Potential mountain climber .. any thoughts?

sn00ps

Guys

we have a little problem, not a major one, but a problem just the same.

Last night Mr sn00ps and I had popped out for half an hour to get a take away and came back to find our house alarm had been triggered.

Ran in and was greeted at the kitchen door by our 4 month old Cocker! Problem is we left him safely (or so he thought) in his Pen ..

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754775&cp=&sr=1&origkw=pen&kw=pen&parentPage=search&keepsr=1


Scratching our heads, we couldn't for the life of us figure out how he was in the kitchen unless he had sprouted wings and had flown out of his pen (its 3 foot high and he's only 1!).

So, as if to test the wings theory, we put him back in and staying in the kitchen with him, we witnessed him putting his two front paws on the top of the pen and then sort of heave himself up, first putting his left hind paw on one of the holes in the side and then his other hind paw above it .. he climbed out of the pen .. jumping with a flourish beside me with a big grin on his face.



We had tears running down our face it was comical but it does raise a couple of questions that I am looking for some help on.

Has anyone used these before and have any ideas how we can discourage him from doing this?

And

If we can't stop him, what to do about the alarm? He can set it off by hitting against the back door and we're not that comfortable leaving it off, especially with him in the house. We have been burgled before with our old dog and luckily our buglers were ok and kept him inside, but you hear horror stories about what they do with dogs.

Currently we have something blocking the door so, in theory, he can't jump on it but this isn't ideal.

Is this a common prob? And before someone says its boredom .. he had just come back from 4 days away with us where he spent he's days learning about beaches, seaweed, birds, other dogs, humans .. a real fun filled holiday;)

Any thoughts?? Thanks

S.

fits

perhaps get a large crate? or designate a room for him that he cant get out of, which wont trigger the alarm.

Vinnie K

Why not puppy proof a room in the house and just let him in there with plenty of toys?

I had a old english sheepdog years ago that could climb gates with they had that thick wire mesh on them, was classic to see.