Suggestions for puppy who climbs fences

[pbjmaker]

I might have mentioned this somewhere else but Tucker, my 6 month old "cavachon" is now an adept fence climber.

We sign up for the next round of obedience classes on Monday, but it is all basic command kind of stuff at this level.

I either stay out with him (BRRRRR) or watch through the window and he just seems to climb over and then stay nearby - I don't think he wants to leave his brother behind. Thank goodness his brother can hardly jump up on the bed let alone scale a fence. He is usually intent on getting one of the squirrells in the neighbors tree that is next to our fence.

Can this habit be nipped in the bud or do I need to go with an electric perimeter fence once the ground thaws out. I have a feeling he would just run through the shock, but I could try.

I swear he was born with hands, not paws! He also tries to open doorknobs but lacks the opposable thumb to accomplish it.

 

[Wild Trapper]

Gray foxes can climb trees, maybe your pouch is a cross of some kind. Just kidding. My first thought was run an electric wire along the top of the fence. Not straight out of the main, get one of those fence chargers farmers use to keep their stock in. We run one around our garden fence to keep the raccoons out. Doesn't kill the raccoons and sometimes it even keeps them out.

 

[linben]

Some people hobble their dogs. It worked for a dog we had many years ago. She finally stopped trying and we only had to do it for a couple of weeks.

 

[Appytaz]

I have a boxer that was a fence climber - she started it at a young age to get to go with me. Long story on that one Anyways - I had to use the underground invisible fencing for her - but I had to run in about midheight on the fence. When it was at ground level we caught her jumping on the fence to get a lighter shock so she could climb out. It did cure the habit with her. Hope something works for you!

 

[lorieMN]

just put a top on the kennel..I use the 2x4 square field fence for mine..I have a couple climbers..

 

[Baymule]

I have a slick, sneaky, brilliant escape artist Australian Shepherd. I finally had to get one of those spiral stakes and screw it into the ground and put her on a cable when she is outside. I even raised the fence 3 feet and she still got out. Sigh.........

 

[WIChookchick]

Our 10 wk old puppy climbed like the dickens, she is a sharpei/lab mix, now 3 yrs old.
We had one of those play pens that you could take a long pin out of to make a barrier fence...
She climbed like there was no tomorrow. We ended up putting plastic garden netting on the top of it and zip tying it to the top.

If you end up having to use a stake OR creating an overhead line for a place we rented with no fence, I did using a bicycle locking cable, and a horse lungeline.
That way she could come up to the door, and go out and not climb OR leave the yard. If you don't have a tree, you can use a T-Post, or another building and just shut the end into a door.

Hope this helps.
Carol

 

[lil'turkeymama]

I'm thinking you could try teaching the pup to stay off the fence.Pups are smart,they don't like for 'mom' to be mad at them.You don't have to hit it just hollow or yell of throw something in the general direction.Pup looks to see who's loudest....good pup...call it to you and really good pup.This usually works after a few times.Its good for the pup if you can find something it does well and encourage it.It builds confidence and corfirms basic skills.Be Firm.Not mean.I always tell my dogs,I don't hate them,they just can't break the rules.It ain't personal,just the way it is.Best of luck.

 

[Tala]

electric wire is what I'd do. Along the bottom for diggers, along the top for climbers. Some dogs hate it so much you can turn it off after a few tastes, but other dogs seem to be able to tell when it's hot or not.

 

[FireTigeris]

My neighbors had a dog that could ground out hot wire- if you want to teach 'no climbing' put the hot wire at three feet up.

She was storm shy and could climb a 6 foot fence with the 'cat fencing' on top (angles top at 45*) at first there was dirt in the pen but she would dig piles of dirt onto the hot wire then dig between the hills.

when the pen was made all concrete it killed the trees in there so then she'd climb onto the doghouse and jump out.

She was a blue tick hound, she was killed by a car (IIRC) at 14 yrs old after another escape.