Is Your Min Pin An Escape Artist?

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I ask you, how could any creature with a face that sweet and innocent even think about being a Houdini in disguise?

How? Because he’s a Min Pin (a Miniature Pinscher to the uninitiated) - and the simple fact of the matter is that Min Pins were created by nature to be escape artists, prison breakout specialists and general all-around outlaws. One minute they’ll be peacefully lying on the back patio taking a nap, and the next minute they’ll be gone - disappeared over the fence or under the fence, or sometimes through the fence - leaving you frantically calling the fire department, the SWAT team and the national guard in an effort to find them. (And then they’ll come home on their own, trotting blithely down the street and looking around at all the commotion as if to say “Hey, what’s all the fuss about?”)

That’s what happens at my house, anyway - I can’t tell you how many times my Min Pin has sent me into early cardiac arrest by escaping from what I thought was a perfectly secure yard and disappearing to carouse the night away with friends and strangers. (I’ve often wondered what they do on their nights out … bar hop? Go to art galleries? Starbucks? Or do they cruise by Petco to see the latest in toys and treats, followed by yet another screening of “101 Dalmatians”?)

Whatever their activities, it’s no laughing matter when your Min Pin escapes - they could be injured; they could - in the case of an unspayed female - come home “in the family way,” or worst case scenario - they might never come home So the best thing to do, obviously, is keep them home in the first place - then you don’t have to deal with any of that.

What makes a Min Pin, more than many other breeds, so fond of testing the boundaries of their physical world? I think it has to do with their inherent personalities - they’re adventurous, curious, fearless - and simply see no reason they should stay home when there’s a whole wide world out there to explore. If these dogs had been created human instead of canine, the worlds envisioned by our best science-fiction-loving minds would have already been discovered and explored - not to mentioned settled - and ruled over by a long line of King and Queen Min Pins. What am I saying? They already do that here on Earth!

But I digress. My point here is that Min Pins are by nature inquisitive and nosy and interested in everything around them - they just can’t stand to be left out of anything, and by definition, that includes anything that’s outside their yard or their house. They’re naturally bossy - they know, much better than you do, just how things should be run and organized and planned and prepared, and because they have all this superior knowledge they need to be out in the world telling everyone on the planet how to go about their business.

Another reason Min Pins are escape artists beyond compare is that they’re so darned smart. This actually poses two problems - the first being that Min Pins can easily figure out escape routes quickly and easily - before you’ve had time to put a 2-foot extension on the back fence, your Min Pin has jumped on top of the dog house, climbed up a rose trellis and bailed over the fence. (Don’t laugh - I actually had a dog climb onto the top of his dog house using a wheelbarrow I’d parked alongside, use the dog house as a springboard to get to the top of the fence, and walk along the top of the fence to the neighbor’s house two doors down where his girlfriend lived. I watched him do it - after he’d disappeared twice before - when I couldn’t figure out how he was getting out.)

At any rate, the second problem with Min Pins is that the same quality that makes them such a joy to have around - their stunning intelligence - also allows them to become easily bored, and leaves them in search of ways to entertain themselves. Meaning that if they don’t find enough toys or games or things to do in the house or yard, they’ll go in search of something to do. And if they have to escape to do that, then so be it.

Your first duty as a Min Pin owner is to provide a secure house and yard for your Min Pin to play in - you’ll have to go over it with a fine-tooth comb to make sure it’s really secure. And please don’t make the mistake of thinking that because you’ve had other breeds of dogs before, and you never had a problem with any of them escaping, your yard will be safe for your Min Pin. Min Pins are different, and can’t be judged by “normal” dog standards. They’re smarter, they’re nosier - and they’re more stubborn - if you turn this into a contest or a game for them, they’ll dig in their little Min Pin heels and be determined to win.

Keep in mind that Min Pins were probably originally bred as “ratters” way back when (the breed originated in Germany a very long time ago) - with the idea that they’d help keep the rodent population under control. What does that have to do with being good escape artists? Well, terriers and other small dogs (such as Min Pins!) bred to chase rats, mice and other small varmints are comfortable weaseling their way into small areas, digging to uncover the prey they’re chasing, and generally believing neither man nor beast is anything to fear - all behaviors they, unfortunately, put to good use when figuring out how to escape.

