) Granted the side gate isn't readily visible from the door, but the front gate is straight down the sidewalk from the door. I was out sweeping up grass from the front/street sidewalk when I suddenly realized the dogs were in the yard. I ran over to the front gate and tried to close it. We don't have any latches on the outside of the gates, only on the inside, and I am of such a height in comparison with the gate, that I can just barely reach the latch from the outside while standing on tippie toe. One also has to lift up on the gate to get the latch to line up and close. I was struggeling with the gate latch on one gate and the other gate was still wide open. Sky stayed close as she wanted me to come in the yard and play, but Sirius noticed the other gate being open and started to head towards it. I called her back and she came promptly as I continued to struggle with the gate latch, while yelling for my son. At one point I even pulled out my cell phone and called his phone, which he didn't answer,
and still I hadn't managed to get the front gate latched and the side gate was still wide open.Finally the latch went closed and I was able to go over and close the side gate. The dogs minded my instructions very well and neither one ever got close to going out of either gate. I felt badly that I didn't have any treats for Sirius since she had obeyed so promptly in coming back to where I was each time she started to head towards the open side gate.
My son came out to see what I wanted after I had gotten both gates closed.
I think I got much more of a cardiovascular workout trying to get the gates closed without loosing any dogs through them than I did mowing the whole yard. At least my heart seemed to be pounding much harder. The thought just occured to me that I probably could have gone inside of the yard through the gate and gotten it closed much more quickly, and thus the other gate closed more quickly, but I don't think the best in a crisis situation, as the above experience demonstrates.
