Border Collies = escape artists?

[debthaven]

I REALLY hope I don't regret starting this thread. I'm doing it because I know some of you have Border Collies (ie Agilemom and Spellbound). 

My friend is a teacher and we watch her young Border Collie when we are home and she is away. We do it mainly because she is a very close friend and our DS3 has always been desperate for a dog and I don't want the responsibility, and as a teacher, she only goes away when DS3 is on school vacation. (I have a different schedule because I teach at a university.) The dog is a LOVELY dog, bright, affectionate, funny, but VERY high energy / maintenance.

This time (the third time since Nov that we've kept her dog) my DS3 ended up being invited away for school vacation. He told us, I agreed to keep the dog, so I will refuse the invitation. DH and I told him no, accept it, we'll take care of the dog.

Yesterday I got home at about 6.30 pm. I have shorter days than my friend (the dog's mom). I threw the ball for him for 35m. He was lying in the garden, panting. I told him, I'm going upstairs to put on pjs, I'll be back down in 3 min. 

Three min later, I come downstairs. The gate is open and the dog is gone. 

Needless to say, I FREAKED OUT. I locked the house but left the gate open, got into the car in pjs, drove around the neighborhood, stopped anyone I could find. No dog. I called DH and DS3 hysterical to make sure of where they usually walked the dog. Went to all those places, no dog.

I came back home, put on proper clothes and called the police. 

I said, my friend's dog has been stolen. The police said, why do you think the dog has been stolen? I said, because our gate opens towards the inside, no dog could pull the little thingie to open the gate towards the inside. So, that means the gate was pushed in hard, and the dog was stolen.

The police report took about 15m over the phone, between my accent and the fact that the policewoman was not the best speller. She couldn't understand or spell "Border Collie" so I said, have you ever seen the film Babe? It's a dog like the dog in Babe". She said oh, it's one of those?! Don't underestimate those dogs, you need to keep looking!

She INSISTED on taking my friend's number, but I BEGGED her not to call my friend yet. 

I went around the neighborhood 3 more times, screaming his name, pulling over, etc. Then I went to pick DH up from halfway home from the train station (yes I made DH walk because I was busy looking for the dog). 

DH spotted the dog on a corner (that I had already driven by 3X), ran out of the car, across a HUGE busy street. At this point there was a pile of cars watching us crazies. 

DH didn't scold the dog because we did NOT want him darting out into that busy road. The dog flat out REFUSED to get into the car. Then DH figured out, the dog had probably been trained not to get into the back seat of a car. So he opened the trunk, and the dog happily jumped in.

We drove home, the dog came in, I LOCKED THE GATE, and collapsed. And poured myself a BIG glass of wine.

At that point, I called my friend to tell her what had happened. She was wonderful about it, like me, half laughing, half crying.

Seriously, does anybody else know of a dog that has opened a gate towards the inside? I KNOW I closed it properly, I pushed it shut TWICE thinking I wanted to make sure it was shut properly so the dog couldn't nudge it open. 

I KNOW he pulled on the "thingie" and the gate opened a TINY bit and then he nudged it open.

I googled "Border Collie" after that and read that "they are escape artists."

[Angel!]

I had a gate that would seem closed, but my dogs could jump against it & pop it open. We finally just screwed it shut.

Years later I had the fence replaced. The gate to the park behind my house must have settled slightly or something because it popped open in a blizzard about 6 months after it was installed.  I had even had a lock on it, but the pieces were shifted in such a way that it still able to pop open.  Since then I have readjusted the fence so it hopefully never happens again.

But, picture an extremely pregnant woman in her pajamas and a coat at 2 AM in the middle of a blizzard screaming for her dog to come home.  I was yelling at the top of my lungs because it was so windy you couldn't hear anything.  And he was having the time of his life in the snow, running in huge circles getting so far away that I couldn't see him anymore & then running back.  Luckily it was only my husky, he had woken me up to go out & I hadn't realized the gate was open.  Had it been both dogs, they probably would have ran off together.  Eventually I got my second dog out on a leash because I figured it would convince the first not to run far & brought out hotdogs & started throwing them.  I was able to tackle him when he stopped to eat a hotdog.  If that hadn't worked I don't know what I would have done.  I couldn't go out & chase him because A) I was 8+ months pregnant & B) I had a 3 yr old & 5 yr old sleeping in the house that I couldn't leave alone.

Anyway, I feel your pain.  It happens & thankfully you got the dog back.  It could be he pulled the thing to open it.  I would check to see that with the lock it won't open because mine did just because the gate had shifted downward away from the lock.  It was only probably 1/8" or slightly more, but that was enough for a strong force to open it.

