Jump to content

Do Greyhounds Need A 6 Ft Fence?


Guest dexter

Recommended Posts

Guest dexter

omg, in one week dexter will arrive for me to foster for several weeks to try to rehabilitate his front paw. do greyhounds need a 6 foot fence? back fence is nearly 6ft, front is only 4 1/2. front part is the toileting area so to say. should i worry? dogs are not out alone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You are going to get a lot of opinions. Brace yourself. :lol:

 

Most Greyhounds respect boundaries and will not jump fences, although there are exceptions. A 4 foot fence is sufficient for the majority. I have a 6 foot fence but I also have breeds that are known jumpers in addition to my Greyhounds. However, like I said, exceptions exist. The only dog to ever jump my fence was a 7-year-old Greyhound brood mom. Go figure. If you are out there with the dog, that is excellent. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest kkaiser104

Some do, some don't. Teddi would never try to jump the fence--his prey drive is just too low. I don't have a fenced in backyard so I don't have to worry about it. My parents have a 6ft privacy fence because one of their greys would try to follow a squirrel/cat over the 4 ft.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It depends on the dog. Most would be fine with a 4-5' fence. Mine would be fine with a 2-3'. They won't jump over anything. Sailor won't even walk over things so he'd be ok with 6" fence. :lol. An empty paper grocery bag in the hallway is a huge obstacle for him.

Edited by Sambuca
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Scouts_mom

It also depends on the fence's location. Is there a hedge before or behind the fence? Is it at the bottom of a slope, which a grey could be racing down and use its momentum to jump the fence? etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have 5' and the bulk of it is behind 12' cedar hedges. For which I'm very thankful. The front span, with the gates, is currently exposed. If it was 4', I'm pretty sure my pup would be over it if there is something interesting on the other side. At the back, where there is also exposed 5' fence, we've built 7' latticework and are growing vines on it. Perhaps there is something you can do to increase the height of the fence where you are concerned? At our front, we will be zip-tying privacy lattice to the chainlink -- so although it will remain at 5', she won't be able to see through it so readily.

 

Here's what I put across the back. Only part of the back, as there are some spruce trees up against it in places so we didn't need to have it continuous.

 

DSC00402.jpg

SummerGreytalkSignatureResized-1.jpg

Lisa B.

My beautiful Summer - to her forever home May 1, 2010 Summer

Certified therapy dog team with St. John Ambulance

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most greyhounds, no. You will occasionally get/see one that will. Unfortunately, you probably won't know until you have one.

 

I've had three Great Danes and 8 Greyhounds. One side and part of another is 6 foot cedar privacy fencing, the other part is 3 foot welded wire fencing up against mature landscaping and a hedge, one side is 5 foot chain link, one side is 4 foot chain link. This has kept all my dogs in, though like you, mine are never outside unsupervised. If I was using a dog door I would definitely have at least 5 foot chain link wherever there isn't cedar, just for my own piece of mind.

 

We also have double gates at every entrance, and at the front door, and a gate from the deck, for added security. One can never have too many gates!

Chris - Mom to: Felicity (DeLand), and Andi (Braska Pandora)

52592535884_69debcd9b4.jpgsiggy by Chris Harper, on Flickr

Angels: Libby (Everlast), Dorie (Dog Gone Holly), Dude (TNJ VooDoo), Copper (Kid's Copper), Cash (GSI Payncash), Toni (LPH Cry Baby), Whiskey (KT's Phys Ed), Atom, Lilly

Link to comment
Share on other sites

An injured paw might slow him down a little, but probably a good idea to keep him on leash when outside for a few days until he transitions. Be extra careful to keep him leashed with you if thunder/lightning or fireworks are possible during his outings. (I've had energetic fosters attempt to jump a 6' and 8' fence.) We have a 4' secondary inner fence that separates their potty area. That has been okay after they have adjusted, but they don't see wild critters from there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest FullMetalFrank

We have a 4.5" fence. 5 greyhounds have lived here, no one has scaled it; Jewels is my psycho girl, if a jogger or a person walking a dog goes by she'll run the 90' length along the front with a leap thrown in at each end, she gets her paws up on the top and once looked like if she'd poured on just a little bit more speed, she might fly over! But truthfully, even with her athleticism and enthusiasm I doubt that she could ever manage to clear the fence. And I watch her just to make sure. Know your greyhounds. Don't let them practice the high jump while you're doing something else and not watching them. Don't let snow, plant material, or anything else accumulate at the base of the fence; it'll effectively reduce the fence height by the amount it does. If you have had no problems with a 4 or 5 foot fence but then get a hound who just might try harder, build another foot of height into the fence design with a sturdy fence topper. Keep fencing in good repair, regularly inspect for loose or broken boards, no fence, no matter how tall can be safe if it has any weak spots (the hound will find them; and may decide to see how much more he can loosen boards or what would happen if he shoved against a wobbly gate or loose post. If he always encounters a Fort Knox fence when he jumps up or sneaks a peek thru the boards, the idea that "just a little more" effort might win him a tour of the world outside your yard without you won't likely cross his mind <3

Edited by FullMetalFrank
Link to comment
Share on other sites

George used to hang out in my parents yard. There fence was a classic "white picket fence" on Nantucket. Not tall at all. It never entered his mind he could jump it. My mutt, on the other hand, sailed over the fence when he was 5 months old and followed the family to the park! It's only by the grace of God he wasn't hit by a car doing so!


