How to confuse your dog

Last weekend one of my neighbors and I shared the cost of replacing the wooden privacy fence between our yards.  They also replaced the fence for their yard on all sides.  The workers showed up bright and early on Good Friday morning.  I had already had the casual thought that I would not be able to let the dogs out while the fence was down...I could just see them enjoying a romp through the three other exposed yards!  But when I came home from a little morning excursion and the fence was down the reality hit me that I could not let them out.  So, what to do?

I had the thought of getting some of that orange mesh stuff and block off the side yard on the other side of the house where there was still a fence.  After a trip to the store and finding that the stuff only came in rolls of 100 feet and was $30 I decided that I needed plan B.  I ended up taking two of the stand alone gates out there and stretching them across the side yard between the fence and the house.  I overlapped them, but still knew that I had to be out there at all times with the dogs or they would push through them quick as the wag of a tail.  This arrangement served its purpose overnight and through the next day until the fence was up again.  They were able to go outside for their potty breaks and  little fresh air by exiting through the side door.

But what messed with their minds was why they couldn't go out through the back door.  I had the inside door open so they would stand and look through the glass door at the outside world, then look back at me and then back outside.  Poor puppies, they were so confused!

However, they weren't too confused the next morning when they discovered a hole at the front corner of the new fence.  I was outside with them, enjoying a cup of coffee on Easter morning when I realized that they had all disappeared.  When I went to check on them I discovered the hole, too!  All but Sawyer had shimmied through the hole.  He was just too big and round to get through.  When I called first Blossom wiggled through, followed by Bentley, but no Baylee.  She had already gone up the street, so I had to let her in through the front door.  Silly puppies!  (And my dear neighbor fixed the hole so we have had no more escapes, fun is over!)