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One Owner’s Journey to Stop Her Dog Escaping – You Don’t Know Until You Know!
Courtesy of Greta Wilson - https://www.facebook.com/bertieschoicesa?mibextid=ZbWKwL
Courtesy of Greta Wilson - https://www.facebook.com/bertieschoicesa?mibextid=ZbWKwL
This is the experience that I had with my Boxer dog, Mangolina (Mango for short), who became a professional escape artists, and I hope that by reading it, and seeing how we eventually solved this problem, maybe of help if you are ever in the same situation.
Mango took dog jumping agility classes and had clearly learned particularly well! However, the agility was also one of her energy channels as I always prioritise physical environmental and mental enrichment for my dogs (Mango is my 6th Boxer and as is I'm well aware of the vast daily energy purging requirements of my beloved breed). My dogs don't lack for Kong’s, Lick Mats, scatter mats, Robusta balls, thick, long boating rope tied to a tree to tug, Mango's beloved tyre she enjoys nibbling, regular walk schedules, and one another's company (never replaces their humans though).
As a puppy, Mangolina wall leapt into my neighbours property on two occasions. The first was when her people and the two other boxers were off the property, and we did not realize this had occurred until my neighbour declared that there was one very boisterous Boxer in their yard – Horrors! Second time was also when visiting same neighbours, but this time my other two boxers were at home with mango, rather than visiting neighbours with me.
Fast forward to Mango joining my mom or me when either of us would walk up the road, with or without Kerneelz, my other dog, despite one of us staying at home with her. She still did not wall leap if either of us would walk down the road in the opposite direction.
Let me stress it is not a low wall and has had spikes all of Mangolina's life, and for years prior. Our character-filled, eternal Mango will be 5 in December, and came to me at 9 weeks and 6 age, and apart from the puppy episodes had never attempted to wall jump in between.
So now... fast forward to no longer being able to walk across the road anymore, with or without my other dog, Kerneelz. Okay, no problem. We drive away for our walkies. Problem solved, or so we thought. Mango and my elderly mother are incredibly bonded, as my mom is a key part of her routine (plus I reckon Mango is my mom's pet assisted therapy dog!). I focus on my partially blind, stone deaf, frail, very old Boxer Kerneelz (loan wheelchair for bad days thanks to Vesper on Wheels NGO). My mom focuses on Mango, but I take Mango on her walks. She adores me for this, as she loves her sniffs and is adept at leaping over logs, onto tree branches, leaping over children's swings, park benches, into lakes, swims far to retrieve sticks, you name it.
So now my mom went away for ten days during October. The day after she left, our Mangolina leapt the wall when I was briefly chatting to a client. She did this again the following day in the second it took for me to walk from the other driveway gate back to the main driveway gate, while another astonished client looked on! This I could write off, as Mango had done this before when a friend and I finished off coffee in her car and watched Mango clambering over the tall, spiked wall to join us where her car was parked immediately beyond Mangolina's garden wall.
So now... fast forward to (my mom still away) driving to a friend for coffee and I inform my friend I feel I must quickly check my messages. The moment I read there's a Boxer straying in my immediate neighbourhood I replied that it must be my Mango (I know all the Boxers by now I think, not many in my area). I bolt to my car and as I draw near home a friend calls to inform me, she's just seen a straying Mango alongside the railway tracks near Main Road! She was travelling just ahead of me, and by the time I got home, Mango had followed her car to a neighbour's house across the road from me. Mango safely back home. Wipe brow.
I immediately knew now I'm sitting with a serious challenge. My severely arthritic old dog suffers pain without daily walks, and I hatched a plan for how I would contain Mangolina ahead of his Sunday morning walk, and it worked for that one walk. I contained Mangolina in the garage and driveway beyond the garage so she had shelter and could see the world going by as she always has street visibility through that street facing gate.
The following day I was at a client in Simon's Town when I received word that Mango is again out, and she had now clearly managed to get over this driveway gate too. I raced home, panicking all the while as photo updates of a clearly terrified Mango frantically running up and down neighbouring roads were posted to our local Lost/Found Pets WhatsApp group. Again, a neighbour hauled butt, and caught and hung onto Mango (she wouldn't let anyone else catch her but knows Beth who she recognised from dog walks). I flung open my car door and Mangolina leapt straight onto my old Boxer Kerneelz's lap. As usual Kerneelz maintained his stoic "Whateverrrr, Mango!" expression. I then kept myself incarcerated for a week until my mom returned ,and the kindness of friends and neighbours sorted me with essential shop supplies as I could not dare leave home.
