Ozzy, the new "Houdini"

[MindyKay]

I bought a soft-sided crate from a well-known pet supplier (I won't mention name to avoid any endorsement or free advertising).  I love it!  We no longer have to worry about a wire crate scratching the interior of our vehicle, and it is super-easy to set-up and take-down (no more worrying about pinched fingers).  AND, we don't have to fuss with wrapping the wire crate in a blanket to avoid scratches!

However, we learned the hard way to be sure to secure the zippered openings on the crate.

We went on vacation and booked a motel that allowed pets.  We had to go out to eat, and it was super-hot, so we decided to leave Ozzy in the crate in the motel room since it was air-conditioned.  When we returned, imagine our surprise to find Ozzy loose in the room!  We looked at the crate, and dog-gone-it (pun intended), the top zippered opening had been unzipped!  Even more amazing is how Ozzy got out since the crate is pretty tall.  There must have been some serious scrambling done for him to get out.  We figured that he must have "bumped" the zippers apart just enough to get his nose in between the zippers.  From there, it must have been easy to unzip the top opening and climb out.  We secured the top zippers with a twist-tie and thought that was the end of the "great escape."

The very next time we left Ozzy in the crate in the room (again because of the heat), to go get a bite to eat, we were surprized AGAIN to find Ozzy loose in the room!  This time, I had forgotten to secure the front door zipper with the hook provided on the crate, and Ozzy probably used the same technique he used on the top opening to separate the zippers and "unzip" the doorway!  So, I won't leave those zippers unsecured again!

I'm constantly amazed at the intelligence Ozzy displays!  Fortunately, he did not leave any "presents" in the room, and I had checked the room over to make sure nothing was left within his reach that could harm him.  He probably just jumped on the bed and curled up for a nice nap.

Anyway, I'd still recommend this soft-sided crate for its ease of use.  Plus the wire crate stays at the house and we don't have to risk pinched fingers taking it apart and putting it back together.

[doxielady5569128]

  Porky does the same thing.  We put him inone of those at my in-law's house when we were eating outside.  Next thing we know, Porky's under the table begging for food.   

[David C.]

Before I had a house of my own, I would wash my car at my parents house and take Rudy & Max with me.   I would tie them up to a tree in the front yard.  Before you'd know it, Rudy had leaped into the car.  This happened a few times.   It turned out Rudy wasn't the Houdini, though.   It was his older brother Max chewing through Rudy's leash (but not his own) to set Rudy free.

[Dee Dee and Hallie]

That's too funny. They can outwit us sometimes. Ozzy sure is a smart cookie!
When I first got Hallie, Sophie and the little boy we were calling them Houdini the Weenie, Zuchinni the Weenie (I was going to call Hallie "Zookie" at one point) and Linguini the Weenie.

[Lowriders in Ohio]

It turned out Rudy wasn't the Houdini, though.   It was his older brother Max chewing through Rudy's leash (but not his own) to set Rudy free.

Our Cyrus did the same thing.  We were at a picnic at my in-laws' house, and Hemi and Cyrus were tied to a tree.  This was before the dachshunds joined the pack.  We were eating, and suddenly Hemi was over there begging.  While we were still checking Hemi's collar and trying to figure out what happened, Cyrus ran over.  Cyrus had chewed through the rope to free Hemi then freed himself!  Cyrus has always been very close to his Hemi, but we were very impressed by his little act of devotion in freeing Hemi before himself at the picnic.

[Roberta]

Amy has a soft crate in the car and we have found the zipper had to be up the top in the front, she is to small to get to the top one and a the top of th efront its to high for her.
Angus angel was our houdini, over fences etc, but he was a bit duah as you could put him in and he would show you how he done it.........................that was my blonde bombshell as I used to call him.
Roberta

[klsb]

Its very easy to trap Fin. He just looks sad and howls. Sometimes he tries to dig out, but thats about it. When i am putting him in his crate though, he has started sticking his nose through where the lock is, so i cant lock it.