I have a 10 month old yellow Lab who is quite large. I love her to death, but unfortunately the neighbors are not so fond of her. I can't put her on a chain, because there is too much in our yard for her to get tangled up on (basketball goal, five cars, steps, trees, etc). I have an electric fence which works pretty good except for when she gets really excited and runs through it, at which point she won't come back through it.
She's driving my neighbors crazy, because she will steal pillows off of their porch. I just bought her three new toys and I got a new puppy for her to play with in hopes that she would stay home. However just this morning she escaped. Any suggestions short of giving her up and or moving to Alaska?
By Meagan from NC
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Those electric fences cause more problems than they are worth (except to a dog trainer like myself who can then charge you a good sum to retrain your dog to be willing to go into your yard and your vet for when a roaming dog attacks your unprotected dog). You should put up a real fence or get a dog run. Do not chain your dog, that can be deadly and will encourage aggressive behavior.
If you cannot afford to fence your yard in (or rent), consider getting a kennel for your dog. Ours is 6x12 feet--we paid extra for a panel for the top. It is really heavy duty chain link and extremely sturdy. While you shouldn't keep a dog in one constantly because they need to be walked daily, they are great for allowing a dog to be outside without you for periods of time. We have it ours on a covered porch for our cat. He has a dog house in it, a litter box, food bowls, and ramps to climb and lie on.
We have one for our boxer/lab mix. She is 1 1/2 yrs old. She is tearing it up from the bottom of the fence and getting out. We've re-enforced it several times with more metal ties, but she chews up another spot.
Did you consider putting a fence up? If you have a huge yard like I do, you don't have to fence the whole thing all at once. We are doing ours a section at a time as we can afford it.
Either build a real fence, shorten her chain (regular collar and not choke chain, of course) or keep her indoors with you.
Contact the fence company because the frequency is not high enough. I wouldn't keep her on a chain. that can choke her too. I would build a hard fence and make sure it is sturdy enough for her to handle. Also, dog training helps in lots of ways. Look up Ceasar Milan's website to see what you can do too. Good Luck. I am so glad you love her. OH another think, I hope she is microchipped if she runs off too.
I agree with fencing a portion of the yard for when your dog goes outside. Never use a chain. Take her for long walks or to a dog park if possible and she will get her exercise.
Please, please don't keep her in the yard when you aren't around to supervise. That is like keeping a toddler outside all day with no supervision. You can easily crate train her (unless you are gone for 6+ hrs a day - then it is cruel) or train her to be non-destructive and keep her inside where she can be safe. Dogs don't want to be left outside without their people. They are pack animals who want to be with their "packs" you! If she was important enough to you to so that you wanted to share your home with her, then invest a little time and training and really make her a member of the family. If not, contact a lab rescue, make a donation to them and ask them to find a forever home for her. To do anything else is just wrong.
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