So, there you have it. Mango learned just shy of entering her 5th year to wall leap even when I would drive off, which was unbeknown to me, until messages would then arrive that Mango has got out.
I founded Boxer Rescue South Africa so am painfully aware of the plight of straying Boxers, among breeds renowned for escape artistry, be it digging under or leaping over. As my sixth Boxer Mango has been my first wall leaper so never say never. Her drive to get to her human was strong, fuelled by severe separation anxiety which only became apparent during this truly appalling episode of my life (yes, I suffered meltdown, post-traumatic stress, my very worst fear realised when my child, my dog, escaped, nogal repeatedly).
Next up came quotes, none of which I could afford, but a friend generously, and with great humanity, stepped in and paid for it all. The cheapest solution (and it's worked): R5,100 for PVC roller bars installed by a former neighbour who had moved away, but always attends to any handyman needs, and he worked till 9 at night, determined to finish the job in one go, even though I offered that he continue the following morning (Capetonians, Andile a.k.a. McGuyver can install all sorts of dog and cat escape artistry proofing solutions: 083 321 0084).
It was a long area of wall to cover, and a tweak was subsequently needed when a week ago Mango escaped again, while I now dared to walk Kerneelz one evening across the road. A friend offered nine Yucca offshoots from her garden (value R6,300 as they sell for upwards of R700 in nurseries). These were duly planted and her suggestion of dishwashing liquid atop the roller bar I adapted to Mr Min which has dirt repellent properties and is as slippery as hell.
Andy then sliced the one metre roller bars into half a metre, Mr Min applied all around the roller bars, and the Yuccas planted along her most popular escape routes (mainly one corner of the street facing wall - yes, my mom and I staged "The Great Escape", taking turns to walk up and down the road and recording where Mango was trying to get out. Even though she didn't get out when we staged it on my Facebook page with friends glued to their seats and popcorn in hand, we knew she had got out the previous evening while I walked Kerneelz across the road (took her at most half a minute into my walk and she was over the roller bars). PVC roller bars can sag under the weight of the dog (aluminium ones are ideal). This is how Mangolina was still getting over and hence Andy cut them in half.
We are one week in since no further escape artistry and long may this last! All sorts of assumptions and judgements come one's way from those not on the ground, but as with anything in life, unless one walked that mile, who was I to know that Mango would years in, alter her wall leaping to inclusion of when I'd drive off.
Mango has always had a COAPE CAPBT behaviourist, and she agrees fully that Mangolina's behaviour was triggered by heading to search for my mother among neighbouring streets. It feels wonderful to know she is now safely contained, touch wood.
Some breeds have infinitely higher drive (remember it is self-rewarding discovering fresh smells, sights and sounds). On this list are, not least (individual genetics per dog come into play, of course): Boxers; German Shepherds; German Shorthaired Pointers; Huskies; Pit Bulls; Malamutes.
Of course, the fact that Mango has good hips, and no spine, shoulder, stifle or elbow issues also came into play as she's athletic and doesn't suffer pain leaping, whereas a dog with hip dysplasia or a cruciate issue, for example, will be that much less inclined to wall leap.
Mango took dog jumping agility classes and had clearly learned particularly well! However, the agility was also one of her energy channels as I always prioritise physical environmental and mental enrichment for my dogs (Mango is my 6th Boxer and as is I'm well aware of the vast daily energy purging requirements of my beloved breed). My dogs don't lack for Kong’s, Lick Mats, scatter mats, Robusta balls, thick, long boating rope tied to a tree to tug, Mango's beloved tyre she enjoys nibbling, regular walk schedules, and one another's company (never replaces their humans though).
As a puppy, Mangolina wall leapt into my neighbours property on two occasions. The first was when her people and the two other boxers were off the property, and we did not realize this had occurred until my neighbour declared that there was one very boisterous Boxer in their yard – Horrors! Second time was also when visiting same neighbours, but this time my other two boxers were at home with mango, rather than visiting neighbours with me.
