Jett Went Missing.....

[TrinaJ]

I got home this afternoon and Jett was gone. Called the vet to make sure nothing had happened to her and to let them know that she was missing (crying and hyperventilating, i was sure i was having a panic attack, i've never ever had a dog go missing). Hubby and son went driving around the local streets while I was at home on the phone to the local council to see if the ranger picked her up - no they'd not seen her. I dont think I've ever been so worried before. I have no idea how she got out. We have new 6ft chainwire fencing all around our property and well secured gates. There is no evidence of digging anywhere and as she is only 5 months old there is NO WAY she could have jumped that high.

Someone called the vet and told them they'd found a dog. The vet nurse (bless her) asked if it was a gorgeous rotty pup around 5 months old and they said it was. The vet nurse called our house and gave them our number. It was a neighbour 2 doors down (we've not met them before as we've not been here long) they found her stuck in between blackberry bush and shed!!! I had already dorr knocked and there was no answer at their house (they were outside with her giving her something to eat so didn't hear my knock).

I am still at a loss as to how she got out. I am never gone from the house for more than and hour or two at the most, but today was different, sons 4th birthday on Saturday and i had lots of things to get so was out for most of the day. My heart rate is slowly coming back to normal and i've stopped crying and hyperventilating. Tomorrow i am off to the store to buy the neighbour a box of chocolates and some flowers (Jett will be in her crate).

Jett is now inside in her crate (which is where she normally is during the night and when i am home or she is free to roam around outside when i am outside also). I am just at a loss as to how she got out. My first thought was that she'd been stolen. Our gates are securely locked and as i said earlier brand new chainwire fencing surrounds the property (we've got over an acre for her to play in). Hubby is now going to build her a run for days like today when i am not going to be gone for more than an hour. I am a stay at home mum so i am hardly ever out....my life is boring apart from my son and my dog *hehe*

I am just so relieved to have my precious little girl back home.

Thanks for listening, and for those who are gonna say I should have crated her because i knew i was going to be gone for a while, yes you are right and i should have, i have no excuse, but i can assure you, it will NEVER happen again.

Trina

[FilosFolks]

Trina,

I am so relieved for you! Around Seattle she may have been stolen and I'm so happy she was found..and within the same post!

That can be nerve wracking waiting for repiles or updates here!

My girl just figured out she's a rock climber & scrambles up 15ft of rock to get to my neighbor's porch. She's 5.5 mos. Lucky me.

I hope the new run works or keep her indoors. They are ingenious!

I've followed you guys on here & I'm so glad she's back. Must have been so scary to have her gone.

Ailee

[Jaidann]

Oh gosh! So glad to hear she's back with you safely.

I can't imagine how scary that was for you and her!! ((( hugs )))

[lblax]

hog ring clip a bottom wire on your fence your fence company will know what im talking about it keeps them from pushing the bottom of the fence out and slipping under

[SABELLESMOM]

What a frightful experience! Glad she's safe and home, again.

Good solution though. We too have a kennel run, 20 x 15, "inside" the semi private fence. I use it on nice days when I'm gone for only a few hours. All my neighbors gladly watch, and I padlock the gate. My girls have good neighbors, and they are loved.

[brunie's mom]

Glad to hear that Jett was found.
She really should have a collar with your I.D. on it...when your neighbours found her they would have been able to let you know right away.

I think it's great that you are putting up a run. I would not be leaving a puppy out alone outside in a yard. Too many things to get into and the fear of being stolen.

Gina

[Weily4Life]

So glad that Jett is home again with you, that is truly a frightful experience.

I don't know about the agility of a 5 month old puppy--whether they can jump that high or not. But our Greta did surprise us. We brought her home at 14 months from rescue group and put her in a room and put two baby gates at the door stacked on top of each other--6 feet high. She got out, the only way she could have done it is jump. She did not have much space for a running jump, so we are still puzzled as to how she did. She is quite the houdini.

Again, so glad your Jett is safe.

[Sheenagirl]

Whew! So glad you found her and she is okay!
I know that feeling of terror - your whole body suddenly becomes weak and a cold feeling goes throughout your body.

You might want to look at the bottom of the fence. Any place Jett could have pushed the wire up and slid underneath?
I worry about leaving collars on a dog when the dog is not being watched.
My daughter lost one of her dogs when she tried to go under the chain link fence and got her collar hung up on the wire - she twisted to try to get loose and choked to death.

