OMIGOSH! I LEFT THE DOOR OPEN!!!

[MrSpectrum]

This morning around 8:30, I switched ZaRDoZ back to his old bowl, as he was leaving too many uneaten bugz in the new bowl. Then I came into my office to read/post here and do some other computer work. I just (12:50) went back to check on him and get his lunch when I discovered I had left the enclosure door WIDE OPEN! :shock:

He's been trying for weeks to get out that door, going so far as trying to open it himself with his little "popeye arms". But there he was on top of his tower, basking away.... I checked the temp, and it was 72°F; it had lost all its heat from the open door. The li'l asshat was probably freezing.

He also hadn't touched his breakfast of steak & salad (num-numz & greens). I picked the bowl up and got him started on that, put the bowl back, slid the door shut... wait...
Yeah, I slid the door shut, and came back into my office.

I'm not concerned that he'll be fine--just a little surprised (and relieved) that he didn't exploit the opportunity and escape into the house someplace--it'd take us days to find him--if we ever did. Last time something like this happened, Mr. Spectrum got out of his enclosure, and... nevermind; you don't wanna know... :roll:

It just occurred to me that if he HAD gotten out, and O'l Furface found him, Furface would have gingerly picked him up (Labs are soft-mouthed and generally very gentle) and brought him to me unharmed (but probably hissing and fit to chew nails). Ol' Furface is a service dog; picking things up and bringing them to me is what he does, along with a few other chores.

I can't imagine/believe I'm the only one to do something this stupid (though I may be the only one to admit it). At least I wasn't as negligent/stupid as this woman.

 

[DragonPete]

You SO lucked out this time! ?
-Dee

 

[McBeck]

I live out in the country on 12 wooded acres or so...I have a Mastiff that gets to roam the yard while we're at home. He very seldom goes farther than about 100yds in any one direction. One day I came home from work, front door is wide open! Near as I can tell, I must of not closed it all the way, wind blew it open.
He's there, asleep at the threshold, body indoors, head outdoors. Look on his face like, "Hey, I like this new arrangement!"
Moral of the story: Sometimes when your told "You can." It's not nearly as fun as doing something, when your told, "No, you can't!" Just sayin'

 

[MrSpectrum]

EPILOGUE:

I had the door open again while I was getting his supper ready an hour ago. Greens, fine. Num-numz, fine. Then I started counting supers into his bowl, caught something in my periphral vision, and when I looked up, he was about to pounce from the threshold into the bowl in front of me. My hand went up to stop him.

"Oh, no you don't," I said as I gently pushed back. This time he didn't hiss or snap at me, but he sure wanted to get to those super worms. He ate 25 roaches ans 5 Lg. supers for supper. Do you think I could tempt him to try the small blueberry for dessert? No friggin' way. He backed away from it, crawled into a cavity in his tower, and ran through it to hide in the back until I left. Blanking ingrate! :lol:

 

[Gormagon]

You really got lucky ....He probably looked out the door and said to himself, "Self, that would be a good idea, except for the tiny fact that my slave will have a coniption fit if I do."

 

[razorback]

My beardie lives in my 9'x12' study. He has all the lights and heat in 2 basking areas and a large bookcase that does double duty underneath as a massive cave. There is a 2' high plastic inward sloping barrier in the doorway that has easily contained him for 2 years. Earlier this week I entered the room and he was nowhere to be found. I tore the room apart to no avail. I searched everywhere in the house to which he could have accessed - nothing. I have raised him from a baby for 5 years. I am Sooooooooooooooo sad.

 

[Gormagon]

My beardie lives in my 9'x12' study. He has all the lights and heat in 2 basking areas and a large bookcase that does double duty underneath as a massive cave. There is a 2' high plastic inward sloping barrier in the doorway that has easily contained him for 2 years. Earlier this week I entered the room and he was nowhere to be found. I tore the room apart to no avail. I searched everywhere in the house to which he could have accessed - nothing. I have raised him from a baby for 5 years. I am Sooooooooooooooo sad.

