Owner Reveals Heartbreaking Reason Behind Rescue Dog’s ‘Patrol Hole’

A dog owner has shared the unusual reason for cutting a hole in her fence outside, and why it’s helped ease her rescue dog’s anxious behavior.

Just a couple of months after adopting Ranger, a German shepherd and setter mix, in 2022, Roxanne McKinnon recalls the night he woke her up in the early hours after hearing an intruder. Ranger started barking to alert his owners, and once McKinnon was awake, she “heard the noises downstairs” too.

Her husband went to investigate, with Ranger in tow, as he discovered an intoxicated man standing in the kitchen of their home in Manchester, United Kingdom.

McKinnon told Newsweek: “I rang the police whilst my husband and Ranger stayed and barred the kitchen door, blocking off access to the rest of the house. Ranger was amazing and stayed alert between my husband’s legs the whole time.”

The man’s intentions were not clear, but police arrived and extricated him from the property. The unexpected events had a lasting effect on Ranger, who became “extremely protective” of his home, and every day he would go outside to patrol the yard, especially in the evenings.

While people often suffer after going through a traumatic event, the same can be said for animals too. Trauma can manifest as shaking, hiding urinating, howling, pacing, and panting, according to PetMD.

Treatment will typically be centered around desensitization and counter-condition, which can expose the dog to a new environment or stimulus while ensuring they feel safe. Over time, dogs can learn positive associations to things they would have previously feared.

Vitally, PetMD recommends setting up a safe space where they can go if they ever feel nervous and where they can seek comfort.

Creating a ‘Patrol Hole’ in the Yard

McKinnon and her husband spent a while trying to desensitize Ranger from getting stressed out over unexpected noises and movements, “but nothing worked.” That was, until she came across a genius hack on social media to create a hole so he can see through the fence.

She continued: “We measured Ranger’s height and head size, and then created a timber frame before cutting the hole in the fence. We then attached the frame to brace the fence. Our garden backs onto a public field, so I hoped this would help him understand that there were no dangers.

“We call it his patrol hole and he uses it every night. It has massively reduced his barking and he seems a lot less stressed now, which is amazing. He will run straight to it and spend some time looking out over the field, sniffing away.”

The idea has been such a hit with Ranger, so McKinnon shared a video on his dedicated TikTok account (@rangergsdxsetter) explaining why they “cut a hole in the fence.” The clip has been viewed more than 5,400 times and received over 530 likes at the time of writing, and McKinnon has been so heartened by the positive response.

“The social media reaction has been lovely. I’ve had lots of people offer suggestions to improve the patrol hole, including adding a Perspex dome,” she continued.

“There has also been lots of praise for Ranger doing such a good job of protecting us that night, running on his natural instincts even though he had only been part of our family for a couple of months.”

Ranger’s behavior has earned plenty of support online, leading many people to comment on the TikTok post. One comment reads: “Aww, he’s a good protector.”

Another person wrote: “Oh wow. What a story. It’s the little things we do that make all the difference for them.”

While another TikToker commented: “Such a good boy. Thank you for supporting him.”

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