Freaking out! Someone has been messing with dogs...

[Mercury]

Thanks for the new forum first off!

I have 2 dogs. An aussie/heeler and a jack russell. Both are kennel trained but becuase they are so high energy I like keeping them outside when I'm not home. I keep the Jack russel on a harness with a chain since he likes to dig and put them in a run right next to the house. This has been going well for the 2 months I have lived in this house. But today I got home and someone had gone into the kennel and cut his harness off! It was in 5 different pieces. It was too clean for him to have chewed it off plus it was on tight enough so he couldn't get to it!:mad: So now I'm freaking out because I don't know what to do. They are both a ton more calm if they get to stay outside most of the day, but I also don't want someone to hurt them. I'm going to go out and buy some locks for the kennel, and a new harness for TW. But I'm still freaking out!!!!

[WashingtonBay]

Yikes... I'd ask the neighbors. Perhaps they don't understand the need for the harness. Either way unless it was an emergency and he was caught up in it you've got some busybodies around.

[Horserider]

I agree with WB. Perhaps whoever did it believed the harness was abusive in some way like animal rights activists. I don't understand why someone would do that and then leave the dogs in the kennel and not do anything else. It's weird. Definitely ask the neighbors.

[Sundays Man]

Sounds wacky to me. I agree with horserider. Probably some "well meaning" doggie advocate gone astray. Some view that as the same as a horse in the pasture with a halter on all the time. It's not, but you can't convince them. Some people just can't mind their own business. At least the dog wasn't hurt. I love JR's....hyper little butts.

[Gliderider]

Yikes !! that would freak me out to..I hope you figure out what is going on soon. I do have to ask does he bark a lot that maybe has upset a neighbor and they thought cutting him loose would quiet him. They still should not have done that.

[Cat]

There are some people who believe a dog on a chain is cruelty no matter the reason. Anyway you could set up a video camera and catch who does it?

[mlle_beau]

I agree with the video camera idea. We used to have a golden retriever and she also preferred being outside to being in her kennel. One day we came home and found our neighbor climbing over our fence to "free" our dog from its "cruel chain". Ugh, some people...

[Equine_Woman]

Could his harness have been stuck on something? Maybe someone cut it off because your dog was in trouble? But either way that would freak me out.

[Remali]

Would your neighbors be able to notice if anyone had been around your house while you are away? Man that would scare me!

[Mercury]

Well, the only time I've noticed him barking is when I come home. When I just put him inside he plays outside with Bella for most of the time and sleeps the rest. The only time they get noisey is when I come home and when someone goes onto the property. The chain is long enough to where he can go anywhere in the fenced in area, it just stops him if he tries to leave it. I checked to see if he had been digging new holes that he tried to slip under and he hadn't. I have all the others blocked with landscaping bricks so there is no way he could move them.

I went out tonight and bought locks for the gates (there are 3), and another harness. I'm going to get a sign made with my phone number on it. One of the locks is a combination so if there is a problem they can call and I can give the combination to it (or they can hop over the fence too). I really suspect it's the kids across the street that did it but I have no proof. When I first moved here their kid kept bringing their dog over to our yard and he would take a dump in our yard. I confronted them about it and they weren't real happy. She came over one day the first week I was here and complained about my dogs making a lot of noise. So the next day I had several people drive by and check on them. The only thing they were ever doing was sleeping or chewing on bones. My roommates had never heard a peep from them. They would bark for 5 min when I left but that stopped about a week into it since I started giving them peanut butter filled kongs.

Oh... and as far as the cameras, I'm planning on that. I'm not sure if it will happen with this paycheck or the next though. I'll have to price it out. Anyone have suggestions on brands?

[Mercury]

Here's a couple pictures of the little goobers.:rolleyes:

[mlle_beau]

Aw, they're cute. Your bigger dog has gorgeous eyes! Are you just looking to get a normal video camera and set it up somewhere? I know Sony is a good brand. I think the sign is a good idea as long as the kids or whoever is doing it don't call and pretend there's a problem so they can get in.

[Remali]

Awww, your doggies are adorable!

[Equine_Woman]

Awww!!! They are adorable!! Sounds like you have a good plan and the locks should give you peace of mind!

[Mercury]

Awe! Thanks for the compliments and the encouragement! These are my little pound puppies! TW (JRT) was brought there because he was "aggressive with small children" as a 3 month old puppy... go figure. He has never done anything while we have had him so it makes me wonder what the kid did to him... Bella was from an accidental litter.

I think we decided to wait on camera... although the kids calling for nothing is making me think web cam... then I can check at work.

[shynbvs]

yipes! what kind of fencing to you have? if you are worried about longterm you should one of this and padlock all of the gates from the inside that way no one can see your dogs and hopefully they actually have a life and wont spend time climbing over it.

[Mercury]

yipes! what kind of fencing to you have? if you are worried about longterm you should one of this and padlock all of the gates from the inside that way no one can see your dogs and hopefully they actually have a life and wont spend time climbing over it.

I have a portable kennel fencing. I do have one side of it covered with a tarp, but I may have to buy some more tarp.

[Happy Horselover]

My dog stays out in my fenced yard all the time when we're gone. She loves being outside, and she loves "her" yard. She can be in the house for five minutes and be super excited to go back out, she'll jet out the door and run the perimeter, checking things out. I have had my neighbors tell me it's cruel to leave her out. Tell me my dog isn't happy out there! I'm sorry you have people who have too much time on their hands and need to bother you to pass time!

[vicklynn]

Im not fond of dogs on chains. I understand what and why your doing it though.
Is there a way you can put permanent fencing down and lay bricks around the bottom?
Cute dogs!!

Had a neighbor once, would leave his thin skinned, no winter growth Min Pin out to go potty in the winter. Not just for a min to do his job, but in the middle of the night when it was coldest, and the dog would sit there and bark and whine to get in. He would prop up on one foot, then another, and just shake violently. I beat on the dog owners door a couple times, and I mean beat, heck it was 1 or 2 in the morning, and I talked to the manager about it. Not sure if anything was ever done, we bought our home and moved. That neighbor was a jerk in other ways too.
That is dog cruelty, not what your doing.

[Mercury]

Im not fond of dogs on chains. I understand what and why your doing it though.
Is there a way you can put permanent fencing down and lay bricks around the bottom?
Cute dogs!!


Well, I was told that they don't like digging in gravel. is that true :confused:? If so I was thinking about lining it with gravel. I'm renting and my landlord is cool with a kennel, but I don't know about putting up fencing. Either that or I may surround the entire kennel with landscaping bricks. This stuff prob. won't happen til spring though, just got another pony so finances are a little tight. I'm getting my laundry room puppy proofed so they can stay in there majority of the winter though. They just like being outside :(.

[WashingtonBay]

One thing that works really well for kennels is to take a hog panel or some other fairly rigid fencing and lay it down on the ground in the kennel and then pour gravel or other footing over it. It will drain then, but they can't dig through it.