Unless your dog is a brachycephalic breed (bulldog parents, we’re looking at you), they probably spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer months. As long as you’ve escape-proofed your fence and made sure to use lawn care and garden products that are safe for our four-legged friends (and as long as you make sure your dog doesn’t overheat), what could go wrong?
Well, dogs are curious. They’re going to sniff every inch of your yard, looking for their very own Narnia to explore. Unfortunately, instead of finding a magical land through that hole in your fence, they’re more likely to find a busy street full of cars. We’re sure they don’t mean to do it, but dogs running away is a real problem and even if you’ve got a fenced-in yard for dogs, your pup still might not be safe.
So what’s a pet parent to do? Well, one creative dog parent went straight to the kitchen to get… a spatula?
That’s right, one genius Redditor proved you don’t have to spend tons of money installing a new fence when your pup can fit through cracks and crevices in your fenced-in yard; you just have to pick up a kitchen utensil at the dollar store. (Really, you don’t even have to do that. Just grab a spatula that’s seen better days and which you probably should replace anyway.)
Attach it to your dog’s vest and voila —an escape-proof harness for your dog that you DIYed.
Personally, we can’t stop watching this video — this little pup is so determined to get out and see the world, but just can’t seem to make it. They push, they twirl, they try (and fail) to grab the spatula, and then they just start trying to push through the fence by sheer force once again.
Similarly, Redditors were charmed by the persistent pup. Key-Abbreviations961 noted, “This dog keeps trying the same thing and expecting different results.”
Some noted that this was the definition of insanity, while others pointed out that this is actually how the scientific process works — can you achieve the same results over and over again, or were your results a fluke?
And, as ContemplatingPrison pointed out, “At least [the dog] was smart enough to try and get the spatula off.”
For the most part though, the internet just marveled at the simplicity of the solution. TheLobst3r said a “spatula is cheaper than changing the whole fence” while ThreeNC noted, “I would have overengineered it: coated chicken wire, black zip ties, set at about a foot tall all around the yard. It’s solved with a $2 utensil.”
Others pointed out flaws in the plan. TechInventor queried how long it would take the pups to team up to pull out the spatula, but VivaciiousValkyriie responded, “As long as the owners don’t send the dogs out alone and keep an eye on them, it should be fine. They can grab the dog if another disables the escape prevention device.”
Redditor zowie2412 recommended supergluing the spatula to the vest, while vbevan offered up the idea of cable ties.
And LarennElizabeth noted that the solution only needs to be temporary: “Hopefully, she won’t be a puppy anymore by the time she figures it out… she’s definitely [going to] get more stocky and [probably] won’t be able to fit for long.”
Regardless, it’s definitely one of the most inexpensive solutions we’ve seen to keep dogs from running away — and it makes for hilarious viewing, too.
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