Fast forward to Mango joining my mom or me when either of us would walk up the road, with or without Kerneelz, my other dog, despite one of us staying at home with her. She still did not wall leap if either of us would walk down the road in the opposite direction.
Let me stress it is not a low wall and has had spikes all of Mangolina's life, and for years prior. Our character-filled, eternal Mango will be 5 in December, and came to me at 9 weeks and 6 age, and apart from the puppy episodes had never attempted to wall jump in between.
So now... fast forward to no longer being able to walk across the road anymore, with or without my other dog, Kerneelz. Okay, no problem. We drive away for our walkies. Problem solved, or so we thought. Mango and my elderly mother are incredibly bonded, as my mom is a key part of her routine (plus I reckon Mango is my mom's pet assisted therapy dog!). I focus on my partially blind, stone deaf, frail, very old Boxer Kerneelz (loan wheelchair for bad days thanks to Vesper on Wheels NGO). My mom focuses on Mango, but I take Mango on her walks. She adores me for this, as she loves her sniffs and is adept at leaping over logs, onto tree branches, leaping over children's swings, park benches, into lakes, swims far to retrieve sticks, you name it.
So now my mom went away for ten days during October. The day after she left, our Mangolina leapt the wall when I was briefly chatting to a client. She did this again the following day in the second it took for me to walk from the other driveway gate back to the main driveway gate, while another astonished client looked on! This I could write off, as Mango had done this before when a friend and I finished off coffee in her car and watched Mango clambering over the tall, spiked wall to join us where her car was parked immediately beyond Mangolina's garden wall.
So now... fast forward to (my mom still away) driving to a friend for coffee and I inform my friend I feel I must quickly check my messages. The moment I read there's a Boxer straying in my immediate neighbourhood I replied that it must be my Mango (I know all the Boxers by now I think, not many in my area). I bolt to my car and as I draw near home a friend calls to inform me, she's just seen a straying Mango alongside the railway tracks near Main Road! She was travelling just ahead of me, and by the time I got home, Mango had followed her car to a neighbour's house across the road from me. Mango safely back home. Wipe brow.
I immediately knew now I'm sitting with a serious challenge. My severely arthritic old dog suffers pain without daily walks, and I hatched a plan for how I would contain Mangolina ahead of his Sunday morning walk, and it worked for that one walk. I contained Mangolina in the garage and driveway beyond the garage so she had shelter and could see the world going by as she always has street visibility through that street facing gate.
The following day I was at a client in Simon's Town when I received word that Mango is again out, and she had now clearly managed to get over this driveway gate too. I raced home, panicking all the while as photo updates of a clearly terrified Mango frantically running up and down neighbouring roads were posted to our local Lost/Found Pets WhatsApp group. Again, a neighbour hauled butt, and caught and hung onto Mango (she wouldn't let anyone else catch her but knows Beth who she recognised from dog walks). I flung open my car door and Mangolina leapt straight onto my old Boxer Kerneelz's lap. As usual Kerneelz maintained his stoic "Whateverrrr, Mango!" expression. I then kept myself incarcerated for a week until my mom returned ,and the kindness of friends and neighbours sorted me with essential shop supplies as I could not dare leave home.
So, there you have it. Mango learned just shy of entering her 5th year to wall leap even when I would drive off, which was unbeknown to me, until messages would then arrive that Mango has got out.
I founded Boxer Rescue South Africa so am painfully aware of the plight of straying Boxers, among breeds renowned for escape artistry, be it digging under or leaping over. As my sixth Boxer Mango has been my first wall leaper so never say never. Her drive to get to her human was strong, fuelled by severe separation anxiety which only became apparent during this truly appalling episode of my life (yes, I suffered meltdown, post-traumatic stress, my very worst fear realised when my child, my dog, escaped, nogal repeatedly).
Next up came quotes, none of which I could afford, but a friend generously, and with great humanity, stepped in and paid for it all. The cheapest solution (and it's worked): R5,100 for PVC roller bars installed by a former neighbour who had moved away, but always attends to any handyman needs, and he worked till 9 at night, determined to finish the job in one go, even though I offered that he continue the following morning (Capetonians, Andile a.k.a. McGuyver can install all sorts of dog and cat escape artistry proofing solutions: 083 321 0084).
