Togo is an outside dog year round. Being a Siberian husky, he has thick fur and does not mind the cold, as long as he has his dog house (not pictured) to sleep in. But huskies have a tendency to run, so they must either be kept in a large kennel or on a long chain. For now, Togo gets the chain.
But lately he has figured out how to get off his chain. It happened at least four times yesterday, so it isn't by accident. He runs around in circles until the chain gets twisted so tight it won't even bend. Then apparently he uses the leverage from the tight chain to undo the clasp that holds the chain to his collar. Pretty clever, and I think he is proud of himself. When he gets loose he stays close to the house, waiting until I come out to see him. I can almost hear him laughing at me: "Silly human. You keep putting me back on my chain, and I know how to get loose!"
I'm thinking of a certain piece of hardware, although I don't know what it's called, that might solve the problem. It's a chain link that can be screwed open or shut; I'll have to find one.
By the way, that's the new house in the background, waiting for spring (and some extra money) so we can start building some more!
6 comments:
That was pretty funny, that little (not pictured)... in case we thought that was a Dog-House Deluxe in the background!
Togo seems to be a very smart dog. Hmmm. Wonder if you could teach him to frame in a few windows for you while you're at work, since he's already off the chain and all. ;-)
madcap- I didn't even think of that as I was writing! That is pretty funny. We could probably get him to fetch tools and beverages and stuff while we work on the Dog House. :) This slight spring-like weather has me itching to get started again!
nice dog, I think you can get climbing type clips that screw closed, camping shop? hope Calvin is better
There much smarter than we give them credit for being. I sometimes think they act dumber than they are when were around so we don't put them to work doing such things ;). After all what do we expect from them. Sleep all day while we go to work, lay around the house and get food put in there bowls.
My pyrenese learned to open a locked sliding glass door and i am told his father once opened a car door and stole the thanksgiving turkey from the backseat of the car. My brother in law taught his chocolate lab to open the refridgerator door and bring him a Beer, lol. At least until she learned she could puncture the can with her teeth and drink it herself.
i have been reading your blog for a while now, and i'm sorry my first comment is not a pleasant one, but...why do you have him outside? i know i dont know the whole story here, but i dont understand this. dogs are pack animals. why doesn't he get to be with the rest of you?
i'm sorry, but seeing a dog chained up by themselves makes my blood boil. no matter what the reason.
I deleted my first response to this; it sounded a touch too snappy and defensive, although I won't apologize for feeling snappy and defensive. kara, you are correct in one thing: you don't have the whole story, although if you've been reading my blog for a while you should have a lot of the story, and I haven written a lot about how I love Togo and take him running/walking/skiing. He is definitely not hurting for interaction. And I have written a lot about how small my house is; to keep such an energetic, exuberant dog inside with the rest of "the pack" would be courting disaster on a daily basis.
Huskies are bred to be outside animals; they have thick fur and can withstand the cold. Huskies also have a tendency to roam, and what really makes my blood boil are the ignorant bastards who let their dogs run free to harass wildlife and kill the neighbors' chickens, or threaten me when I'm out for a bike ride. There are also people around here who won't hesitate to shoot to kill if they see a dog running loose. I had a yellow lab stolen the one time she ran out to the road; she came back, but it was a real eye opener for me. So it's a safety issue for the dog as well.
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