Buster’s Blog

Buster has been getting closer and closer to the fence until the other day when I was coming back from the cabin I noticed that he was practically on top of the wire so I took his collar off and checked where he should get shocked and the collar had to be within 3 inches of the wire before he would get a warning and since his neck is higher than 3” then he would never even get a warning if he walked across.  I call the company on Friday and they came on Monday afternoon and they were sure that the problem would be that a lightning surge had taken out the lighting surge protector. Their first move was to take another collar and confirm that it also had to be really close to the wire to go off but after replacing the surge protector the problem persisted.  So, they replaced the circuit board and still the problem was there.  Next they did a continuity test to make sure the wire wasn’t broken.  We didn’t think it was because the system is supposed to alarm if the wire is cut and sure enough there was continuity so it was head scratching time.  They brought out a device that put a signal on one leg of the loop and took a wand around the yard looking for a place where the signal got weak.  The place was right under where this tree had broken off and landed squarely on top of the wire stretching it to the point where it still showed continuity, but the impedance was too high to work properly.  They were able to pull the wire in two by hand which is a near impossibility for an undamaged wire.  Anyway, this whole thing took about 3 hours because one of the people was the owner of the company and the other was someone he was training and it had been several years since the owner had to take a service call.

By Monday afternoon, Buster had discovered that he no longer got a shock if he walked over to the cabin so he was having a great time.  This morning he tried it again while I was over there talking to a gutter salesman and I heard this yelping but he just continued to walk and yelp.   There was perhaps a slight increase in his gate.  I got a leash and took the Invisible Fence collar off and lead him back to inside the fence.  The collar started beeping and he took off at a dead run to get back inside.  He has been rather subdued the rest of the day, spending most of his time inside even though the weather here is beautiful.

 

Yesterday I came into the kitchen to brew some tea just in time to see a DHL truck backing up and leaving and I didn’t hear the doorbell and there was nothing on the porch.  Marilyn found a note in the mailbox saying that there was no one available to sign for the packang (part of a birthday present from Mary).  I’m sure the he just didn’t want to get out of the truck with Buster in the yard.  Hopefully Buster will have the same effect on any potential burglars.

I took Buster to the kennel while we went to Atlanta for a pottery sale and concert and visit with George and Julie.  I had them bath him while he was there so I couldn’t pick him up until 3:00 Monday afternoon and he did not seem glad at all to see me.This afternoon he just disappeared and I walked all the way around the perimeter of the invisible fence to make sure he wasn’t caught in something and then I walked the path around the property to see if he would come out and follow me if he heard me but he either wasn’t able to hear me or he just ignored me.  Peter found him behind the log house late this afternoon and if he was there when I walked around the property he should have heard me.  If he get away one more time we will cut out the beeps and give him the shock as soon as he enters the electric field of the fence.  Right now there are 3 beeps in one second and then the shock begins.  As fast as he runs he could be through the field in one second and never get a shock.

 

They put the slate on the front porch day before yesterday and it looks great.  Today they poured the footing for a sitting wall around a patio that will go in front of the front porch.  I don’t have any idea what this is going to look like.  They also poured the pad for the steps to come off of the kitchen porch.  They will put the slate on the kitchen porch next week.

This happened on 9/12/06 and was the final straw that caused me to have the invisible fence put around the garden.

Buster checks out his handiwork.

 I ask you, does he look even a little bit sorry?

No. He is not sorry at all.  He even takes a bow.

Here is the first real damage Buster has done to the Garden Wall.

Notice that these are not small rocks that he is moving around.  This happened on my birthday.  This is South wall of the SW quadrent of the garden.