I wrote about the lady bringing a lost dog to our door and us ending up with him. Well, let me just say he is definitely a wanderer. I can see how he ended up on the run for an extended period.
He seems to like it here, but he needs to escape from our fenced yard even more. Sure, there is more than three-quarters of an acre to roam inside of the fence, but it is not enough. He wants freedom, or at least a car ride as he comes running up to it when he is out.
I think my husband’s many hours spent in the heat taking care of all of the little areas of escape that our basset never tried to squeeze through has finally paid off. He stayed in the yard today without being on the leash. He did give it a valiant effort to escape (I saw him trying to climb the chain link fence), but alas to no avail.
Funny thing is our basset and our cat both stay without issue in our yard.
Kitty Cat in the backyard
I must admit they both seem to have identity issues. I am not sure if they both think they are dogs or cats or some combination.
The identity issues do get ugly though. You see, the cat grooms the dog like it would another cat and the dog grooms the cat as if he were also a cat. I have no pictures, but just trust me that you are better off not having to look at the result.
Even with their issues, I never have to go looking for either of them. They always appear to be happy to be in the yard. The new member of our clan does not seem happy with the yard. He wants out there, but . . .
Ironically, he usually wants to be right with you in the house. If he is not sleeping under cushions on the couch or on one of our laps, he is following every step we take around the house. He is excited to see my daughter when she gets up each morning. He wags his tail and runs to the door when my husband gets home.
Perhaps the vet is right, he just needs to get fixed to help his wander lust. Yep, that’s right, he was never fixed. Well, he has another trip coming in September. . . I just wish I was more confident that it will change his wandering ways.
I think it depends on the dog and why they are leaving the yard. I’ve had two dogs that still felt the desire to roam. They both loved exploring. One was a puppy when neutered and one was older and they still tried to see the world after the trip to the Vet.
I think you are absolutely correct.
I believe it is possible.