door open and the yorkies will escape. I have also trained a firm "come" and "stay" but yorkies are terriers and sometimes they just have a mindof their own.

Good luck with a solution...let us know what you do!! Your place sounds so beautiful...wish I had 30 acres!! :)

WOW 19 Exterior doors??? What a house! Not only do you have to worry about your dogs goin out that's alot of doors for strangers to come IN!
It would take me all night just to lock up! LOL

SoCal Yorkies: You have to post a pic of your house!! I have never seen 19 exterior doors in my life!! Heck, only have 13 total doors and that includes closets!!!
Suz

Some of you guys are right, I probably made it worse by chasing her, but I'm not sure she would have stopped anyway. She usually minds pretty well. She gets her feelings hurt if I scold her, but Saturday nothing seemed to phase her. She completely ignored me.

After I let her out of the crate, she was my husband's baby for quite a while. She finally couldn't stand it and came over and wanted some lovin' from mommy.

I wanted to redecorate my kitchen this summer. We built our home 18 years ago. so it is needing new flooring, new countertops. I wanted a new couch and chair for the living room, new paint in some of the rooms. Didn't have fencing budgeted, but something else may have to wait.

I second that!!!!

I can also relate to the crazy lady running after her Yorkie. They just don't listen, except if I say, "treat", well then, that is a different story.

I have a fence, but still keep Sadie on a leash. She is a digger.

So glad this story had a happy ending.

That is soo scary!! I can totally relate!
A few weeks ago my friends and I went out Christmas carroling. I figured we might as well stop by my house so I can let the dogs out (no one was home) so I go and take Tucker out of his cage and just as I put him down my friend Mary comes in to help me with Rusty and Tucker is GONE. I never saw him run so fast in his life. Meanwhile I was flipping out and crying and screaming. If it wasn't for my friends catching him, I don't know if we'd have him today. It was so scary! Just like you all I could think about was him getting hit by a car. If he had gone in the other direction he would have headed right onto the turnpike! :eek:

Anyway, I'm glad you had a happy ending! I'm so sorry you had to go through that!

Yes yes yes!! It must be beautiful!

My goodness
 

I'm so glad your babies weren't hurt. I had a Yorkie like that and unfortunately, when she shot out of the house like a bolt of lightening, she ran right into the street and got killed; so, I know how you were feeling.

I bet you were a funny sight though :)

So glad your baby and you ar ok. I have a runner to, Rudy has scared the poot out of me a couple of times. Now no door is open unless Rudy in in my arms.

my sister-in-law has never had her yorkie on a leash. they live on a busy highway out of town and their yorkie never even tries to go near the road. I don't understand why some do and some don't. ahia got out the door at their house too and guess where she went? right down the middle of the highway! and me running in busy traffic right down the middle too. i figured if they were going to hit her, they were going to hit me first. I dont now what i would have done if it were not for a motorist stopping and picking her up for me. this was while we were visiting in Ohio. I think she was headed back to Texas.
Your heart drops to the bottom of the stomach!
glad it was ok for you in the end.

I don't understand why some run and some don't either. Jasmine usually minds pretty well, other than that.
My granddaughters Yorkie, who is the same age went out Saturday, too, but didn't follow us down the road. On the way back, I thought "Oh, my Gosh, where is Murphy." I had been so upset worrying about my two, I had forgotten about him. He was calmly sitting on the porch.
He seems to have a little calmer, more laid back personality than Jas. She's the one that runs the show at our house. The two boys who are both bigger than her, will back down or back off when she growls at them. We laugh at her bossing them around.

Oh I know how frightening that is. Peawee bolts and runs . He has given me a few frights myself. I'm glad everything turned out ok.

I know exactly how you feel! Tucker has gotten out twice, and he runs like a rabbit up the street. He's so little, I know the only reason he didn't get hit was because there were no cars coming. He is always on a leash but he pulls so hard sometimes it pulls it right out of your hand. Our lab, Rusty, used to run off until he got hit by a car. That scared him so badly he doesn't leave the yard now, but that is one rough way to learn a lesson.