Fencing

[Guest BooneTia]

I was wondering what kind of fence most of you use. I want something that looks O.K. but will keep the guys in the yard! Also how high should I consider? My husband keeps mentioning the invisible fence and I HATE that idea, so I need as many options as possible. Pictures would be wonderful so that I can show him that a fence can look nice. Thanks in advance.

[Walliered]

Invisible fencing is not recommended for greyhounds. I have a 5' white privacy fence and it does the job.

[Guest BooneTia]

Invisible fencing is not recommended for greyhounds. I have a 5' white privacy fence and it does the job.

I DO NOT want invisible fence. I was hoping to get some ideas. Our yard is basically broken into 4 section by driveway, house and detached garage. I want to give the dogs as much space as possible to do zoomies and play. How much fenced area would be adequate, maybe I could just fence in one section?

[greg1229]

At one time I had the 6ft. wooden fence then after years of weathering and wood posts rotting I had a 6ft, cinder block fence put in.

[buddibear]

invisible fence will not work with sight hounds. A fast moving dog chasing a stray cat,bunny, bird or other dogs on a walk can run through the field of shock and then be afraid to return,if they do. I have a cyress stockcade fence at 6ft. Just as important is the gate locking system. I have self-closing latches basically for pool security, but I also have a line of sight to each gate when sending the guys out. Won't do any good to have a gate out of sight where a meter reader fails your system or a curious school kid wants to enter your yard.

[GreytNut]

I have chain link and am not thrilled with it. The wind and snow load in South Dakota is too much for it and it needs replacing (it's only 5 years old). It's 4 feet tall and I worry about critters jumping in--my dogs aren't jumpers, thank goodness--and snow drifts burying the fence. During snow storms I often find myself outside at 3 am shoveling snow away from the fence so the dogs can't walk over it. 6 feet is the minimum ideal height IMO.

 

If I had the funds to do so right now I'd use board-on-board cedar fencing, 6 feet tall and with the posts sunk at least 3 feet deep into the ground and anchored in concrete. The concrete footings would be bell-shaped to keep the frost from heaving them up, and the board-on-board design would allow wind to pass through instead shoving the fence over. I would treat it with a water sealing stain to make it last longer. If I was rich, I would use engineered wood that needs no staining to withstand the elements.

 

Depending on your climate, you may not need as much engineering to make your fence work.

[Trihounds]

All depends on your layout, where you live, your budget, and tastes. Hard to say what is best, but 5' as a minimum is likely safest. Anything see through like chain link, wrought iron, some wood styles, etc, means your dogs will be able to see out. If that isn't a problem and you like the various sales, go for it. Some hounds are taunted by seeing things and go crazy so their owners have installed privacy fencing where the hound can't see out and no one can see in. As Greytnut pointed out, consider snow load if that is a factor in your area.

I know you said you don't want an invisible fence - just make sure your husband doesn't win that one. It isn't much of a fence for sight hounds, as you have heard.

Good luck with your decision. Fencing, while not necessary given leash walks and other outings, is a real benefit for the dogs and also allows you some convenience as well.

[Hubcitypam]

It really does depend on your budget.I have 4 ft. chain link here and have never had a problem. In Lubbock I had 6 ft. stockade. Both worked for tons of dogs. I really prefer the chain link, but in both cases it is what the entire neighbor hood had/has.

GT is busier during the week so I'm sure tomorrow some with wrought iron (expensive) fencing and other types will share pictures. You might also search "fencing" within GT forums.

[cleptogrey]

trukey wire, 5ft tall, easy to install,very economical, easy to remove. just make sure the stakes are not too far apart. it also blends in w/ the hedges and has a coating so it doesn't rust. i bought mine at home depot. it took a sledge hammer, plastic ties, ladder, one afternoon and 2 people to fence our yard which used around 350 linear feet.

 

http://xa.yimg.com/k...SCN0054.jpg

this is what it looks like early spring before the hedges fill in.

Edited May 13, 2012 by cleptogrey

[BatterseaBrindl]

We've had 4' chain link for 19 years along our driveway and have never had any dog jump out.

We've had 3 Dobes, a GSD,a PointerX, a Springer, and now the Greys.

 

We have 5', welded 2"x4" wire mesh along the back and side yards.

 

We've never had an issue with snow pushing either type of fencing over.

 

We are very rural and do not require privacy fencing.

[cleptogrey]

All depends on your layout, where you live, your budget, and tastes. Hard to say what is best, but 5' as a minimum is likely safest. Anything see through like chain link, wrought iron, some wood styles, etc, means your dogs will be able to see out. If that isn't a problem and you like the various sales, go for it. Some hounds are taunted by seeing things and go crazy so their owners have installed privacy fencing where the hound can't see out and no one can see in. As Greytnut pointed out, consider snow load if that is a factor in your area.

I know you said you don't want an invisible fence - just make sure your husband doesn't win that one. It isn't much of a fence for sight hounds, as you have heard.

Good luck with your decision. Fencing, while not necessary given leash walks and other outings, is a real benefit for the dogs and also allows you some convenience as well.

we have stockade on the back wall of the yard, the neighbor installed it 2 decades ago. our dogs have no idea of what's behind it and really bark like mad when they hear noises and other dogs. they give a bark and generally stop when they can see what's on the other side(the rest of our fencing). also having visability annie exercises herself when she sees the local feral cats on the other side. so, having a plain fence can be to your benefit. ditto about the invisable fence. the most difficult part is the installation of a good secure gate and a way to keep it safely latched. you need to sink posts in concrete for the gate, but that's not too difficult.

