Our Beagle the Houdini

Beagle's are a clever breed, stubborn and are known to be escape artists.  They are loveable rogues.

One-half of our garden is walled, the other half which is connected to our neighbours is fenced and this is the half where our little Houdini keeps escaping, into next doors garden.

Next door own a gorgeous springer spaniel called Barney, and Poppy and Barney like to sniff and lick each other through the slats of the fence, tails wagging they run from one end of the fence to the other greeting and sniffing each other.  Then one day Poppy took it further and broke the fence and escaped into next doors garden. Poppy and Barney had a 5-minute madness of running circles in the garden and my neighbour  brought her home.  

But there is no stopping her now. She wants to play with her pal.

She's started to do her Houdini act often, we patch up the fence, and she just pulls it apart.  And it has got to the point where it is 2 or 3 times a day she was breaking into next doors garden.

My poor neighbours.

So now when letting her out in the garden I have to stand in the patio door and watch her because with me watching her she won't try and escape. She goes outside acting like she doesn't know why I am watching her, she doesn't even acknowledge the fence or that side of the garden, but I am on to her, I know she is trying to trick me. And, if I take my eyes off her, she is straight over to the fence, a dash to break free into next doors garden.

She tests me, she will bark to go outside every 10-minutes, and testing to see if I will stand and watch her, she simple stands there sniffing the air, not acknowledging the fence, and acts like there is nothing going on. Then when she sees I'm not going anywhere, she comes back in. Yeah, I know what you are doing little one.  - I know she knows that if I didn't watch her she would make a break for next doors garden.

Then there are the kids, if they let her out (they keep forgetting not to let her out) then she shoots and runs straight to the fence and escapes. I'll been cleaning up when there is a knock on the door, oblivious to the fact Poppy had escaped next door again and my neighbour standing there with Poppy.

My poor neighbour though, as much as they think Poppy is cute, it must be frustrating.   I think I might have to buy her a box of chocolates to say Sorry and Thank you. And, hopefully, this little phase poppy is going through is a puppy phase, and she will grow out off it. Hubby has reinforced the fence, but Poppy is out there testing and trying new ways to get through.

The little rascal.