Crash!

[debbry531]

He looks sweet and innocent and sane, doesn't he?



Yeah, not so much. Not tonight anyway.

This evening I was busily answering a few emails, ignoring the barking dogs. About ten minutes earlier, they had started barking up a storm and I went to see what it was they were barking at -- it was a piece of paper on my neighbor's lawn. This was not unusual - I usually ignore them unless they really sound worked up. Well, there I was, happily at the computer, when all of a sudden, the barking got frantic and was followed by a loud crash -- which was then followed by a woman screaming. I run up to the front of the house and discover: (1) there's only one dog there instead of two, and (2) the big front window is broken. I look outside, and there is Bear, dancing around a woman and her weim. The woman, having just had an 85-pound dog jump through a large glass window to get to her and her dog, was understandably freaking out. I frantically dig for the keys to unlock the front door and yell to Bear. He trots over, with a big, proud smile on his face, sits down in front of me and looks up, as if he's expecting a treat.

I apologized about a zillion times for my full-on CRAZY dog. She was doubly freaked out because her weim apparently has some aggression issues -- which just might be triggered by a large dog flying through glass at her. There hadn't been anything more than a little posturing between the dogs, but I can only imagine the panic she must have felt.

And Bear? Not a scratch on him.



The window's about 2 feet up off the ground. I had had an ottoman in front of the window that the dogs would take turns sitting on to get a better view. Since I rearranged and moved the ottoman, I have heard and seen them with their paws on the window at times -- and there are more than a few indications of dog art to show their noses had been pressed up against the glass -- but I never thought one of them would jump through (and certainly not Bear). It's an old window (original to the house, built in the 1920s) and the pane is large so I figure it probably didn't take too terribly much force, but still! Tomorrow morning, I'll be looking into alternatives to the regular glass.

What are those hockey rink guards made out of?

[J Eddington]

Well now that he knows he can watch out. Maybe some wire or bars instead of glass. PLexi glass scratches too much.

[debbry531]

I can't do bars or wire without city approval (I live in a historic district and this is the big front window), but I don't really like the idea anyway. Ideally, I'd have shutters, but the windows are too shallow for them to work right across the whole front. I'm probably going to go with plexi (scratches are preferable to breaks!) and put up some sheer curtain panels as well (I need natural light in that room).

[DeannaD]

omg... I hope this doesn't occur to my crazy dog! Good luck.

[JenJohnson79]

My mother in law's dog did the same thing. He jumped through the window to let himself out to potty. She was on the phone, the dog was pacing by the back door to go out. She couldn't get up right then, so after three minutes of pacing he jumped through the window.

[Nikolai]

My dog has done the same. We put some 1/4" lexan (use lexan, it's more $$ but it won't break like plexi) on the inside of the window, so he only presses against it, and he's not breaking that.

[L Stegall]

Debbie, which historic district are you in? I'm in one too - and replacing windows on the front of the house can be a problem, since you ordinarily have to get that CA permit to do anything. But, given you have an emergency, I don't know what they will say. My guess is that you are going to have to find something to put inside the window to keep him from being able to hit it again - some type of barrier. I'll give that some thought. Man, of all the crazy things my 60+ lb dog has done, going through the window is not one of them, but my old next door neighbors had their Schnauzer do that, so apparently it may not take a lot of force. I'm glad my windows on the front are high enough up that mine can't look out. I'd be freaked out too if a dog crashed through a window to meet me and my dog on the street and so would my dog. We had a bad incident with a pit bull on Tremont who was not on a leash, so we're both gun shy about dogs running up to us.

[debbry531]

Debbie, which historic district are you in? I'm in one too - and replacing windows on the front of the house can be a problem, since you ordinarily have to get that CA permit to do anything.

I'm in Junius Heights -- on Victor. Sounds like you're close - Junius or Munger? I know I'd have to go through all the red tape if I was replacing the whole window (frame and all), but I can't imagine I have to just to replace the glass (and I just may take my chances and replace it with something that looks just like glass).

My dog has done the same. We put some 1/4" lexan (use lexan, it's more $$ but it won't break like plexi) on the inside of the window, so he only presses against it, and he's not breaking that.

Thanks for the tip! And for letting me know that other people's dogs are as crazy as mine!

[gardener]

The problem with plex or lexan is that the expansion and contraction rates due to temperature are huge compared to glass and it will be very hard to keep the panel glazed in as well as water and weatherprrof.
I would suggest replacing the glass with standard window glass as you would normally and then add another wider panel of plex or lexan (3/16 or 1/4") on the inside of the wooden frame. The plastic panel can be held in place with 4 small pan head screws placed directly into the wood window frame, the holes for which can be easily repaired if you ever want to remove the plastic.

[L Stegall]

Originally Posted by debbry531

I'm in Junius Heights -- on Victor. Sounds like you're close - Junius or Munger? I know I'd have to go through all the red tape if I was replacing the whole window (frame and all), but I can't imagine I have to just to replace the glass (and I just may take my chances and replace it with something that looks just like glass).



Thanks for the tip! And for letting me know that other people's dogs are as crazy as mine!

Yes, we are close! I'm on Worth in Peak's Suburban. You're on one side of Munger Place and I'm on the other. We'll have to meet sometime. I took a look at your website and blog - love it. And, it appears we have more in common than just neighborhood. Another lawyer here. And major dog lover.


I think the lexan inside the glass might work. I guarantee the powers that be won't let you put that on the exterior and it sounds like it wouldn't work anyway for other, more technical reasons the previous post explained.

[Wendy]

Holy cow!! And I thought I had a crazy dog! I have a border collie that might try to pull something like that. Luckily, the great danes are much more laid back, although I often wonder what people think when they see one of them peaking over the 6 foot wooden fence or standing on the back patio table to look over the fence.

Thank goodness Bear is okay. He's one lucky dog to not have a scratch on him. Makes me thankful for my hurricane windows. No way could even a 150 pound great dane bust through one of them.

[jeffro20]

Underdog?

[Cajungaltx]

holy cow! I agree with the pp that suggested the interior panel barrier - that'd keep it less obvious that your trying to keep your commando dog from busting through the windows. HOLY cow...

[d2creative]

Oh wow. I guess that was just his way of telling you to get some double pane low-e windows.

[BigC]

So that's the crash I heard over here at Junius and Skillman.