If you live in suburbia (or even in the city), and have a fenced yard, check every inch of the fence, top to bottom, in search of holes, loose boards or tunnels underneath. The height of the fence should be 3-4 times your dog’s height when he or she is standing on their hind legs. In other words, if your dog stands 36 inches at full stretch, your fence should be at least 9 feet high. Sound like a lot? It’s not. Min Pins are incredibly athletic - that’s not to say they can jump an 8-foot fence from a standing start, but with a little help (in the form of a shed or pile of lumber, for example) they can certainly make the attempt.

Replace any boards in the fence that are cracked, split or loose - if the crossbeams are old and rotting replace them, too. If you have a chain-link fence, check to make sure there are no loose panels, and that all the support poles are solid.

Clear away anything close to the fence that can be used as a springboard or climbing structure - such as the aforementioned wheelbarrow, or piles of lumber, bricks or any old junk. If you have a storage shed near a perimeter fence, or a playhouse for the kids or even a swing and slide set - move them a safe distance away so they don’t provide a launching pad for escape. Trim tree limbs and stout bushes away from the fence for the same reason - Min Pins are notorious tree climbers!

If tunneling underneath the fence is an issue you have a couple of solutions. First, you can tack a strip of chicken wire about 24 to 30 inches in width all along the base of the fence, and bury the end of the wire in the dirt to discourage digging. Or, you can pile smooth, rounded landscaping stones along the fence, or use flat stepping stones laid at an angle up against the base of the fence. I actually used the landscaping stones at my house, and not only did they work, they looked great, too.

Gates are another problem area - make sure any exterior gate can be latched securely - ideally it should be capable of being locked, like with a padlock or even a keylock - and the latch should be on the outside of the gate - not the inside. I’ve seen Min Pins repeatedly jump up and down against a gate that latched on the inside until the latch jiggled loose and the gate opened. Post a sign reminding people to lock the gate securely.

In the house, you might have a problem with your Min Pin bolting out the front door when you least expect it. The simplest way to avoid that is to have a locking screen door with a secure wire mesh “pet guard” across the bottom half of the door to prevent break-throughs.

Keep a close eye on visitors (since Min Pins are so opportunistic) and either put your dog in the backyard until all visitors have come in or out, or put him or her on a leash until all the comings and goings are done.

The final steps your can take to limit the opportunities for your little darling to escape are to identify any other reasons why he or she is so intent on leaving your side - other than the reasons we’ve already discussed. Min Pins are “people” dogs - this is not a breed you can park in the backyard and forget about. They need to be involved in every aspect of your life - in fact, they’ll completely take over your life - they’ll set your appointments for you, they’ll arrange their own feeding schedules, they’ll drive themselves to the vet if you let them. My point is simply that Min Pins aren’t dogs you own - they own you, lock stock and barrel - so if they’re constantly trying to run away, you need to examine why.

Perhaps they just don’t like you. (I know that’s an ego-shattering concept, but stop and consider - if you were a dog, would you want an owner like yourself?) In other words, consider it from the dog’s angle - are you a responsible, caring, fun dog owner? Or one that yells and screams all the time - or worse - ignores your dog?

Do you provide plenty of toys and games and things to keep your Min Pin occupied and interested and mentally and physically stimulated? Do you take your dog for walks? Or go to play in the park? Or even in the backyard? Do you take your Min Pin with you wherever you go? Is your dog truly a companion and an integral part of your life - or is it more like for all the attention you pay to it he or she might as well be a stuffed animal.

If you aren’t providing a healthy, nourishing and active environment for your Min Pin you’re failing in your duty as a dog owner, and you should seriously consider finding a new home for your pet. These dogs are wise and wonderful, playful and affectionate, and more entertaining than a roomful of toddlers who never grew up - and they deserve the best we can give them.