I'm at a loss with my family dog. I've had him for 8 years now and he's always been a pain in the arse ? He's a boxer cross American mastiff
But my patients are wearing thin. I spoke to my daughter who's 4 about finding him a new home. Her response was no but I love him.
His life will now been on a chain unless I'm home and out with him.
He escapes like all the time! I've tried smacking him, I have the electric fence thing that zaps him he doesn't even care! He just jumps up and quickly scales the fence. He's worked out if he does it quick enough it won't zap him for long ?
He has killed my chickens twice ? He escaped and killed someone's Guinnie pigs. I felt so so so horrible and even offered to replace them.
He is not a nasty dog. My daughter can ride him, climb all over him, put sad dirt on him, whatever she likes and he doesn't do a thing. Obviously I always watch! I have another dog a bischion freeze (a tiny dog only 4kg) and they get on great! Other children can do the same and he's fine with adults.
I just can not keep him in. I let them lay inside on a mat. They get bones. I walk him
I just don't know what I am supposed to do.
I got him desexed in the hope that would keep him in. It did for awhile but than he started to get out again.
Last night I let him off when I got home at 5. I than went to my mums she lives like 30 steps away for dinner about 5:45. I than thought shit at 8! And came to put him on the chain and he was gone ? We all got in our cars and went for a drive and found them a street away.
I was gone for just over 2 hours and yet gets out. I just let him off and he kept going to the bit of the fence that he gets out in the same spot every time.
I have fences that are just under 6 foot. They are chainwire. He's ruined the fence by pulling it apart to make a hole in a spot. If he doesnt go over he'll go under or through.
What am I supposed to do. ? I even phoned to find out how much it was to put him to sleep because I don't want him to have a horrible horrible life if I was to give him up. I balled my eyes out. I just don't know what to do. I've tried so so so many things yet none work. I fix the fencing and he just finds a new way to get out. He pushed all the fencing undone at the bottom so he could get out under it.
What would you all do? ? I work and my daughter has activities so his life is pretty much going to be on a chain. It's a 3-4 metre chain but that's still no life ??
One heartbroken dog owner and I know my daughter will equally upset if we were to get rid of
him but I just can't let him keep getting out. He's not vicious or anything. He's a great family dog ?
Edited to note: he has not been on a chain all his life. He is just on it now and I don't think he can come off unless I'm out there. Today I let him off and he went straight for the spot to get out. I was inside cleaning. ?
His life has been spent off the chain mostly with short periods where he's been on it. But him getting out is really bad ATM and I can't let him keep getting out. I've lived in this current house for a year and a half and there's been a short time where he was on it. He was off it when I first moved for months and than he was on the chain until I got him Desexed and than he was fine again. But the last month he keeps getting out again and nothing I do stops it. Nothing's changed at all either ?
9 Replies
We had similar problems with our border collie, although at 3 she seems to have settled a bit. There are people who handle these kinds of problems, try Bark Busters or google for dog behavior specialists. It seems a shame to get rid of the family pet and definitely don't let him spend his life on a chain :( I know how frustrating it is, I really do. But maybe take a step back, look for help from a professional in this area, and get a plan in place. You may be surprised how some tips from experts and changes implemented can result in really fast results. Happy puppy, happy child, happy mummy :)
Boxers are traditionally hard work dogs. They are high energy and require owners who are prepared to tailor there lives around a boxer. That often means extra high fences etc.
my friends had to build a special roofed run for when they were at work.
Either try an excellent trainer, build an enclosure specifically for the boxer or re-home through a boxer rescue.
They are gorgeous dogs but they do need special owners. Keeping it on a chain, is NOT an option and the RSPCA would have issues with it.
Re- home him Hun,life on a chain is not really acceptable, sorry....
We have been in your situation and we had 2 purebred boxers that we re-homed through boxer rescue,
They went to a property together ?
It's sad but that was our last resort,bark busters didn't work for them,
You can buy a dog run, like a huge cage to keep him in when youre not home. At the ens of the day, the pounds are already full of these breeds and his chances arent good but if youre not able to give him the wuality of life he deserves, then rehome him. Put some effort into it and you could do it yourself and make sure he goes somewhere loving. But I believe that you could try some options first to keep him as you took him on. Contact rspca for advice re running away and training. And go out and play with him, connect with him and solve the running away problem and you and your daughter and the dog will end up with the best outcome
I have just edited the post. He hasn't spent his life on a chain! I should have clarified that. There's been times where he's been on it tho. But he's spent more time off the chain than he has on. But it's getting worse the last month and nothing has changed but he just keeps getting out and I can't afford pound fees constantly if he gets impounded and I don't want him to get hurt either being out.
I'm so so so lost and stressed. He has always and I mean always tried to escape no matter where I've lived. I've put up and dealt with it because I'm not one to give up and add to the unhomed dogs. But it's getting tiring and harder to keep him in.
It's not a bark collar it's the fencing collar. You run it around your fence and he has a collar on and if he goes so close it gives him a warning beep and than if he keeps going it zaps him. He just knows if he does it quick enough it won't zap him much ?
Time to rehome.
Have you considered a paling fence and putting a small PVC pipe inside a larger one, so when he goes to scale it it'll roll straight backwards as he can't get a grip. My boxer is a jumper and it has worked wonders! Don't have anything at the base to allow them to have a run up (and also have the paling clean, no timber railing running along it for grip). Never gotten out since we've moved homes and she is happy inside. She does dig but not near the fences, she is happy to stay inside but always jumped because she could.
I'd suggest getting a good trainer in, maybe see if someone can stay at yours when you're not there and see where and why he is wanting to get out. Then from there see if they have any tips.
I don't think re-homing is a morally correct option unless you have actually tried training with someone who has experience. But if you have, then it may be time to rehome. As long as you've tried everything. Though at his age I'd prefer to PTS then rehome as all he knows is you and your family. Boxer dogs and boxer cross generally don't have a huge life span so I'd want to let him live his final years out with you if it's doable.
Might need to find a country home for him. It's too dangerous for him to keep escaping. He might be a nice dog to your daughter but nice dogs can always attack other children. Or try attaching stuff to the fense so he can no longer climb or build a run
We had a similar issue with our Border Collie/Kelpie many years ago... We loved her so much but she just wouldnt stop escaping and the last straw was when she got hit by a car, we just didnt want anything to happen to her. We'd had for 6years... We even took her to a shelter on the Tablelands in hope they would find her a home on a property but with a day they called us to take her back as she got out of their kennels and they couldn't keep her.... We did however find her a new home that we know she ended very happy and spoilt. It was extremely heartbreaking, but in the end the right decision xxx