New "duds"

[nikilovesdogs]

Thanks soooo much to Slap for my new avitar and to the "powers that be" for allowing me to use my canine friends as pics until I get to adopt my new piggers - probably this weekend!

Now, if only I could get my name in hot pink........

[Slap Maxwell]

Your welcome Niki! Good luck with the adoption hopefully this weekend. They will be lucky piggers to have such a good pig mama!

P.S. I am a hot pink fan, too!

[nikilovesdogs]

I emailed rescue to see if I could come out on Sunday. I don't know why that would be a problem. I'll work all day Saturday, nervously, making certain that all safety measures have been taken:

- zip ties reinforcing all joints in current cage/clips or locks for "door" of cage
- anchoring cage to table it is on with hardware
- checking that bedroom locks properly and doors are secure
- double check that dog kennels each have two carabiner clips

I'm "nesting" like a new mother. I just want to make sure that this time, I do it right.

[Slap Maxwell]

You might want to put a baby door in the doorway, too. If you can.

[nonamian_girl]

I'm sure you will Niki . Can't wait for pics of the new piggers.

Did you ever find out how Houdini got out of his kennel?

[nikilovesdogs]

Slap, that is a great idea! Since the doors will be closed/locked, I'll actually baby gate the hall doorway right before the bedroom. Houdini Bogart can jump an 8 foot fence, but any barricade is better than none.

I cannot for the life of me figure out how he squeezed out of a kennel with only one latch undone, but he's pretty miffed at me for putting on those carabiner clips.

[C&K]

I have not had much luck with babygates, they just don't make them like they used to! I went through 3 of them with my kids, all over $50.00 at the store, and not one of them held for more then a week against my small children, let alone a 70# + dog. I think that not only could he jump it, but probably go right through it!

[Slap Maxwell]

You have to get the kind that you bolt to both sides of the door and it latches in the middle.

[C&K]

Those look really sturdy, The three gates I had all "bolted" too, but they where not as sturdy, made mostly out of plastic, or the "latch" where it came together was poorly designed.

Eventually I just got a sheet of MDF and made a farm like 1/2 door.

One of the things to remember though with any gate is that it is only as good as the screws that secure it to the wall. All three of the gates I got came with really tiny 3/4" to 1 1/4" screws!

[nikilovesdogs]

Thanks for your input!

Just to clarify, I would not be using a baby gate as the only line of defense. I might add it, though, as a first line of defense in front of the locked door...........just as more security. Plus, it would definitely keep Rocket, my little guy, out!

[Sabriel]

Maybe a patio door made out of glass and mesh would be a good idea. That way when you are home you can see and hear the little ones while having a door there to keep your dogs out? Also a good second defense since you can lock both doors.

[nikilovesdogs]

Sabriel,

Forgive me, but I'm not following? I should put a glass/screen door in the hallway to my bedroom in front of my locked bedroom door? Huh?

[pink_cottonball]

Niki,your dogs are so adorable! Love the avatar! You lucky ducks!

[Sabriel]

You could put it in front of the locked bedroom door. Like people do on their front doors.

Not sure how well it would work from the harware end as I have never hung a door. Just an idea I wanted to throw out. I think I saw it on a breeder room photo of all places.

[nikilovesdogs]

Since I'm renting an apartment, I think I might have to pass on that idea, but keep 'em coming.

[cavy-cool-crazy]

Your dogs are so cute, Niki. Best of luck with adopting your new pigs.

As for dog/pig safety, I use a safety gate that I made myself. Or should I say, my mum made. It slides between the door frame and two rods, each placed on the door frame. Works just like a baby-gate except it is a very solid structure and you slide it up, instead of swing it open. The door can also be closed while the gate is in too. It's 2 cubes high and covered, so no dog can see in and no pig can see out.





Our dogs are never upstairs (where the pigs are) unsupervised since they are both elderly and are blocked from using the stairs by proper child safety gates. We carry our nearly-16 year old Shih Tzu up (he's blind, deaf, daft etc.) and our 12 year old Border Collie X follows. Bo (the Shih Tzu) wouldn't attack since he can't see anything more than a centimetre from his face, but he would definitely stand on them (or fall over them more likely). The other one never gets near my door at all. I send her away and she runs away and doesn't come back. She's a very scaredy dog despite her size.