Introduction
Fencing is a tough thing to figure out. It gets even more complicated when you have a dog. You have to account for the needs of your dog and many other factors that will help you to enjoy your yard to the fullest with minimal risk of accidents or unfortunate incidents. You may want to outsource the job to the professionals by looking up “fencing company near me”. However, doing it yourself can be a rewarding experience. Let’s check out what to consider when building a fence for your dog:
The Considerations
- Height of the fence – When you’re sipping your morning coffee you want your dog to play around in the yard. It’s horrifying to think about your dog jumping out of the fence to visit the neighbor’s dog across the busy street. That’s why you need to gauge the jumping capabilities of your dog when building a fence. It must be higher than the jumping height of your dog. Four feet of height is a good place to start since dogs even with medium jumping power can easily get across anything lower.
Dogs with extra flexible and powerful legs can also scale fencing that’s around 6 feet tall. Research the breed of your dog and plan your fence accordingly. Some medium and small-sized breeds can jump way above their size, and you would be surprised to know that the cheerful border collie can go as high as 6 feet. On the other hand, if you have a bull terrier a four feet high fence is more than enough.
- Space the openings appropriately – While fence height isn’t a concern for smaller dogs, the space between the fence pickets is a major issue. If you have a small dog, you need to make sure that the spacing between pickets, under the fence, and the gate isn’t large enough to allow your dog to go through them. It can also become a concern for large dogs who may get stuck in those spaces due to curiosity. You don’t want your dog to get stuck in those spaces when he is just trying to reach for a ball or a chewy toy.
That’s why you need to measure the size of your dog’s head both in terms of height and breadth and make spaces smaller than that. Another innovative solution is to fill up the gaps with firm wire mesh so that your dog can’t wiggle its way through those spaces.
- Fence design – When you want to construct a fence for your dog, blind spots are a major concern. You need to figure out the visibility of the yard from inside your home and minimize blind spots with fencing. While you want your dog to move around freely on your property, you don’t want it to go out of sight away from your supervision, and quickly reach safety. To figure out the blind spots, stand inside your home and get a family member to walk around the extremities of your yard and other such hard-to-look places. Mark the areas where you can’t see that family member and get a list of such spots on a rough map of your property. However, there is no need to shrink the fencing area too much. It’s always best practice to get most of your yard fenced with a high and privacy-focused design.
Privacy-focused fencing is great for both your family and your dog since it allows you peace of mind from peeping busybodies and also eliminates most of the distractions for your dog. Dogs are curious by nature and are more likely to go out of your fence if they see something outside that’s exciting. It may be another dog, a squirrel, a van, or something else. Solid panel fencing that blocks the external view is great to prevent such distractions. It also prevents your dog from barking and growling at random strangers or cars passing by.
- Fencing material – The fencing material you choose would also depend on the size and breed of your dog. If you have a big and muscular dog that can quickly gain speed and maximize its physical impact, you want a really strong fence. While the chances of your dog throwing itself at the fence is highly unlikely, it’s a safety measure that comes in handy in rare cases. Make your fence with strong and high-quality vinyl or dense lumber. If you’re digging the pickets in the ground, dig them very deep or use a strong support structure.
- Secure the gates – Gates are the most vulnerable part of your fence. To secure the gates, you may need to get the gate rack fitted flush to the contour of the ground or have a wooden threshold installed under the fence and the gate posts to minimize blank spaces and reduce the chances of your dog escaping the property by digging a tunnel. You also want your gates to have a strong latch with a dog-proof mechanism. Dogs are intelligent beings, and a poor latching mechanism can be easily opened by the creative ones.
That’s the reason you want an inward latched gate that swings towards your yard instead of the street. So, even if the latch isn’t secured properly, your dog won’t be able to make its escape by pushing the gate. If you need to have an outward swinging gate, consider installing a self-closing spring that automatically pulls the gate shut when you exit. It works similarly to a self-closing door mechanism where the energy you used to open the gate is stored in the spring and it retracts back to secure the gate.
Conclusion
Now you’re aware of the various factors that come into play when fencing your property for your dog. If you keep those things in mind, you can fence your property within a couple of weekends. If it seems like too much work, you can always get professional help by searching for a “fencing company near me”.
