The Houdini Dog

My brother and sister in law were
adopted as parents by this reverse
brindle boxer several years ago.
I think the way it went was Lori
took him in as a foster dog.
My brother became attached
to Rosco and Rosco in turn
became attached to them.
We always joked that Rosco
picked his home!

Rosco had a great personality.
But little did Ray and Lori
know, boxers have issues
about being left alone. One
day after being gone Ray
came back to the house to
find the sunroom torn to
pieces. In this room the
windows open by being
pushed out, leaving the
screens inside. They were
torn out where Rosco tried
to get out. Also did some scratch
damage to an antique buffet table.

Next time they left the house,
Rosco was locked in a bathroom.
This bathroom use to be a
changing room for what use
to be a local pool. It was made
of brick o blocks but somewhere
along the way, it got plaster
board put up for real walls.
When my brother returned
he found two holes chewed
in the wall board. Rosco
stopped when he hit the brick
wall behind it. He had jumped
up on the toilet and tore up
the blinds on the window
behind. My brother and sister
in law read up on the fact
that boxers apparently have
issues if left alone.

I lent them a dog cage, hard
molded plastic up the sides,
gated door, and two small
slender windows (gated)
on the sides. VERY SMALL.
They locked Rosco up in that
when they went off only to
come back and find him out!
Somehow he squeezed out
the side window. With this
said, he was a mess when
being left alone.

My nephew Chase Montgomery
raced cars and the family was
always on the road traveling
somewhere. It was February
and time for Daytona. My
brother and sister in law
took the RV to Fla. for the
race. Apparently there was
a drivers meeting/dinner
type thing the night before
I flew down. They knew Rosco
could not be left in the RV alone.
So, they found a doggie day
care that would board Rosco
over night. Lori warned them
that Rosco was a Houdini!
They said it would not be a
problem. His sleeping quarters
consisted of a brick o block
room so far up that was
finished off with a caged
area on the rest of the side
and top..and door.

I arrived in Daytona in time
for Lori and I to get the dog
before the race. We marched
in the day care and Lori stated
she was hear to get the boxer.
The woman greeted us with
“Oh yeah, the boxer”. I lost
it! I knew he done something.
Come to find out, when the
workers arrived that morning
they found Rosco in the main
waiting room. Dog toys and
treats that were in bins before
were everywhere, blinds messed
up and the desk was a mess…..
Yes, Houdini struck
again! He apparently put
his paw out under the opening
between the cage door and the
floor and worked and worked
until he popped the spring
loaded latch. At this point I
was laughing so hard I had
to step out!

We loaded Rosco into the
car, he dropped down on
the back seat and passed
out. I would call his name
and he never opened his
eyes, and I was Rosco’s fav
aunt. He loved me and would
get excited to see me…not this
time. He must have been up
all night trying to get that
latch open, his paws were sore
and a bit scratched up….but he
survived. Believe it or not, they
did not say never to bring him
back!

I had picked up a brochure on
my way out of the day care and
on the way back to the track,
I read it. Apparently the dogs
were walked on a trail to the
horse barn to visit once or
twice a day, they had a pool….
and they got a report after
their stay. I asked Lori did
Rosco get one! He had not
but I was so determined that
he should have one….I took
care of it!
That story will come
tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping in,
Pam