Hi Mike!

> Well, I think her heart was in a good place. I don't think she was
> trying to steal a dog, She actually just took him in, but was awful mad
> at me for what she thought was neglect. She just did not know what had
> happened nor the circumstances behind it.

Ah ok, remember that now.  That is different :)

> -> Midnight was bulkier (the vet called her "bertha" Lol), she'd climb up the
> -> fence and lay down on it so the two of them could just "jump over"...

> Wow, that is amazing what they will do to get out. And Teamwork to top
> it off.

Yeah, it was too much.. Priscilla was a digger but Midnight would just lay on
that darn fence til it was low enough for the two of them to get out.  At the
time we had a chain link fence, but parts of it had been replaced with some
type of coated wire fencing and posts.  It was easy for Midnight to do since
it wasn't as rigid as the chain-link stuff IIRC.  Once we moved back to NY,
and bought a new place, the first thing we did was get a good chain-link
fence. It was only 4ft high so we ended up having to put higher poles all
around and essentially barb wire  on top.. well, it wasn't barbed wire,
but it added another layer to keep the labs from jumping over .  When we
got this house in Slaterville Springs, we decided to spring for a 5 ft.
fence.  That seems to do the trick for jumpers - So far at least :)

[...]

> tightened all the corners with more wire. Some fencing seemed to be just
> lose enough for a determined pug to get through. What really is
> frustraing though is along my one side, My neighbor who had passed
> several years ago, had a garden all along the fence. Since he passed and
> new neighbors moved in, that whole plot has just dropped below the shall
> we say norma dirt line, so all along the fence on that side the dirt
> line is about 3 inches lower than my yard, leaving a good area for the
> pugs to easily dig under.

That is a pita.. I know what you mean about land settling under the fence and
such as you describe.  I see it happening already with the fence here in
Slaterville Springs.. :(

> Not to mention the new neighbors have a
> pitbull that the boys like to play with and constantly try to dig under
> to get to her.

No wonder they like to dig to get through :) :)

> It's a good 30 yards long or more. I try to fill in the
> really bad areas with Firewood. I don't know what would be good to fill
> such a large length without costing an arm and a leg. So Firewood is it
> for now.

We got for some landscaping ties from Lowes at one point.. they worked for the
distance under our fence in Windsor (the first fence we installed). They might
work for you, but I can't remember how wide they were..  I guess they could be
stacked as well.. at least they were long enough and wide enough for our fence.

>I don't think they will ever fill it in with more dirt. Similar
> along the rear. Our neighbor in back is a bit touched and was so mad
> about losing his bushes all along the back fence to the Big Ice Storm,
> he just came out one day and took his frustrations out on the bushes and
> hacked them down after the ice melted. He then tore them all out, again
> leaving the dirt on their side much lower causing same problem. That
> leaves very little effort for small dogs to dig under and get out. :(

Geez.. maybe some chicken wire might help.. not sure cost wise what would be
better..

> -> Indy (mutt/Yellow Labs) haven't figured a way out yet.. but I did notice
> last
>-> summer Indy trying to dig UNDER the fence til I screamed at him... geez.. :

> If he is like my boys, he is just waiting till the time is right ;)

haha no kidding.. Sophie couldn't be bothered.  She's like the top dog of all
three here (Toby is the oldest and tallest, but Sophie just took over once she
'grew up' ).  I think she figures she has to stick around to protect us or
something because she never tries to escape :) :)

> On a lighter side, what I get a chuckle out of. Sometimes when going out
> somewhere or certain other times, the boys like to stay in their crates,
> don't have to be locked or anything, they think it is their bedroom
> (den). Well when we do go out, will lock the latch on the cage. Every so
> often Loci will open the door and I have to laugh, I came home from work
> several times to see things darting around back and forth in the
> doorways and stuff. I'd shake my head and wonder what I was seeing out
> the corner of my eye. I'd hear little feet galloping by, and think what
> the heck, am I seeing the spirit of my previous pug who had passed or
> what.. Nope! It's Loci, he opens his crate at will and will frolick
> around the house and have a good old time. So now when I come home and
> see things, I just realize nothing short of a padlock would really keep
> them in their crate when they want to get out and play.

Wow.. opening the crate :)  That's incredible to me hahaha.. we never used
crates with these three but I'll tell you I wish we had.  Trying to get a
decent night's sleep with lummoxes crowding you off the bed gets insane
sometimes :) :)  Thankfully, Sophie goes off on her own most nights and sleeps
downstairs where she can keep her eye on the front door.. and Toby sleeps in
my son's room.. but Indy sticks with us and loves to  S T R E T C H  out on
the bed.  I have to kick him off all the time :)

Take care,
Janis

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Dada-1
 * Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)