[debthaven]

Glad to see I'm not alone Angel LOL!

No, bumping against it won't open it. Sometimes it is wonky in winter (it's wood and wood contracts in the cold) but it's spring here, and warm, and I KNOW I checked it TWICE! The lock was DEFINITELY engaged!

[Angel!]

Did maybe someone come along & just pop it open from the outside?  I have a lock with a code on my front gate because you can open it from the street side & I live near about a dozen kids that could potentially just pop it open, not realizing my dogs will take off.

[debthaven]

Angel I thought of that but frankly I doubt it. The kids used to push the gate open when the forgot their keys and DH would get really angry about it. But I tried it, and I had to push it REALLY hard. 

So yes, it's possible, but I REALLY doubt it. Also, I live on a VERY quiet street, a VERY steep hill, and only 4 houses on it. So not many people walk down my street. 

[debthaven]

I will be very relieved when my friend comes to pick up her dog tomorrow night, in one piece!

He's lovely, and we adore him, but he's certainly a handful! 

[Tennesseer]

debthaven-you don't have a cat by chance, do you?

[Timberwolf]

I had a border collie years ago.  I think if any dog could pull off a "trick" like that it would be a border collie, they can do almost anything, it seems.  If the dog didn't "escape" on his own, is it possible someone just opened the gate (to be mean, presumably, not to kidnap the dog)?

I'm glad you found him and have him back safely home - This probably means you won't be getting a border collie of your own any time soon?

[debthaven]

Tenn, no, I'm desperately allergic to cats. But I'm about to watch the video!

[debthaven]

Timberwolf, I won't be getting ANY dog any time soon, hence "borrowing" my friend's dog LOL.

But if I were to get one (not going to happen), it certainly wouldn't be a Border Collie. I LOVE them (I've known three of them VERY well over the years).

Working dogs are NOT meant to be left at home for long days, several days a week. I'm not sure ANY dog is, but certainly not a working dog. 

My ex and I had a hunting dog (a Vizsla) years ago as a pet. I used to think he was high maintenance until I met this one LOL. 

[cktc]

Apr 21, 2015 18:08:51 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

debthaven-you don't have a cat by chance, do you?

or a honeybadger?


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[debthaven]

LOL! Tenn I watched the video!

That settles it! The cat used two paws to turn the doorknob, the dog would have only needed his mouth to open the gate. 

[debthaven]

cktc, OMG! That is incredible!!!

But WHY did he persevere like that?! He should have let them go.

[milee]

Years ago, I had a dog from the Humane Society that we (and the vet) thought was a Border Collie. Man, was she smart. She could open regular doors and also get things out of the kitchen cabinets. I believe she could have opened most gate closures.

[Tennesseer]

Apr 21, 2015 18:23:12 GMT -5 cktc said:

Apr 21, 2015 18:08:51 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

debthaven-you don't have a cat by chance, do you?

or a honeybadger?


<img src="//images.proboards.com/v5/bbcode/video-preview.png" video="<iframe width=&quot;640" height="390" src=" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>" alt="Video Preview">

cktc-I have seen that video before. I was amazed how smart the honey badger was escaping his surroundings. Crafty little devil he is. It almost seemed like he enjoyed the challenge of escaping.

[Tennesseer]

Apr 21, 2015 18:29:29 GMT -5 debthaven said:

cktc, OMG! That is incredible!!!

But WHY did he persevere like that?! He should have let them go.

I may be wrong but I think there is more to this honey badger's story. I think there was a whole PBS hour on honey badgers. He may have been injured in the past and was not able to survive on the outside.

[debthaven]

Aww Tenn that's very sad, but that would would explain why the guy seems hell-bent on keeping it in captivity. 

Milee, they are considered the most intelligent dogs. I remember another time we had him, I came home late one night from my book club, and the table was set for breakfast (which NEVER happens in my house). DH and DS3 were both asleep. 

I looked at the dog for a LONG LONG time. Then I decided, NO, THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE!

Turns out it was either DH or DS3 who set the table, exceptionally (can't remember which), but NOT the dog.

But for an instant, I wondered LOL!

[swamp]

I had a husky/malamute that was an escape artist.

[debthaven]

What did he/she do Swamp?

[debthaven]

Sorry everybody I need to go to bed now (it's almost 2am) but I'm looking forward to reading more tomorrow!

[alabamagal]

I had a black lab that could open chain link fences. We had to put lock latches in the gates but sometimes the kids would forget to put the latches in and the dog would get out.