He is there somewhere. They pretty resourceful and sneaky. They like dark cool places. He'll come out to bask or eat. Just put some flour down around his food bowl and basking spot and follow the tracks.

 

[DorgEndo]

Did the same thing, left the door wide open all day. This was shortly after I put in a camera. So I watched the whole day later and saw me in all my morning brain fog open door, put in salad dish, then walk away. 9 hours later after commute and work, I come home and only then realized what I had done :shock:

Devlyn also went to bask and never tried to get out (maybe because she had never warmed up enough?). My kitty who I only trust so much because her job is to murder any unapproved living thing in the house never even looked at the open enclosure. Added cat danger on my mistake for exponentially more trouble that could have happened

Glad ZaRDoZ is ok. I hope you forgive yourself too

 

[DragonPete]

My beardie lives in my 9'x12' study. He has all the lights and heat in 2 basking areas and a large bookcase that does double duty underneath as a massive cave. There is a 2' high plastic inward sloping barrier in the doorway that has easily contained him for 2 years. Earlier this week I entered the room and he was nowhere to be found. I tore the room apart to no avail. I searched everywhere in the house to which he could have accessed - nothing. I have raised him from a baby for 5 years. I am Sooooooooooooooo sad.

Hang in there, chances are really good he'll show up. When my son had Petey, he got out and was gone a week! DIL came home and found him in the middle of the living room floor where he had cornered all 3 dogs on the couch! Lol! ?
-Dee

 

[MrSpectrum]

You really got lucky ....He probably looked out the door and said to himself, "Self, that would be a good idea, except for the tiny fact that my slave will have a coniption fit if I do."

Nah, conniptions are DW's purview. I'm the one crawling around on my hands and decrepit knees hunting down the supers that ate their way through the plastic tub and are snuggling in all over the room to pupate... :roll:

 

[MrSpectrum]

Glad ZaRDoZ is ok. I hope you forgive yourself too

Finally, a kindred fool--er... soul! :lol:
If something bad had happened, I'd need to forgive myself. Fortunately, this was just a facepalm moment. :roll:

Somehow, I think if he had gotten out/made a break for it, Ol' Furface would have alerted me somehow. I've always known (though it took DW thirtymumble years) that when the dog--any dog--gets upset about something... INVESTIGATE. :laughing6:

 

[MrSpectrum]

My beardie lives in my 9'x12' study. He has all the lights and heat in 2 basking areas and a large bookcase that does double duty underneath as a massive cave. There is a 2' high plastic inward sloping barrier in the doorway that has easily contained him for 2 years. Earlier this week I entered the room and he was nowhere to be found. I tore the room apart to no avail. I searched everywhere in the house to which he could have accessed - nothing. I have raised him from a baby for 5 years. I am Sooooooooooooooo sad.

In that case, I'm really not going to finish the Mr. Spectrum story.
I agree--keep looking. Consider the possibility he might have moved to someplace you already looked while you were looking someplace else. Pay special attention to warm places, places the sun beams in, and the kitchen (or wherever food can be found), and please keep us posted.

OH, and use your nose--if he poops someplace, that'd be a real good clue to follow!

 

[MrSpectrum]

When my son had Petey, he got out and was gone a week! DIL came home and found him in the middle of the living room floor where he had cornered all 3 dogs on the couch! Lol! ?
-Dee

I think I might've paid money to have seen that... :laughhard:

 

[DragonPete]

When my son had Petey, he got out and was gone a week! DIL came home and found him in the middle of the living room floor where he had cornered all 3 dogs on the couch! Lol! ?
-Dee

I think I might've paid money to have seen that... :laughhard:

Me too! A Pitt, a Pitt/ lab mix and a Rat Terrier. All on the couch just staring at Petey! Didn't even get down when DIL came in! She had to put Petey back in his tank before they'd come off the couch! I was in tears while she was telling me about it. ?
-Dee

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Wow that is luck for sure! They ARE very sneaky though & will try to get out if they have an
opportunity. Sometimes though, they just stick around. I'm glad it all ended well.

Tracie