Hamish-siggy1.jpg

Susan,  Hamish,  Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many CAN jump 4 feet but in my experience most won't. We currently have 4'. I leash first several times in the yard and then monitor closely until I can see how they react to Very Exciting Things on the other side.

 

Angel Zema thought about going over a 5' fence but never did more than think about it; she respected the 4' fence here. Our angel whippet would go over anything and I do mean anything IN the house but never even consider going over his 4' fence outside of it.

Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in Illinois
We miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It depends on the dog. Most would be fine with a 4-5' fence. Mine would be fine with a 2-3'. They won't jump over anything. Sailor won't even walk over things so he'd be ok with 6" fence. :lol. An empty paper grocery bag in the hallway is a huge obstacle for him.

 

This. The same with Annie. When we walk back in the woods she looks at a downed tree limb as if it's a mountain and seeks ways to walk around it. I'm closing on my new house soon and will be having a 4' fence installed. It means I can never foster any of the Galgos my group sometimes get but they are usually promised to a family before leaving Spain anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have standard white picket fence as well. We have had 3 hounds in this house over the last 6 yrs and it's never crossed any of their minds to jump it. Many years ago, I had an italian greyhound who could (and would) jump over standard height chain link fence (4 ft?) in a single bound.

Rita, mom to Dakota (Dakotas Dream) & Wish (Kiowa Wish Wish) and my angels

Toby (Sol Marcus) and Robin (Greys Robin Hood)

Forever missing our beloved Robin and Toby

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." Anatole France

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In the past 20 years on this property we've had a Springer, 3 Dobes, a Pointer/Springer mix, a GSDx and now the three Greys.

 

Half of ours is only a 4' chain link. The rest is 5' welded horse fencing.

 

Only one dog has ever gone over the 4' section... and that was our GSDx.

She would put her paws on the top rail then 'climb' up it with her hind feet.

Luckily she was a real homebody and only ever did this if she felt the need to come find me in the barn.

 

None of the Greys have ever tried to go over.

The only time they even put their paws up on the top rail is when DH or I drive in the yard and they get super excited to see us.

 

I've never, ever seen them jump up on it out of excitement when one of the barn cats or other such interesting snacks stroll by.

 

Nancy...Mom to Sid (Peteles Tiger), Kibo (112 Carlota Galgos) and Joshi.  Missing Casey, Gomer, Mona, Penelope, BillieJean, Bandit, Nixon (Starz Sammie),  Ruby (Watch Me Dash) Nigel (Nigel), and especially little Mario, waiting at the Bridge.

 

 

SKJ-summer.jpg.31e290e1b8b0d604d47a8be586ae7361.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest OPointyDog

We have a mix of fence types, but all are 5' high. On one side we have a wooden privacy fence, and across the back we have an aging wire mesh, but it's also overgrown with trees and shrubs, so it's impossible to pass through. The rest of the yard has 5' black chain link.

 

We live in town, and yet our two problems have come from deer. Two days after we got the fence, we found that a section had been knocked down - clearly a deer had gone through it! I've never seen a deer in our yard in the 9 years we've lived here so that was a bit of a surprise. Then one night at midnight, one of our dogs went out for last call, and started barking and throwing himself against the fence, and it turns out there was a deer in the neighbor's yard. We did pay extra to have the tension wire put in across the bottom, and I think it does help!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have a mixture of 4', 6', and 7' mesh deer fencing. The greys (and we've had 4) have never even tried to hurdle the 4', and neither has the Galgo (yet!) I suppose anything is possible, and the 4' is reinforced by the 7' deer fence.

 

What is wrong with Dexter's paw? Chances are that you will have to leash walk for a while anyway. I usually leash walk new dogs around the yard showing them the fence for a couple of days. When I do first let them off-leash in the yard I have a duck squawker and plenty of yummy treats in hand and we practice recall.

 

You should be fine, and have fun with Dexter.

Gillian
Caesar (Black Caesarfire) and Olly (Oregon) the Galgo

 

Still missing: Nell (spaniel mix) 1982-1997, Boudicca (JRT) 1986- 2004, and the greys P's Catwalk 2001-2008, Murphy Peabody (we failed fostering) 1998-2010 and Pilgrim (Blazing Leia) 2003-2016,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had two try and jump our 6 foot privacy fence, one almost made it but he scared himself and never tried again. I have no doubt that left to her own devices, Bandita could jump a 4 foot fence. She can sail over our baby gates, but she is the only one out of the 13 hounds we have owned.

Judy, mom to Darth Vader, Bandita, And Angel

Forever in our hearts, DeeYoGee, Dani, Emmy, Andy, Heart, Saint, Valentino, Arrow, Gee, Bebe, Jilly Bean, Bullitt, Pistol, Junior, Sammie, Joey, Gizmo, Do Bee

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a 6 ft. but Teague wouldn't even think of challenging a 3 foot fence. From my experience, the bigger the grey, the worse the jumper :P Often it is the little females who are lighter and more nimble. Teague is so tall and gangly, jumping is quite awkward for him.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...