http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090212/ap_on_fe_st/odd_roof_dog;_ylt=Ail2rCx6LAiPwWUCwJ4G_T0sQE4F

When I flew home from a conference in August, I watched a vet show on the TV, and one of the animals was a dog that liked to get up on the roof and hang out there. It eventually fell off and broke it's back or something, but was able to make a recovery and apparently still went up on the roof :yikes:

I had a female Greyhound that climbed a ladder and got onto the roof. The ladder was on the back porch, leaning up against the house because we had been clearing snow off the roof and had just left it there. We never expected that one of the dogs would get up there(?!).

I was on the back porch watching the dogs out in the yard, and one minute she was sniffing the ladder, the next she was climbing up. before I could find my voice to say "hey!" she was on the roof. It scared the hell out of me. I called my boyfriend at work in a panic; it was cold and I didn't know how I could get her down. While we were on the phone problem-solving, she came back down the ladder FRONTWARDS. I moved the ladder immediately and never left it there again.

Of course, this is the same little female Greyhound that could open all of the gates and open the fridge and help herself to the canned whipped-cream . She was even the reason I had to put locks on the windows because I would come home and find her in the yard, the door closed and locked, but the window open and the screen pushed out. I never caught her in the act so I don't know how she managed it, but she did it about four times before I believed it was her.

I never underestimate the problem-solving abilities and the adventurousness of dogs anymore.

Dog Whisperer had an episode about a dog who scaled the high backyard wall. Amazing how this dog managed it. Same dog had a nervous breakdown every time the owner coughed.

Someone posted a YouTube video a while back of a beagle climbing an outdoor kennel, pushing up the roof, and escaping by falling to the ground.

C'mon guys. This is all normal stuff. LOL.

Caleb will climb anything, and what doesn't need to be climbed, Simon polevaults over. No pole, of course, but that's what his body looks like catapulting over the obstacle.

Ladders present no problem to Caleb, and yes, he climbs down them forwards. I can't picture a dog backing down a ladder. Their stunts can be scary, though, can't they?

I remember holding my breath one time when Caleb was up on top of a horse trailer. He'd climbed a ladder to get up there, but then I reappeared and he wanted to see me. I watched him look at the ladder, look at the ground, back at the ladder...I could see the little wheels turning in his head and I knew he was going to jump instead of "waste" all that time coming down the ladder. I felt like I was in slow motion trying to stop him, but it was no use. He made the 10' jump just fine, but boy did I wince when he landed. I kept picturing him on the ground with broken legs. I am honestly shocked that he's 5 and has never injured himself w/his stunts. I am thinking of having his elbows re-xrayed out of curiosity; there is just no way his antics have not caused undue wear on his joints.

I am careful not to leave anything around now that could be climbed up.

My Boxer used to do this... but she couldn't go back down the ladder.

I was actually lucky that my dogs know to stay in the yard (we have a wood fence) when there's snow on the ground. Thing is, this is the first year back in ND in our own house with a fenced yard.

After all the snow storms in December, we were left with a helluva lot of snow, everywhere. One day it was nice out and Kayde (my baby) was taking a nap, so I went outside to play with the dogs for a bit. I did a perimeter walk around the fence and boy was I surprised at what I saw ! There were a couple of snow drifts that I could see from the patio door, but there was one that I hadn't seen and am glad I finally became aware of it.
Our fence is 6ft tall. The snow drift was halfway up the fence at least and all the snow was compacted-alot easier for them to walk on. I about shat my pants . All the dogs could have put there paws up on the fence and looked out at whatever happened to pass on the street.
I'm lucky I had no one escape is that it's a small town and people's dogs aren't always contained or leashed-2 or 3 I know of near my house-and my dogs would glady jump a fence to go defend their territory.

Edited by Keleah Stull (02/13/2009 01:04 PM)
Edit reason: added more

Yote has climbed a ladder to get onto the roof with Chad, it scared the hell out of me, he thought about going back down the ladder but instead jumped onto the air conditioner then onto the ground. All I could do was stand there and cringe!!

He climbs the ladder into the attic too whenever we have it down

 Quote: Keleah Stull

I was actually lucky that my dogs know to stay in the yard (we have a wood fence) when there's snow on the ground.

It is a reassuring feeling, isn't it?

My son has accidentally let Danke out the front door, twice.
Both times, she made a bee-line to the Jeep, and sat by the back hatch, waiting to go to training.
We were lucky.

(We've changed the screen-door since then, so Danke can't nose it open.)

Ha! Teagan got out of a cabin once (by my brother) and ran to the car and got into the trunk (the doors were closed, but it was open). Teagan looooooves cars.

I've taught Luc to climb ladders (stiles, actually) b/c that's how to get over a lot of fences on hiking trails. He doesn't mind going up, but he's not a fan of the face-first downward climb. Luckily he's not really an inquiring enough of a dog that I worry about him trying to replicate the behaviour on his own.