[kadesgirl09]

my dogs wont stay home... they are fine if we are outside with them but the minute we look away they are gone! this made me very depressed on mother's day because I had no clue if they were ok or if someone had taken them (full blooded boxer and pit bull... very friendly and very cute) well I got an underground fence dug yesterday while they were missing and once the girls came home today from the shelter my mother-in-law and brother-in-law are trying to train them... but they went right through the fence... took the pain to run free. we are only renting this house for a year so theres no reason to build a fence (the property will be bull dozed next year) so I dont know what to do. my dogs are my children. if they wont stay home I will have to find homes for them and thats the last thing I want to do. sorry I had to rant a bit because this is causing me excessive worry and stress. I constantly text home to see what they are doing and if they are being good while I'm at work. I'm getting them tags this weekend and hopefully microchipped soon but until then I'm a ball of nerves. And my husband has no love for dogs so he doesnt understand.

[splitz]

Hi.
How upsetting for you.
Def get them microchipped as soon as you can.
If you are only going to be staying there for a year why don't you get them some long ropes / chains to tie them to when they are outside? It won't hurt them if it's for a short time and you will know they are safe, just make sure they have access to water / shelter and don't leave them out if no one is home, I did this with my dogs until I could get a dog proof fence.
Please don't take it personally and think they want to get away from you, they don't, they are just being dogs and exploring and there being two of them gives them more of a pack mentality. My dog often finds a new way through my 'dog proof' fence, it's not because he hates me it's because he likes exploring and is intelligent. Luckily he has only ever once got onto the 'road' (a very quiet gravel track) but he decided I was more interesting than the farmer down the road and came when I called him (often he just switches his ears off!) most of the time he just gets into the paddock with my horses and mooches around.
How old are your dogs? Could you take them to dog training? I know it won't make them stay in your garden but it might make them come back if you catch them making a run for it.
Good luck.
Splitz

[kadesgirl09]

haha... oh they come back when I call them if they are close enough to hear me yelling. I do have two long leads for them to be tied up but I just worry about them getting tangled and wrapped around trees. I always start off tying them up in the morning before I go to work and then once someone is up with them they can let them loose. anyways, thanks for the advise splitz!

[lonegael]

Good that you care enough to get them properly labled and all. some woofers just have wanderlust. Huggs

[kadesgirl09]

thanks. Now I feel like I am abusing them. I got an underground electric fence so they could have the backyard to play and I swear they are traumatized by it. The only want to stay in their kennels that they sleep in and then once I drag them outside so they can go potty they just do their business then stay right in the middle of the yard. I made sure the setting was as low as it could go giving them as much room as possible to play but they are just so solemn and down now. Man I feel so bad about this. And I love them so much I just want them to be happy. But we live off a busy road and I would rather they didnt happy themselves out into traffic or into a coyote's den in the woods behind us. UGH...

[Shangrala]

Have you considered making a dog lead run for them out of cable?

There was a time many eons ago when I had a Redbone Coon Hound (very active breed) and no fenced yard to keep her in. So I attached a heavy cable (about shoulder height, maybe bit higher) from the corner of house to the tree in corner of yard (if no tree, put post/pole into ground to attach to). Make it tight and attach a leash from that to (preferably) a harness, (keeps em from strangling selves). Allow the leash to glide freely along the cable as the dog moves, and long enough so the dog can lay down.

This method worked wonderfully for me....might for you, too, and its CHEAP to make.
But you know...you have two dogs..hard to say how the results would be with that....hmmm....dilemma...lmao.

Shangrala