Having a dog as a pet and family member can be beyond rewarding, especially if you have a big yard, where they can run freely and play as much as they’d like. However, in such cases, it’s important that you put up a fence around your property so that your dog doesn’t stray far from home. Of course, when choosing a fence, you have to consider all your options and determine what it is that suits your family and your dog as well. Here are some things you should keep in mind when searching for the ideal fence for your favorite tail-wagger.
The Height
One of the first things you should determine before you opt for anything is how high you should go with your fence. Of course, this depends on the size of your dog. If your dog is a Maltese or a Chihuahua, you won’t have to worry too much. Getting a five-foot-high fence will probably be more than enough in such cases, as they won’t be able to jump over it. On the other hand, if your dog is one of the bigger breeds, you’ll want the fence to be six-foot-high or more.
The important thing here is not to simply upgrade your existing fence to make it higher. Namely, if your dog can jump over your fence now, and you add some height to it, they might just need some practice to learn how to jump a bit higher than before and your problem won’t be solved. This is why you should get a taller fence to begin with so that they know they can’t possibly cross it by jumping. Also, don’t keep any boxes or other objects next to the fence, as your dogs could easily climb them and gain the advantage they need to break out and roam the neighborhood.
The Material
The next thing to take into account is how strong your dog is and what kind of fence will be able to withhold their attempts to bring it down and get out. This is especially important if your dog is such breed as a German Shepherd, Rottweiler, or a Siberian Huskey, since these dogs are big, strong, and smart, meaning that they won’t really let just any old fence keep them contained. A metal fence would probably be a good idea here. You can even go with the tubular type of fence, but you should definitely contact somebody who does this professionally and has a lot of experience with fences so that you can discuss your needs before making the final choice.
This is crucial, as you’ll want the best fencing installation you can get, which is why you should find a reliable fencing supplier that will meet all your requirements and provide you with useful advice about what type of material would be most fitting for your property and your dog. Some dog owners have a hard time choosing between a GPS and electric fence, or a more traditional one, but a physical fence is always the best idea. Some dogs will endure the unpleasantness of electrical shock just to run out of your yard, chasing something or someone.
Plus, many people consider this type of restraint inhumane, as you don’t want to punish your dog physically that way. Add to this the fact that GPS or electric fence may keep your dog from going out, but won’t keep other dogs walking into your yard, and you’ll realize you truly don’t have that much to dwell on.
The Openings
Jumping over the fence or tearing the whole thing down isn’t the only way for your pup to escape. Instead, they might try to leave by passing through the picket spacing, which a small dog could easily do. If this is something you’re worried about, you can either make the spacing as small as possible, or you can simply go for a different kind of fence, without any picket spacing. Also, if your dog reacts strongly to people or other animals they see through the fence, you should skip any spacing whatsoever and get a fence they can’t see through at all. Furthermore, you should make sure your gates are always latched properly, so as not to allow your dog to simply walkout by swinging the gates open.
Finally, don’t forget the space between your gate and the ground. If there’s no threshold underneath your fence, a smaller dog, and maybe even some of the big ones, can dig themselves a hole and go for a stroll without you even noticing.
In the end, we want for our dogs the same thing we want for the rest of our family, which is to be happy, healthy, and safe. With the right kind of fence, you can take a huge step towards all three of these and improve the visual appeal of your property in the process.