We also had beagles who would do ANYTHING to get out if there was food involved. One dog owned the crawl space door and would make it through the small crawl space with many obstructions to the other side of the Lshaped house. It took us several days to figure out how he was getting out

[dannylion]

Border Collies are smarter than many people. If Border Collies had thumbs, they could drive cars. It is entirely possible that the dog opened the gate himself. He could have observed the actions humans went through to make the gate open and imitated them. My neighbors used to leave their Lab in the backyard when they were away for a few hours, and if I was in my backyard, he used to open his gate, come around his house to the gate in my fence, open that, and come in to my yard to visit. He figured out how to do it by watching what people did to open the gates.  If a Lab could do it, surely a Border Collie could do it.   

[msventoux]

Bungee cords or bailing wire are your friends.  I have a chain link fence and my dog knows how to flip up the latch and jump on part of the fence next to the gate enough to jiggle the gate door open a bit so she can get out.  Hence the bungee cords and wire. 

Her brother (who I don't own) just climbs fences to get out.  His owner ran an electric fence wire around the top so that he gets zapped when he gets to the top.  The fence is attached to a car battery next to the back door in the fenced in yard.  The dog figured out from watching his owner that if you mess with the battery the top wire no longer makes any noise, which means you can escape without getting hurt.  He chewed the plastic cover off of the battery and managed to disconnect the terminals to kill the fence.  And escaped. 

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Apr 21, 2015 18:23:52 GMT -5 debthaven said:

LOL! Tenn I watched the video!

That settles it! The cat used two paws to turn the doorknob, the dog would have only needed his mouth to open the gate. 

The cat only needed 2 paws because he has no opposable thumbs!

[gacpa]

I have two Shetland Sheepdogs who are almost as smart as Border Collies.  I have a padlock on my backyard fence so they can't get out on their own, and no one can open the gate from the other side to let them out.  I don't keep the padlock actually locked, just put it thru the latch on the gate to keep anyone but me from opening the gate.

Some doggies are too smart...

[debthaven]

Some incredible stories!

The gate is ALWAYS locked now. He hasn't (yet?!) managed to get the keys out of the key box, choose the right key, and turn it twice. 

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Our Australian Shepard mix was an escape artist for a long time. She used to get out of DH's backyard constantly. She's incredibly smart and figured out how to squeeze herself thru any hole in the fence or get out of any gate.

We ended up having to put her on a leash whenever she was outside. Then the dog figured out exactly how fast she needed to run in order to snap the collar and break free! We had to buy a chain link collar to keep her contained.

It was pretty funny to watch b/c she thought she was so smart and took off running, then the leash contracted and she back flipped.  She looked back at me like "WTF did you do?!"

I found her as a stray under my car. We think she escaped from her previous owners and they just never bothered to look for her (we reported her and stuck up posters all over the area) b/c it was too much of a PITA.

Midnight has never had the desire to escape.  I read somewhere that dogs have no concept of size/scale so if you get them as a puppy when they can't jump the fence they carry that impression into adulthood.

Fortunately she's never figured out she's now 55 lbs and could hop the fence in a single bound if she wanted to.  If she ever does then we're hosed.

[Abby Normal]

Hey debt-  don't beat yourself up and I'm super glad you found the dog.  Yes, the little buggers are smart.  It may be that the gate wasn't completely latched, but regardless I would recommend keeping a close eye on him.  In general, I wouldn't leave him unattended.  Mine has figured out how to jump/climb our 6' fence so I know full well if there is a good reason to go over- he will.  So we have been training him to come inside automatically when there is anything exciting on the other side.  

Border collies need a lot of exercise- especially the really high energy ones.  Think 6-8 miles runs.  So while he may have been panting-  he was just getting warmed up.  If you have a fenced dog park close to you- that is always a good option.  You don't have to worry about him getting away from you.  His recall to you, won't be as strong as with his owner.

But I'm so glad you found him.  

BTW-  as smart as they are- he didn't understand the " i'll be down in 3 minutes"    But if he has a good stay command- try that next time.  Mine has a really good stay in our house/yard.  Not so good in other locations under more distraction.  But I can leave him there and walk away.  I have actually forgotten about him- but 10 mintues later when I walked back in the room- he was still there. 

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

LOL....as the weather is turning nicer, Sheldon is turning into a decent escape artist too.  The minute I take the dog out to pee, he is on my heels as well thinking he can slip out the door.  He's already gotten out once and I saw him sitting on the doorstep waiting for me to open the door.  The cat has got a collar with ID, and is fully chipped, but there are some pretty nasty wild animals that would consider a young cat lunch.

[zibazinski]

 My friend with the 7 kids had a border collie. If her kids didn't come when she called them, she sent the dog who would herd them! I loved watching it. No one slept in or came to dinner or anything late because that dog was the "enforcer."