[JJNg]

When I fenced my front yard last summer, I was looking for something that would look nice, be durable, and still be relatively affordable for a largish area. I decided to go with a 5-foot, black vinyl-coated chain link. A little more expensive than the regular chain link, but I think it looks nicer, and it's more durable. And in the southeast, we don't have the weather-related problems that GreytNut mentioned.

 

The backyard of my current house came already fenced with 4-ft chain link, and I haven't had any problems with my dogs trying to get over it. But I felt more comfortable going with something a little higher when I did the front.

 

My previous house had a 6-ft wood privacy fence (only thing I was allowed to put up due to HOA rules), but after only 4 years, the wood was already starting to warp and it was pulling apart in a couple places.

 

Here are a couple photos of my new fence.

 

 

[Guest greytkidsmom]

A lot also depends on the dog. At our former home our high-prey girl went right over a 4 foot chain-link fence when she saw a cat on the other side. At our current home, we replaced a 4 foot chain-link fence with a 6 foot wood privacy fence that she is unable to see through and have had no more problems. It cost a little more money but the peace of mind is so totally worth it.

[mom2four]

We have vinyl privacy fencing, 5 ft high with a lattice on top to make it 6 ft high.

 

We love it, no maintenance except hosing off the dust once a year, and it's guaranteed for 50 years! (we're in summer # 3 with it).

 

In this picture you can see one panel on the left side:

 

[Guest KennelMom]

We have an acre fenced with 4 ft black chain link. Def. worth the extra $...it looks a lot better than the regular chain link we had at the other house. Plus, if you have to replace a section it won't be obvious b/c it doesn't weather like regular chain link (at least that's what the fence guy told us). We had a mix of regular 4 ft chain link and 6 foot wood privacy at our last house.

 

 

Edited May 14, 2012 by KennelMom

[Guest NewGreyOwner]

Another vote here for the 5-foot black vinyl coated chain link. I don't have a picture of it, but we're very pleased at how good it looks and how well it seems to blend in with the surroundings. We've only had it a couple of months, so can't speak to the durability, but we expect it to last many years with no maintenance.

[Laur]

5 ft coated chain link here.

Approx 8 years old now and has held up wonderfully in canadian weather and with 3 hounds.

We only enclosed a small portion of our property... enough for puppers to run, loop de loop, for their wading pool, have off leash fun but not enough for excessive speeds.

[rascalsmom]

At our previous house we had a combination of 5' and 6' cedar shadowbox privacy fencing, and 4' chain link.

 

Here we have split rail with wire on the outside.

 

All have worked to contain the hounds, but none of ours have ever shown any inclination to jump.

 

My DH always says we could probably take the fence down altogether, now that we only have Jack, and he wouldn't even notice. Jack is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, and does not spend much time outside; he prefers to be inside. Out and right back in, that's his philosophy.

[Echobelly1]

I put in a "cow fence". It's just fence posts set 8 feet apart, and wire fencing stretched between them. I live in a rural area, so it's pretty common. It's 4' tall, and am pretty sure neither of the greyts I have now could jump it (one can't even jump in the car). I did put 3 rows of horizontal boards in the front and painted them white to dress it up a little. Along one of the property lines, I had to string another wire a foot higher to keep a neighbors dog from jumping over (a black lab).

[Guest BooneTia]

Thanks for all the ideas! I think I'll go with a 5 foot. Boone doesn't jump as far as I know, but future greys might. I'm looking I think one section of my yard that connects to my covered patio will be enough room to romp. Now to decide what material to use.... BTW to those who have mentioned weather conditions, I live in the Laurel Highlands of Pa., so drifting snow will be an issue to consider.

[Laur]

We make paths in the snow...fiqure 8's and such in the center of the yard , dogs love it.

[OwnedBySummer]

I have a 5' black-coated chain link fence all around my back yard. Which would make me nuts with the lack of privacy except down both sides I also have 12' super-thick cedar hedges. At the back, I have custom made 7' lattice with vines growing on them. So, really, I only lose my privacy in the winter when the vines drop their leaves.

 

If I didn't have a fence and was making a fence decision, I would love those southern US cinderblock fences/walls. But we don't have those up here where they'd be exposed to the freeze/thaw cycle. So my 2nd choice would be a 6' wood privacy fence.

 

Here's the rear lattice and you can also see the chain link fence through it.

 

[Guest june]

I have a combination wood privacy and chain link. Wanted the barrier between my dogs and the neighbors dogs and children, but wanted the dogs to be able to see outside of the yard so chain link on the front and back with good solid chain link gates. My one complaint about wood fences is the gates sometimes are not very secure. Works great for me.

Edited May 15, 2012 by june

[Walliered]

I have a lock on my fence that requires a key to open it. Not a problem once you get used to it.

[Guest sja5032]

We have 6ft chain link and haven't had problems, we used to have 4ft chain link and that was fine too. One complaint I have heard about doing stockade fence is that there isn't enough air flow. I've only heard this from one person but something to keep in mind.