The Great Dog Escape

As you may have picked up before, Chipsanne is our little Devil Dog. However, I have yet to describe why such a name is warranted, other than as Morgan mentioned, her pooping peeing 'a-plethora' problem. So now on to reason two: anxiety disorder to the max.

We picked up Chip at a shelter and she was assumed to be 3 and a half months old. As is protocol, she had to be at the shelter for 3 days before being adopted so the previous owners could claim her. Unfortunately, Chipson's family did not come looking for her... which I guess, was quite fortunate for us, but maybe a bit scarring for her. We are guessing, since the pup was found roaming the streets, that since she was perfectly healthy, groomed, and seemingly domesticated and mildly trained, she had been owned before. However, as we have learned, she is QUITE the runner, and when given the opportunity to be a little free she has taken off like an Olympic track star. So, we believe she escaped from a home and perhaps ran to a different county, or her owners simply decided to give up. Either way, she got caught, and stuck in a shelter for 3 days before we swept her off her paws and put her into our lives. Now, perhaps as a result, she has SEVERE anxiety disorder. She will cry at the door when you are in the shower. She paws at the door while you are in the bathroom. She follows you around EVERYWHERE and since the closest she could possibly be to you is RIGHT between your two legs, she has very sadly, more than once been stepped on or tripped over.

We sort of love that she adores us so much, but in an attempt to break the habit, we keep leaving her alone and paying less attention to her when she seems to beg for it. The first time away from her our carpet was destroyed, and I found more poop in the house than I had EVER seen come out of her all of the days we had her combined. The second time, I decided to use the crate (we have heard good things, but she LOATHES it). My mom had come over for the day and we wanted to go out to lunch. We put her in the crate and went downstairs to listen a few minutes before we left. As we listened, the dog turned into vicious dinosaur, and screams, barks, roars were emitted as the crate was obviously being rolled across the room. Suddenly we heard the pattering of her paws, followed by more terrified yelping and then scratching at the door. The devil dog had escaped.

Attempting to never leave her alone except for small increments at a time, by Wednesday I felt like I was under house arrest. So I decided to buck up and do something I knew she'd hate. I put the crate in the car and Chippy and I went to Costco. When I got there I lured her into the evil cage with some treats. Quickly I closed it,TIED the zippers together to prevent escape, shut the trunk and headed in - at least I knew the car wouldn't be ruined when I got back, and her barking though frightful to passerby's wouldn't bother the neighbors. So relaxed, I headed into Costco.

30 minutes later, I returned and my heart sunk as I saw her head in the window... not the crate. As I approached (her yapping seemed to have never ceased) I realized that ONLY her head had made it out of the crate. The rest of her body was stuck inside, and the whining was due to not only fear of separation, but probably pain. Cesar Milan (The All Mighty Dog Whisperer) says to show no emotion, and avoid greeting your dog when you return home from being out. So I calmly loaded all the groceries into the car watching in horror as the crate was being tossed to and fro her body-crate-covered desperately trying to keep up with the direction and desires of her head.

When I finally went to her aide, I realized that her head was completely stuck. I really had no clue what to do, and not wanting to give her comfort, but rather discipline (another Cesar trick) I was at a loss as to how to calm her down and get her out. People passing by stopped and looked at the frantic bouncing crate about to fall out of my trunk with a puppy's head sticking through it as I sat helpless on the asphalt. Great - 4 days of motherhood, and already somebody is going to report me to puppy services or something.

Eventually, she calmed down enough and I was able to push her head back inside the crate. Needless to say, we have yet to close that crate door since. Furthermore, the other day, I heard destructive pouncing and tearing coming from the blue room (where we keep all her stuff) and I found her attempting to destroy her crate. She was successfully toppling, pouncing, pushing and pulling the crate all over the room. I got the message. No more crate.

I'm beginning to wonder, who's training who?