Our Adventures With Retired Racing Greyhounds, Truly, Maggie and Walker



Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Greyhound Fortification

When we got Walker back in September, I began to obsess even more about door and gate safety issues.  My memories of the day back in the spring when Truly and Maggie Got Out of the Gate still terrorize me.  We didn't have Walker when that happened.

At just two years old, Walker is very strong and very energetic.  He loves to run, and run, and run. I've mentioned before that he's a spook.  What this means is that if Walker gets away, we have very little chance of ever getting him back.  Because of his fear, it's very unlikely that he would ever voluntarily come to us especially if he's panicked and in unfamiliar surroundings.

We have taken almost every imaginable step to ensure that all the dogs are safe and that they can never get out of our backyard gate again.  What we didn't do was "fortify" the front door.

Here's a picture of the front of the house that I posted at Christmas.  See?

There's a railing all around the porch except for the space between the two right-most columns, just in front of the door.  If the dogs get out of the front door, they can walk run directly down the steps to the front walk and then down onto the sidewalk and into the street.  There's no fence around the front yard.  If the dogs get out of the front door, they're gone.

The front door is big and heavy and old.  The doorknob is old, too.  Standing inside the house, Truly can bump the knob with his nose and the door will swing open and inward.  That's why we put a new deadbolt on the door. The deadbolt is always locked.  Even if I go outside to sweep the porch, I take my keys with me and lock the door from the outside.

When people come over for a visit, one of us must always be with them as they come and go through the door.  It doesn't always shut completely, then it swings open.  Even though we explain the importance of keeping the dogs inside the house - folks just don't always understand.  Teen-aged and elderly visitors, in particular, fail to make sure the door is closed and locked.  Sawyer's friends, poor kids, they must surely think we're weird -

And where are the dogs during our entrance and egress from the front door?  Standing there and waiting.  Simply WAITING for their chance.  (I told you I was obsessed with this.)

Truly says, "I want to go outside."
Maggie says, "Me, too."
Walker, who's outside of the camera shot, says,  "You get the door open and I'll run through!  Yeah!"
Just look at them standing there.  Waiting . . .

Realizing that we needed to do something, I suggested a gate.  Tim found a  man who builds things out of wrought iron.  We went to his shop and showed him photos of the house and described the purpose of the gate.  The man drew a design proposal on a piece of paper.  It was exactly what we needed.  He came out and measured.  About two weeks later he brought us this - the Front Door Greyhound Protection Gate!  The very first one of its kind!


Front Door Gate-Keeping Protocol requires that the gate be closed before the front door is unlocked/opened.  I've even briefed the mail carrier on the purpose of the gate.  He's good with it.

Hopefully it will never be needed, but if it is, it's there.

Ahhhhh, peace of mind!

P.S. - When Tim and I met and talked with the wrought iron man, we detected a Cajun accent.  Tim asked him about it.  He said he grew up in Pierre Part, Louisiana.  For us, the next obvious question was, "Do you know the Landrys from the History Channel show, Swamp People?"  He said he grew up with Troy and knew his family well.

We love that show!  Small world, huh?


From the History Channel web site:  Deep in the heart of Louisiana lies America's largest swamp--a million miles of inhospitable bayous, marshes and wetlands where nature rules and humans struggle to tame it. Many of its inhabitants are the hardened descendants of French refugees who were forced out of Canada in the 18th century and settled in this harsh yet majestic environment. Today, these people are known as the Cajuns, a group renowned throughout the world for their flavorful cuisine, distinctive music and vibrant culture. Resilient, self-reliant and fiercely independent, the Cajuns of the Atchafalaya Swamp still carry on many of their ancestors' trades and traditions.

14 comments:

  1. I am NOT alone! Alas, someone else who has a fear of their dogs escaping. I check every gate before I even open a door to let the dogs out. Very nice gate on the porch!

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    1. Until your post, I was afraid to say that I check the fence before I let them out to make sure no tree fell during the night and knocked a section of fencing down!

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  2. We have triple doors leading out to the back, which is where the dogs go out. The front porch does get used a little, but we usually keep a baby gate in it. Our dogs all know the "wait" command at the door, though, and they don't go out unless we say they can. Learning a little basic obedience has been good for all of our hounds. Once, Hawk, who was our spooky dog, got freaked out on a walk and backed out of his collar. As he approached a busy street corner, I yelled "sit" and by golly' he did! He sat and waited for me because it was something he was familiar with and loved to do. I nearly had a heart attack, but I managed to get him home before my legs gave out on me. It is one of many reasons that Alan of our Greyhounds learn obedience.

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    1. I came across the instructions for Jen Batchelor's "Life Saving Recall." We're working on that now with Truly and Maggie. Spooky Walker will take more time, though, as we can't get close enough to him for training.

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  3. Loving the gate, but (sorry) surely the dogs could easily jump it?

    Had to laugh at the photo of them looking out of the slightly open door.

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    1. Sue, good point about jumping. Truly and Maggie have never been jumpers. They'll stop at a gate. Walker would probably jump if he got to the gate and was spooked. The terrible truth is that if he jumps over that gate, we're going to have medical issues because he's going to land on brick steps.

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  4. You can now say you have 2 degrees of separation from the Landrys! You're almost famous :-) The gate fits so nicely with the rest of the house. He did a great job with it. And peace of mind? Priceless.

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    1. I love those Swamp People and the man who made the gate! Lately, I've developed a great appreciation for people who are capable of self-sustaining lifestyles. Working for "the man" ain't all it's cracked up to be . . .

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  5. The fence guys are coming out this week to double drop bar our gates so they don't accidentally open on windy days, placing a second gate on our deck, so we can have the double gate system to the backyard again, also replacing a section of fence to make it more secure, and I will bungee the gates after they finish. But now I see I need a gate for the front door too :)

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    1. I wondered how much fence work you guys would have to do in the new house . . .

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  6. That's a really nice gate, and looks great on your porch - really fits with the style of the house! Many people use babygates within the house, but I quite like your solution too. I take it you have no jumpers though, our first greyhound would have been over that gate from standing.

    Your hounds are gorgeous. I love those grey-faced brindles!!

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  7. This door story is like my own. My greys would even sneak out behind my butt while I was going through the door. I noticed a few shows on the Dog Whisperer, that he would teach dogs to wait six feet back from the door, so I worked on that, and at first it seemed impossible, but gradually they got the point. Now they know to stand back and be calm while the door is open. I would think that your gate is a better idea, but it's rather impossible to do on a motorhome. Thanks so much for your pictures and story.

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  8. I LOVE the new gate and would to have one like that for my front porch. I measured my opening and have not found something already pre-made, so looks like sometime in the future, I'll need to get one made as well.

    I practice all the time with my dogs. Calling them one by one from the house out to my creen in porch. Works fine when they are calm and not excited. Unfortunately--all that training goes out the window when they are excited!

    I saw someone mention their motor home. I actualy have 5 ex-pens that I hook together to create a perimeter around my travel trailer when we go camping. I think all of us Greyhound folks are obessessed with fortification :)

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    1. I see those xpens at Greyfests and would like to have one. Do you have a local source for them?

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