Milo

Our dog Milo is a very good dog. He is mostly obedient. Never has potty issues in my house, and is really good with the kids. He just likes to run away, A LOT. It gets to be very annoying. Yesterday, I was having a really bad day. Blake has figured out how to open the oven. I have to gate him out of the kitchen while I am cooking, until I buy a lock. He was screaming because he wants to be in there with me. Kayleigh is crabby and hungry, and Milo chooses to escape. He has figured out that he can jump over the back deck in to the garden. So I spent some time outside trying to get him to come home, but he just runs farther. Finally I just give up and come inside. He usually just comes to the door and barks when he is done. After about an hour, I see some neighborhood kids trying to bring him to my door. I had to go outside and help catch him. I have to say that I was really disappointed. He had never been gone for that long and I was hoping that he was gone for good. I was hoping that he had found another family, or had even been hit by a car. Isn’t that so wrong of me? I am just so tired of him. He is just so much extra work for me. I really feel like it is like having an extra kid around. The only reasons I keep him are: guilt, worry that I will regret it later, and Kayleigh and Blake really love him. After all, “Milo” was Blake’s first word. So my question is, what the heck do I do about this dog?