how scary for you!! doxies are big diggers...did he dig his way out or find a weak spot in the fence? what about a "picket line"? it would be easy to rig one up, since wally is a short dog. you would just need to sink a couple of posts a distance apart, secure a cable from one to the other and then slip a short leash onto it.

i used this method with my horses when camping. i also used it for a short time when i brought bentley (great dane) home from rescue until i was sure he would be safe off leash.

here is a picture of how it's used with horses. you'd just have to scale it way down for wally, obviously!

{{!gwi}}

this is a good way to let him get some exercise. of course, you wouldn't leave him on it for hours and he would need to be supervised but it would give you some peace of mind.

Thank goodness he is okay! You must have been scared out of your mind.
Dachshunds are a tough little breed. VERY determined little guys. Must be the Napoleon syndrome...... I grew up with Labs,but long after my labs were gone, and my folks were in their 70's my mom wanted one. We surprised her for her 70th birthday with a puppy. "Buddy" is a tough little nut. Once he sets his mind on something there is no going back. Very sweet, but not easy.
Nina's ideas is a great one, or some people also use an electric fence for situations like yours. Don't know anything about it, but just another idea to consider.
Good Luck, and glad he is okay!

i thought about suggesting underground fence (i have it for my danes) but to do it right, it's pretty pricey. the picket line would cost very little and would be better, i think. my danes are pretty lazy and they were VERY easy to train to the underground fence. doxies, on the other hand, are like little farts in a whirlwind!

That's so frightening! So glad he is safe now. Not clear on how he actually got out? Were your husband or son careless with a gate while they were working, or did he find another weak spot in the fence? If so, that's a human issue easily fixed with human training (rules on gates and dogs) or a new or reinforced fence if he's finding new areas to escape and it's not open gates! Rules at my house are that the dogs are only out with supervision, and all gates have keyed padlocks. If I'm outside working and expect to be going from fenced back yard to unfenced side and front yards, the dogs must be in the house because I know I could get distracted and careless with a gate!

Thanks for your imput. No, Wally did not, does not dig. I heard this is a common trait but he never has. This is a very old picket fence..maybe 80 years old and is covered in ivy. The yard is full of bushes and trees everywhere. It is not feasible to use a line. There are too many obstacles. This is a 170 year old house with much vegetation. All four of the picket fence gates have latches on them and signs on them to shut because of dogs. There was no gate left open. Obviously he nosed around for a a small breach in the fence to allow his very long and lean body to escape. Our property has to be seen to realize how daunting this is. We have wire garden fencing between boards in the back and the whole perimeter is reinforced but he is smarter than us. I don't trust him as far as I can throw him. I would hate to return him because he was taken to a kill shelter in WVA where a rescue group got him ,fostered him, brought him north where he was fostered again. He's been here almost 7 months. In all other ways, he is wonderful. He loves his walks, trips to doggie park, visiting people, eating, sleeping under his blanket,is completely housebroken. He loves people , kids and cats. But I can't have him killed or injured. They ARE little Napoleons with a huge big dog complex and independent as hell.

Why not just tether him to the house with a line? Or make a run for him? There's no reason to have to get rid of him.

Many people, even though their yard is fenced, use the fence as a secondary containment system. They still have a small run for their dogs, or the dog is tethered to the side of the house with a 25' lead.

Really, the dog only has to be outside to pooh and pee so it shouldn't be an issue. Just tie him up using a high quality chain/lead and he should be fine.

We have beagles and would never trust them unless we had the fence at least 2' into the ground to avoid digging to follow scents.

This is a very easy fix!