There's no containing him....

edited July 2009 in General
I posted this on a Kai site, but I need some help!

I got home today, and guess who greeted me at the door? Yep, the amazing escaping Koda.

Koda stays home while I work 3 days a week. During that time I limit his area to the dining area (table and chairs removed) and the kitchen.

He is blocked in by 48" high xpens that are latched to cabinets/walls. I was in shock. I couldn't believe he could squirm through or move them at all. I went to the area, and sure enough it was right where it was when I left. I thought maybe I didn't lock him up, but his food and water in there were eaten and he had used his wee wee pad. I double checked the xpen's door. Yep still latched. Checked to see if it was still tied down. Yep again.

We had to go to the vet, so I left it where it was and didn't touch anything to check it out when I got back. I'm still baffled. He either jumped over 4 feet high or scaled it. There's no other way for him to get out. I even had my neighbor come over who has a great escaping GSD, and he couldn't figure it out. Koda's too small to jump that high.

I'm lost. Has anyone had this problem? And how do I contain him if 4 feet isn't tall enough?

Thanks for any advice!

Comments

  • RyuRyu
    edited November -1
    Have you seen this video? :)



  • edited November -1
    have you tried duct tape or crazy glue? jk of course.
  • edited November -1
    I would definitely try to video tape him while you are gone so that you can see exactly how he is getting out.

    Then you can go about devising a strategy to prevent it.
  • edited November -1
    uuuggggghhhh I need a game cam!

    Well doesn't really matter how, although I do think it looks something like that video. Thanks Pam. I actually laughed (a little) while I thought that little sh*t that's what he did it!

    My advice from Kai owners was there's no stopping them with xpens. There's also no stopping him with a fence if he's a climber. He will climb them like a cat. Not that I would leave him outside with this heat.

    Funny thing is, I kind've got the hint that he could climb like a cat on the 4th. We were at my girlfriend's house and the dogs were outside while we all got our food together. Koda tried to climb the screen on the sliding glass door! Just like a cat!!!! I caught him early, but I could see him attaching his front paws to pull himself up! My cat used to do that.

    I would've liked to contain him for a bit longer so he doesn't get himself into any trouble. He did pee on the back door mat. He wasn't about to climb back into confinement to pee on the wee wee pad again, and well who can blaim him.
  • edited November -1
    Why don't you just put him in a crate instead of an X-Pen?

    Don't they sell lids for X-Pens too though? Big plastic lids?
  • edited November -1
    lol! Looks like we have another climber on our hands. I am thinking a lid for your x-pen would be a wise investment... or even a large crate. :)

    Someone once posted a video of a Kai climbing a tree... It was rather interesting to watch, as I did not know that dogs could climb trees.
  • edited November -1


  • edited November -1
    I knew about the climbing before I chose to get a Kai. This is no surprise, but I wanted to be able to contain him at least until after his teething stage. *sigh*

    "Don't they sell lids for X-Pens too though? Big plastic lids?"

    Koda isn't actually in an xpen. Maybe I should explain better. I have an xpen not latched but stretched across the entrance from my dining room to my living room. It is attached to the walls with hooks so it won't tip over. Then from my kitchen area to the hallway I have another one. He is given access to the dining room and kitchen during the day. It gives him room to play and do his thing. The kitchen has been puppy proofed, no toxic cleaners or food that he can get to. The drawers and cabinets all have baby locks. This is because Koda can open them. Found that out the 2nd day he was home. It's wierd what he will do with his front paws.

    I figured, if he had enough room he wouldn't care about the rest of the house. I'm trying not to crate him for 8 hours. Although, I do have his adult crate already. He uses it to store his toys and chew on his bully sticks.
  • edited November -1
    Did he tear anything up while he was out of his area?
  • edited November -1
    No he didn't. Koda is pretty satisfied with his bully stick. He doesn't try and chew on anything else, but when he escaped he left it in the dining room. He did leave me some poop on the floor. His wee wee pads were in the dining room.

    I left an extra bully stick (yes I have a supply) in the living room today just in case. I also took him out on an extra long walk this morning to really tire him out and gave him a treat filled Kong to chew on. He can sit with one for an hour and then he will go to sleep. He does take naps in his crate in the dining room, so hopefully that will keep him contained for 2-3 hours?

    The living room has a couple toys and his bully as well as a wee wee pad now. Hopefully he stays out of trouble. All the bedroom and bathroom doors are closed. I would put a doggy door on the back door, but now I'm afraid of him climbing a fence to get out. Supposedly this can be common for a Kai according Kai owners on another forum.
  • edited July 2009
    I wouldn't do the doggie door because I wouldn't want him outside un-supervised. We have a doggy door in our screen door that is only accessible when we open the door and are there to watch the dogs in the yard.
  • edited November -1
    I'm not going to Kristen. I totally agree. I just wonder how much pee I'm going to be cleaning up. ha ha ha
  • edited November -1
    LOTS! Welcome to puppyhood! LOL.

    Sake was a pee machine, she would tear up her wee wee pads into little shreds and then pee on my area rug.
  • edited November -1
    Sake is lucky she's so darn cute. It just sucks that my house is wall to wall carpet outside of the kitchen and dining room.

    If I put two pads out, Koda will tear one up but save the other one to pee. It works. lol. Plus, he doesn't pee every day. This was the first time he poo'd in the afternoon. Lucky me that he felt so comfortable on my carpet. Maybe cut berber is like grass to him? he he
  • edited July 2009
    you think your nihonken are escape artists??????!!!

    Watch that beagle.. he is the number one!!! :)

  • edited November -1
    Ha ha ha, that beagle is crazy. I kind've wanted the owner to stop filming and save him though. Did you see the rest of them run to the door like ok now let us out.

    Koda stayed in his area yesterday, but by choice not that he is anymore contained. He is pretty good with a schedule and usually knows what is coming next. He will tell me when it's time to go to bed, on walks, and this morning went into his area and waited for his stuffed kong. He gave me a little whine to tell me to hurry up. I was running about 15 minutes late which will prompt him to correct me with a whine. I gave him his kong and he went straight to his crate where he will probably eat half and then take a nap.

    I had the priviledge to watch him climb the gate when I got home yesterday. I went into the living room rather than letting him right out. I wanted to see what he would do, and sure enough he climbed to the top and then instead of jumping off climbed back down the other side. He was so quick and it was so natural and easy for him to do.

    This raised a question for me. Do I correct this behavior? I mean I knew that Kai's were able to climb and probably do it frequently in the wild. It's in his nature, not necessarily bad behavior. I didn't say anything, but did correct him on jumping on me and nipping me out of excitement. I'll have to see where he is today when I get home. Hopefully he stays out of trouble.
  • edited July 2009
    my philosophy is: Dont correct a dog,instead dont let him make mistakes and show him how to behave right :)

    Try to put a lid on the xpen or buy a big crate,

    the thing with correction is it has to come between 0,5-2 seconds after the wrong behavior for beeing undestand by a dog, if you are at home and magange to correct him in time he will learn not to do it when your at home, if you are not home he will do it again, and correcting him when you arrive at home wont help anything :)
  • edited November -1
    I agree. Thanks.
  • edited November -1
    Came home today, and yes Koda greeted me at the door. He was very calm, no jumping. He climbed out of the gates. The funny thing is this time he must have carried his favorite toy, his mouse, in his mouth. lol. I guess last time was a little boring without any toys.
  • edited November -1
    You can make an ex-pen out of pvc pipes with only vertical rails, so it's impossible to climb. Or, you could make it so the wall moves when he tries to climb it so he can't get a good grip on it.
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