The Houdini Dogsitting Weekend

Saturday morning, I went out at 7:30 to check on them and they were in the back yard. MacGyver was doing his "morning patrol" (he does this every day - walks around the edge of the fence line - all around the property) - and Chloe was bouncing up and down all around him as he walked.

I came back inside - Steve and I watched a bit of HGTV - and at 8:15, we were going outside to start working in the yard. The phone rings - and it's a couple from about 2 miles down the road. They told us MacGyver & Chloe were in their yard!! We quickly grabbed shoes and were headed out the door to go retrieve the dogs when they run up to the front porch.

"We're back! You wouldn't believe all the stuff we've seen!"
Pant. Pant. Pant.
"But now we're pooped. And no one gave us treats out there either. So we decided to come back and get a Frosty Paw! Thanks!"

Eeeeek! I'm so annoyed with them for getting out - and have no clue where they managed to get out. MacGyver's never gotten out before. And I hate that they were out roaming the streets - because that is THE most annoying thing to me when I'm driving. People who don't watch after their dogs - who let them roam free. Grrrr - that drives me crazy. I don't know how people can say they love their pets when they don't keep them safe from cars?

So - We got them back in the yard and Steve and I proceeded to walk our fence line to see if there was a breech somewhere - but there wasn't. The fence was still in tact - all the gates were still secure. We have no clue how they got out.

They're exhausted though - and spend the rest of the day hanging out in the back yard and trying to stay cool.

Then this morning we wake up. They're gone AGAIN. This time we have no clue where they are -- so I get out in the front yard and whistle (I do this for Mac all the time in the back yard). Within about 3 minutes, they come running to the house. I am so thankful he knows where home is.

I'm very worried because what will happen when we leave for work on Monday? Is he going to start getting out EVERY day? Arghhhhhhh We HAVE to find the "escape hatch".

I put the dogs back in the back yard - go around to the front porch - and maybe 2 minutes later MacGyver is out again. Thankfully - at least I have some clue which direction he's getting out from. So Steve and I hide around corners of the house to try and narrow down how he's getting out.

The new deck. The supporting beams and posts below the decks are hidden with lattice-work. They broke a section of the lattice, and crawled underneath the deck and shimmed on their bellies (no wonder they're covered in dirt!) and then popped out on the opposite side of the gate. Eureka! They actually did this in front of us a few minutes later - when we found the hole in the lattice. In goes Chloe, then MacGyver - and about a minute later - they both pop out on the other side of the gate. Too funny. They look very proud of themselves too. It was kinda hard not to laugh. Atleast we didn't give them a treat on the other side ;)

So we closed up the hole in the lattice - and Chloe and MacGyver kept going over to it and looking at it like - Awww shucks! They found our tunnel.

Sigh. We returned Chloe to her owner this afternoon -- and I have to say we were glad to be back to a one-dog family. I've had enough of the Houdini-doggies!