[Bear's mommy]

I am so glad she is back at home and safe. I know you were scared to death. Glad she is home again!!!

Leslie

[stale]

i am so glad she's back - my heartrate went through the roof, and i went to see where ozzy is right now. (sitting on his black puppy bed, in which he's nearly invisible...)

dogs are the second best escape artists i've ever found (first is snakes). my mother's labs get out on a semi-regular basis (2-3 times a year) and to this day we can't figure out how, unless they're unlocking the back gate, and locking it again when they leave. thankfully, they were trained sit at corners, so they're always sitting across the road from the park waiting for someone to tell them it's ok to go....

hope you de-stress enough, thank those neighbours, and get that run up. i know how bad it feels when your pup takes themselves for a walk.

take care, and scritches for jett, eh?

stale

[fostermom]

I'm so glad you found her!!! One of my ex-fosters "climbs" over a six foot privacy fence, and I've seen my one girl put her feet inside the link and scale our chain link....right after I adopted Kenya (who was at least eight), I tried barracading her in the back hall using an giant wire crate with my male rotti inside the crate...came home to find her running around the house...could never figure out how she did it.

[codglvr]

If you find she is climbing the fence, use PVC pipe attached at about 5 feet high. It's a common method used to keep cats in. I know its a bit of an eyesore, but their paws slip off, preventing them from climbing.

As a kid, our little 35lb lhasa Apso Yorkshire Terrier mix could scale a 6 foot privacy in less than 30 seconds.

Good luck, I'm glad you got her back safe and sound!

[TrinaJ]

Thank you everyone! My heartrate finally went back to normal but honestly last night I couldn't sleep at all. I have looked all around the property and cannot see how she did it!! Its like she opened the gate, let herself out and locked it again.

She is normally wearing her collar but as she is now 5 months old it is getting too small so I took it off on Sunday night (didn't put it back on after her last walk for the night) and was getting her the next size up this week. I refuse to leave the correction collar on her unless we are training or walking so she cant get caught on anything. She has a tag on her collar with our name and phone number and she is also microchipped. In hindsight i should have left the collar on her until i picked up the new one on Wednesday (pay day). I have put her collar back on her but she is crated inside at the moment with me (as she is normally when i am inside).

So now i have two escape artists, a miniature horse who crawls under her paddock fence (looks so silly when she does it) but she cant get out of our yard, and Jett....but i am still baffled. She's been out in the yard today with me watching her but she just stayed close to me and the house like she normally does. She did her business, we had a play and she came back inside (its only 8.45am here so we haven't gont for our morning walk yet).

We've only had the chain wire fence for 2 weeks and she's not really been walking around it, she's normally with us at the house. I can only assume that she has somehow climbed up it like Stale suggested.

Paul is going to be building a run (we are getting rid of the mini's so the stable will be converted into a very large kennel and the run will be quite long). Do you put a roof on the run? It will be a chainwire, like our fence, but if she can climb I am guessing the run will have to be sides and top.

So today I have to take my son to swimming lessons at 10am so Jett will be crated inside until i get home.

I am just so glad to have her back, you have no idea how scared i was. I never ever want to go through something like that again. This is the first time this has happened to me and i've owned rotty's for 15 years, ever since i moved out of home when i was 20.

Oh i also have to buy those chocolates and a large bunch of flowers for the neighbour today!!! And the new collar will be purchased today, even if it has to go on the mastercard!!!

Trina

[rynolan]

Hi, Trina!
So glad to hear Jett was found safe and sound. We also have a chainlink fence and our dog...all 100lbs of him...was able to push out the mesh and go under. I wouldn't have believed he could pancake out like that if I hadn't seen it for myself. Good suggestion earlier to ask the fence company about clips for the bottom of the fence. Hopefully our escape artists can be stopped!!!

[The Queen Bee]

Glad to hear you were able to recover your pup, I had a similiar situation recently where my mastiff escaped (we still have no clue how), but lucky for me we found him snoring in our front varandah. We got him at four years old and no matter how many treats we offer, he STILL comes when called ONLY if he feels like...

I'm just glad my 10 month rottie pup is more receptive to training... She doesnt even need food treats at incentive... nothing pleases her more than an enthusiastic head & belly rub =)