Sadie Experiences Momentary Freedom (multiple times)
July 21, 2007
[For full effect, click the play button and then read this post]
The photo above is of our patio. We tend to enjoy sitting out there with Sadie, reading, talking with neighbors and just hanging out. Sadie also enjoyed walking out there, sitting down, watching the squirrels, and just getting some fresh air. A few weeks ago, Sarah was inside and all of a sudden, she heard more barking than normal, and she ran out there to find Sadie on the other side of the patio fencing (not a good sign) and barking with another dog that was out. I immediately realized how bad that was. She now knew that it was possible to get out - and once she knew that…this was not going to end well.
So we kept her inside for a few weeks. But then, little by little, we started to give her some more freedom, and we finally started leaving the screen door open and she could walk out to the patio and hang out. And she was doing good.
Until yesterday. Yesterday as Sarah was about to leave for work, Sadie made the jump again. This time she was hunting - she had seen a squirrel and she was going to get it. She took off after it and luckily stopped to watch it climb the side of the building long enough for Sarah to grab her. Needless to say, Sarah wasn’t happy. Two times now.
Last night, we were hanging out on the porch and a friend came by and we were talking. I stepped in to the kitchen to check on the brownies and all of a sudden I heard, “Oh! Adam…! She’s out!” Right there. With Sarah and our friend on the porch - Sadie made a leap for it and jumped off the patio. The nerve! Now that this is the third time, some of you may be asking what she does when she experiences these moments of freedom? She runs. I strongly believe my dog could beat any of my readers’ dogs in a dog-race. She’s incredibly fast - which makes me feel like a proud parent at the dog parks, and the super slow kid in a junior high 100m sprint when I’m trying to chase and catch her. And she just takes off. Sprints. This time she found another dog in another apartment complex and as she was sprinting by me, I was able to tackle her and drag her home. Needless to say, Adam wasn’t happy. Three times now.
And then this morning - as if she hadn’t experienced enough freedom, she did it again. Sarah was on the porch. I had just gone outside to set up her tie-out so she could run around and play outside - and she jumped off the patio. And this time, she BOOKED it. She made it the furthest yet, and I found her in front of another apartment, a few blocks down. Again, she tried to sprint right past me and I was able to get a hand into her collar. I was not happy at all. Four times now.
So, we’re not really sure what to do. At first we thought we just couldn’t leave her out there unsupervised. But now it appears she can’t be on the patio at all - which sucks for her. Does anyone have any ideas as to how we could make this work? Or let her know that jumping over the patio is not something that’s acceptable? Surely it’s not a reflection of how she feels living with the Walker Cleavelands…
[Some of you were asking for some more photos of Sadie - we've included some great new shots here]
Tags: Dog-Disipline, Dog-Training, Dogs
Posted in 
Adam Walker Cleaveland: I am a 28 yr old 
July 21st, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Bring it… I have my money on Hartley.
As for avoiding this? Not sure there is much you can do… you can’t put in a higher fence. You could find a way to punish her each time she does it, but that may not solve anything.
My best advice would be to not let her out there without being on a leash.
July 21st, 2007 at 5:19 pm
Dave - it’s too bad….we’re driving from Jersey to Idaho (probably going through Chicago area…) but Sadie is staying with my in-laws. Or else we could have found out. Yah…I’m sure you do think Hartley could catch up. But I’ve seen Sadie race dogs that size at the dog parks…sorry man. Keep dreaming. :)
July 21st, 2007 at 5:20 pm
Just email facilities and ask them to put fencing up on your porch like they do on the upstairs porches.
July 21st, 2007 at 5:22 pm
Oh wait, she jumps OVER the fence. Well, then, you’re screwed. : )
July 21st, 2007 at 7:50 pm
We have a dog that has a jumping problem. So, we put in one of those electric fences for just one day. She hit that fence one time, and now we don’t even run electricity in it. If she sees that the fence is there, she won’t jump over it. I don’t know how possible it would be for you to do this at your apartment, though.
July 21st, 2007 at 9:56 pm
maybe a rope w/ a clip for her collar, so she can still enjoy outside and a bit of freedom without being loose??
July 22nd, 2007 at 9:53 am
You might want to check out “When Good Dogs to Bad Things.” It is a great book that our trainer recommended…I’m sure it will bring you hours of enjoyable reading and training!!
Kerri
July 22nd, 2007 at 6:07 pm
And invisible fence solved my dog’s wandering problem. They’re easy to install, and the dog learns real quick.
July 22nd, 2007 at 6:29 pm
invisible fence. That’s what I was thinking. Our friend David always recommended that for Ginger,..
July 23rd, 2007 at 7:45 am
No advice here, but just a suggestion that you might look on the bright side…because of the love you have for Sadie and the emotional frustration you are feeling with her behavior, you will be better prepared to be the parent of a toddler one of these days if you pursue the parenting route. Feel better? :-) Which reminds me…do they have wandering preschoolers in the family housing area at Princeton? Any surprise visitors? ;-)
July 23rd, 2007 at 10:20 am
No, no, no! Only Kerri was onto something in her comment.
Adam, this is all about training. You’re going to spend over a decade with this animal — it’s absolutely incumbent on you to train her thoroughly in the next 18 months. 30 minutes a day will do the trick, and it will pay enormous dividends. In fact, those people who don’t train their dogs are doing a disservice to the dog (those are the dogs you see dead by the side of the road).
I recommend that you get the book, How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend by the Monks of New Skete, and read it about 10 times.
My $.02.
July 23rd, 2007 at 4:14 pm
Tony — so, what do you really think? :)
I looked at that book - looks good - I’ll get it from the library and check into it…after reading the reviews on Amazon I’m pretty excited to try out the “shakedown” or the “alpha dog rollover…”
July 23rd, 2007 at 5:06 pm
Adam,
Tony’s words are worth far more than two cents! We adore our high energy retriever far more since dog training (the monks books were helpful)
Low tech solution that can help with jumping: string a half dozen mouse traps along the top railing. Even a couple interactions with these, or even the sound, will keep her away from that top rail, regaining her freedom (freedom within limits of course) to lounge on the porch.
Hope you are well…