It was a long area of wall to cover, and a tweak was subsequently needed when a week ago Mango escaped again, while I now dared to walk Kerneelz one evening across the road. A friend offered nine Yucca offshoots from her garden (value R6,300 as they sell for upwards of R700 in nurseries). These were duly planted and her suggestion of dishwashing liquid atop the roller bar I adapted to Mr Min which has dirt repellent properties and is as slippery as hell.
Andy then sliced the one metre roller bars into half a metre, Mr Min applied all around the roller bars, and the Yuccas planted along her most popular escape routes (mainly one corner of the street facing wall - yes, my mom and I staged "The Great Escape", taking turns to walk up and down the road and recording where Mango was trying to get out. Even though she didn't get out when we staged it on my Facebook page with friends glued to their seats and popcorn in hand, we knew she had got out the previous evening while I walked Kerneelz across the road (took her at most half a minute into my walk and she was over the roller bars). PVC roller bars can sag under the weight of the dog (aluminium ones are ideal). This is how Mangolina was still getting over and hence Andy cut them in half.
We are one week in since no further escape artistry and long may this last! All sorts of assumptions and judgements come one's way from those not on the ground, but as with anything in life, unless one walked that mile, who was I to know that Mango would years in, alter her wall leaping to inclusion of when I'd drive off.
Mango has always had a COAPE CAPBT behaviourist, and she agrees fully that Mangolina's behaviour was triggered by heading to search for my mother among neighbouring streets. It feels wonderful to know she is now safely contained, touch wood.
Some breeds have infinitely higher drive (remember it is self-rewarding discovering fresh smells, sights and sounds). On this list are, not least (individual genetics per dog come into play, of course): Boxers; German Shepherds; German Shorthaired Pointers; Huskies; Pit Bulls; Malamutes.
Of course, the fact that Mango has good hips, and no spine, shoulder, stifle or elbow issues also came into play as she's athletic and doesn't suffer pain leaping, whereas a dog with hip dysplasia or a cruciate issue, for example, will be that much less inclined to wall leap.
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I want to stress that I would never consider electric fencing. I am severely against aversives and advocate management of containment of escape artist dogs as stressing only fear-free methods.
Mango is known to run to below the window where the tenant's cats sit watching her and lies in the sand below (tenant has always told us this as she's seen it many times when Mango lies there while we are out). We assumed Mango is fine when we are out as she would always immediately walk away from the driveway gate when we would drive off. No one wants to hear the news their dog is straying. It is hell on earth.
Once my Yuccas yield baby Yuccas, if you have escape artist dogs and I have baby Yuccas to spare, do get in touch with me, I'm all ears to your challenges! A friend solved her wall leaping, wall walking Weimaraner challenge spanning years, by in the end merely planting tons of Yuccas along her wall and I'm so grateful for the Yuccas she gave).
Cost: R5,100 labour and installation of roller bars. Mr Min cans: 2 for R40 on special, normally 1 for approximately R50. Needed four cans so R80. Yuccas valued at R700 each times nine, so R6,300. R11,480 to safely contain Mango (this excludes severe emotional trauma during this episode, and one can't put a price on that).
Mango is known to run to below the window where the tenant's cats sit watching her and lies in the sand below (tenant has always told us this as she's seen it many times when Mango lies there while we are out). We assumed Mango is fine when we are out as she would always immediately walk away from the driveway gate when we would drive off. No one wants to hear the news their dog is straying. It is hell on earth.
Once my Yuccas yield baby Yuccas, if you have escape artist dogs and I have baby Yuccas to spare, do get in touch with me, I'm all ears to your challenges! A friend solved her wall leaping, wall walking Weimaraner challenge spanning years, by in the end merely planting tons of Yuccas along her wall and I'm so grateful for the Yuccas she gave).
Cost: R5,100 labour and installation of roller bars. Mr Min cans: 2 for R40 on special, normally 1 for approximately R50. Needed four cans so R80. Yuccas valued at R700 each times nine, so R6,300. R11,480 to safely contain Mango (this excludes severe emotional trauma during this episode, and one can't put a price on that).
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