New Territory’s dogs are simultaneously discovering the magic of turning their fences in to doggie doors while their owner’s wonder where they went. The dog pound is puzzled and assumes that people are ditching their dogs due to the bad economy, while animal neurotics have reported a growing number of amazing and terrifying stories.  One yellow lab puppy that was so happy with his new found freedom that he jumped up to greet two women and knocked them both down, and then kept them down while running between them and standing on their backs licking them.  Lord knows how they ever got up.

Amazing stories aside, New Territory homeowners are experiencing a real an unseen problem until now.  Our fences are getting a little age on them, and our dogs have discovered this miracle first. The nails that hold the pickets are rusted out and all a dog needs to do is push a little at the bottom of the ugly side of the fence and the picket flips open. Bigger dogs have no problem in discovering that they need only push two pickets to get out.

When the homeowner solves this problem by working with his neighbor and screwing the pickets solidly in place, the dogs learn that by pushing just a little harder the decaying lower part of the picket will easily break off at the screwed-in, two-by-four, cross section. This can be avoided by dog owners, if they simply install one new picket on the inside fence parallel to the ground.  This kick plate type picket should be screwed into each picket.

In many cases, those dogs who have learned this much about fence construction, have probably also figured out that if there is a space (some will dig a space) just under the good side of the fence, then they can pull the pickets off, just as easily as they could push them off on the ugly side. This problem is easily fixed with another kick-plate picket and screws for the rest of the fence.

In most cases, New Territory’s fences will be around for many more years, but those who have dogs should address this issue NOW. If your dog has not escaped in this way, it is only a matter of time before he learns this amazing discovery.

I am relaying this information so that neighbors can help each other with our communal problems instead of relying on a homeowner association that historically has seemed to only be interested in imposing fines and creating animosity between neighbors. Please help your neighbor mend your fences and protect yourself from that licking lab attack puppy, as well as keep that puppy safe from the busy roads.

http://www.newterritorysentinel.com

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Comments (2)

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written by dog_lover, August 19, 2009

This sounds like good advice, but why doesn't the HOA issue such helpful information or would it be just another fee generator?

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written by News, August 19, 2009

Good question.

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