The Holes we Dig ~ or, the day Aspen tunneled out AGAIN!

By Porter ~

I love my adopted sister, Aspen, I really do. But I do NOT understand what is with that dogs crazy desire to escape our own personal doggie nirvana. I mean, we have 2 lush acres to roam, several sheds to loaf under, our private swimming pool, AND a dog door into the climate controlled house where comfy pads call out for naps. I even have my very own shavings pile that mom put under cover but near the driveway so I can stay warm and dry while I wait for them to come home. And yet, yesterday Aspen decided digging under the blackberry bushes to get into the neighbors horse pasture was a good idea.

This is probably the 5th or 6th time Aspen has decided she needs to go adventuring during the day. The first time she just pushed that bulky body through the small opening in the gate along the driveway. Mom and dad fixed that by added a second chain near the bottom. Then she started digging. First along the front fence line. This resulted in two escapes in two days. An electric fence along the bottom of our yard fence kept her from digging there again.

But, not 6 months later, she was out again. Now part of my issue with this is not just that I want her to be safe, but that I do NOT do well home alone. I mean, HELLO, that is why mom and dad even adopted her into the pack! If she is going to tunnel out and have the neighbor have to rescue her what does that make me???? Home alone is what that makes me. Yes, I can see her next door through the fence but it’s NOT THE SAME.

So that time took some investigating on mom and dads part and after much brush cutting and swearing they found her escape point on the side fence line. Additional electric fence was added. By this time, the majority of our lovely acreage was electrified and you’d think she would have learned her lesson but, what can I say, she’s just not as smart as I am!

This last time created a total panic. Dumb Aspen had piled through brush, some old wire, and blackberry bushes to dig out on the only 40 feet of the property not electrified….and that led straight into a neighbors horse pasture. Luckily, our lovely neighbor Casey happened to be home from work that day, and called mom right away. From the story I heard later mom left work in a hurry to jump into the car to come home and rescue her from being trampled by the horses but in the meantime Casey came over into our yard and called Aspen who FINALLY brightened up enough to know that wasn’t really where she’d intended to go! Fat girl scrambled back under the fence into our yard and, of course, had to spend the rest of the day tied up at the neighbors and I, I might add, was once again left HOME ALONE.

Mom and dad came home that afternoon none too happy and, no surprise, proceeded to add still more electric fencing. Truly, you’d think we were keeping in dangerous animals with the main fence and electric fencing along the inner edge, not a Labrador!

Our entire yard is now officially Aspen proof so I’m just hoping we don’t have any more incidences like we have had in the past. I, personally, think it’s time for punishment. I mean, I have to wear a bark collar every day to keep me from being noisy… surely Aspen continuing to escape deserves something! For now, at least, I am happy because I think they have her fully contained this time. I am not alone.