Peri the Escape Artist!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

DH and I got back last night from a trip to Dallas to stay with my sister and also attend a wedding of a friend from college.  Dood and chihuahua stayed with their grandparents, as usual.  Keep in mind DH and I are big travelers and the dogs stay with my parents at least once a month - they have since Peri was probably 5 months old. In return, we keep their terrier (aka Lucy the Imposter) when they go out of town, which is also frequent! 

 

Their backyard is walled off and has a fence on one side. It is perfect for the dogs.  The side of the yard is also walled, but at the front there is an iron inoperable gate. Well, I guess it is not a gate since it doesn't open.  The openings between the iron are probably 6 inches max.  You see where I am going with this....

 

I get a TEXT from my mom at 5pm Friday that says "Peri got out somehow.  We were sitting at the table with dogs in backyard & looked up to see her running across the hill on the other side of wall. We ran to front with leash and she did come to your dad when he called her. Boy, were we relieved!  Don't know how she got out.  Jumped over wall? Thru fence? Don't know what to do..."

 

I immediately call mom and dad - dad thinks they may have left the gate on the other side open.  Mom said no way.  Anyway, I reiterated that they are not to leave the dogs outside alone at any time, especially with this mystery at hand.

 

Yesterday, we were waiting to board the plane, so I called home to make sure they were going to drop the dogs off at our place so we could see them when we got home later last night. Mom told me they had been inside cooking and the dogs were in the back and all of the sudden, Lucy the terrier is barking like a madwoman at the back yard and is frantic. Mom came outside and Peri was gone.  They went to the front yard (unfenced, probably 1.5 acres) and she is zooming around in circles.  Again, she came to them (thank goodness!).  So they finally figured the only way she was getting out was through the iron slats.  They will be adding some additional fencing to prevent another escape!!

 

My question is how long has she been plotting this?  And when did she escape?  DH told me he thinks it has been a long time coming because she has been sneaking around in the bushes back there lately (we go over every Sunday for family day).

 

Two reminders: 1. make sure your fence is secure.  2. work on recall with your dood!

 

And finally, I owe Lucy the Imposter BIG TIME.  Thanks to her notifying my parents of the escape artist!

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Whew, glad all ended well, she's a sneaky little bugger isn't she.

[Carol and Banjo]

Great re-call Peri!    Whew!   I would imagine you're parents were quite frantic....so glad all is well.      You really have to watch out for those sweet, innocent types!

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

Gee wizz these doods are so smart.  Great Peri came back and didn't get too far away. I just double checked our garden the other day as Riley was spending a lot of time at the back part and I was just thinking he may be planning something.  There's a big mound of earth and he stands on top of it which of course makes the 8 foot wall somewhat lower.  I never leave him there for more than a few minutes but that mound of earth will have to go!

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

These puffy doodles of ours can look too big to slip between slats but as you know, when they are wet they are skinny things...we put mesh across our iron driveway gate when Gracie Doodle was a puppy and we still have it there more so now to keep the neighbor's little dogs from coming in.  I have to now worry more about Gracie who can jump a 5 ft. fence/gate.  We have extended all our fences!  She would never leave us but will only jump when other neighborhood dogs are out who are her daily playmates!

[Leslie and Halas]

I'm so relieved that she stayed close and came right back to them.  We just had to go around my mom's yard and block off some open areas in the fence.  The ground has settled in some places, so there's a gap between the fence and the ground.  The gaps aren't big enough for Halas to get through, but Mom's new dog, Barley, is really small and could squeeze through.  We did it the day she got Barley, so he never had a chance to go around and scout the weak areas.

[Donna K & Quincy]

This is definitely one of those times when it is good to have your friends rat on you. Glad Lady Peri didn't go far.