The great escape artist

I’m beginning to think this dog is part Houdini, part Genghis Khan.

Solha escaped from her enclosure again.

This marks her third break for it.

The first time she broke out, she was gone a week and a half before an Indian mechanic and casual acquaintance of Jake’s just happened to spot her rummaging through garbage a half mile from Jake’s base.  She was returned to safety — then busted out again, the very next day.

Lest you think Jake is trying to restrain his dog with dental floss, know that he and his soldiers built a sizable, comfy dog run just for her, enclosed by an 8-foot high chain link fence replete with a large dog house and all kinds of chew toys.

The problem is, Jake has been working incredibly long hours recently so hasn’t had a lot of one-on-one time with his dog.   She’s been spending a lot of time by herself in the pen.  We’re learning you can’t keep an Afghan dog — who are as spirited and resilient as the people — confined to a limited space for long.  Solha has figured out how to scramble over the eight foot fence.   Jake even bent the top of the fence inward — a DIY version of razor wire  – but she is able to pole vault over even that.

She broke out a third time recently, but thankfully wandered back of her own volition a few days later.  Which tells me that though she has a rebellious streak, she’s not feral.  She still craves the comforts of home — a warm bed, regular meals and a friendly nuzzle.

Jake figured out she’s been using her massive dog house as a launch pad onto the fence, so he removed it from her pen.  Hopefully this will keep her confined as we figure out how best to bring her home.

I asked Jake if he thinks she might be too spirited for our family, but he said he thinks she’ll be just fine.  He said she just needs ample time to run and play, which has been in short supply on a military base in Afghanistan.  He said he’s confident she’ll make a wonderful family dog once she’s allowed to live a normal dog life.

But we’ll still probably want to build the mother of all dog fortresses in the back yard just in case.

UPDATE:   I misunderstood the length of time Solha spends alone in her pen.  (I chock this up to trying to “conversate”  between here and Afghanistan.)  Jake clarified that Solha is out and about with his guys during daylight hours, but is shut up at night.

As for shutting her up with another dog for company, Jake thinks it would be too risky.   He says that most strays in Afghanistan behave more like “wolves,” and he’s afraid they might try to eat Solha, who has a gentle (but wily) disposition, if shut up for any length of time.

Tagged as: solha