Why have escapee dogs?

So, last Wednesday, our 2 dogs (Tank & Dakota) got out and were seen near a major road. How'd they get out???? Well....the day before, I locked my keys in the house (not the best week so far) and was stranded outside. I opened the gate to the back yard and did not tie the gate back up with the level 4 boyscout knot that David uses.....evidently the dogs picked up on my lack of skill and escaped. Although they have gotten out before, they've never gone far and have always come back on their own. I was worried when I heard that they were near a major road, so I rushed out to look for them. Of course within minutes it started to pour down rain! Great! A few hours later I get a call from someone who found Tank on the other side of Trenholm Rd. and Dakota was no where in sight. As relieved as I was to see Tank, I was so sad that Dakota was MIA. I've never seen them apart! We were heading back with Tank when my neighbor called and said that Dakota just walked back into our yard. She came back!!!

Here's the funny thing about the whole "missing dog" drama......these dogs drive me crazy!!!! I mean, they bark while I'm sleeping, they wake up my child mid-nap at times, they act like attack dogs when the neighbor's lawn guy comes, they got fleas and we had to spend money to treat them and the yard, and their dog food bill is often more expensive than my grocery bill (after coupons). They jump, they lick, and they have no street smarts! So....none of this was that big of a deal while they were just minding their own business. But now, they are escaping!!! Are you kidding me.....after all that I put up with, you escape! So now, I'm out chasing down dogs that drive me crazy, just so that they can come back and figure out another way to escape.

We believe that our dogs have been addicted to this negative behavior after we fostered an 8-week old black lab 4 months ago that escaped about 3 times in one week. Our dogs followed suit and haven't laid off since (even thought little Onyx has a new home). Ignorance is bliss! It was so much nicer when they didn't realize that they could dig or escape....I want those days back!!!