Greyhounds And Fencing

[Guest antiqueal]

We are thinking of fencing for our newly adopted grey. She is 20 months old and weighs around 53 pounds.

I am not looking to leave my dog our for any length of time. I work out of the house, so she is with me almost all the time. I would just like to not have to walk her on a lease every time she has to pee.

We have an area (23,000SF) that requires 600 LF of fencing in the back yard. I would like to use wrought iron along the front and side of the backyard and chain link in the back area in a wooded area.

What height of fencing should I use? Has anyone had problems with Greys and wrought Iron. What about chain link?

Thank!

 

[Guest Scouts_mom]

I have 5 ' chainlink. Doesn't look wonderful but it works great. I don't see any problem with wrought iron (besides the price) as long as it is tall enough and doesn't have any gaps that a dog might slip through.

[Hubcitypam]

I have 4 ft. chain link and have never had any issues (other than neighbor dogs of other breeds climbing it and that case 4 vs. 5 is moot). My neighbors boxer has done fine with a 4 ft. If I was going to install it new I'd probably go 5 ft. 6 ft. looks like a prison compound to me.

[MaryJane]

If you go with wrought iron, then do not get the pointed rails that continue up like a spear. They have options that the tips are encased into another bar so that the top is smooth. As a note, you don't want any pieces jutting up because a dog's collar could catch on them and in addition, they could stab their paw with it (not likely but, possible). Same with the chain link, they need to make sure the ends are folded down.

[Hubcitypam]

The chain link on my alley fence has a smooth top on it so that option is out there.

[Banjoman]

I was always told that with sighthounds like whippets, salukis and greyhounds six feet high fencing was necessary. Greyhounds have been known to clear six feet high fencing in kennels.

 

My neighbour has just replaced wooden fencing that came down in the gales we've been having in UK. Some of it is six feet high and some five feet. I am buying extra trellis to go on top to make sure it is all six feet high.

[greysmom]

Galgos and some other sighthounds need 6 ft or higher, but most greyhounds are fine with 4 ft. For what it's worth, any dog can get out of any fence if they are motivated enough. Our Great Dane used to climb out of an 8 ft chain link run all the time.

 

Our property has a variety of fencing - 4 ft chain link, 6 ft cedar, 5 ft chain link, and 3 ft welded wire. Our dogs are never outside unsupervised so the welded wire part (which is our neighbor's) has worked OK. You will sometimes find a greyhound who's an escape artist, but most will be OK.

 

If you do wrought iron, you will want to make sure the bars are close enough together. Your girl is quite small, and could possibly squeeze through a "normal" iron fence configuration.

[Hubcitypam]

Long ago I adopted out a seven year old broodie named Abita Stacey. Stacey could be let out in the yard and climb a 6 ft. stockade fence in minutes going up a corner.

[Feisty49]

In October, I enclosed my backyard with a black, 4' chain link fence with matching black framework. Annie has shown no interest in it let alone try to jump. She's very lazy, and I doubt she'd even think about jumping it. That type of activity is not in her make-up. BTW, the black looks very nice. Everybody in my neighborhood thinks it looks great.

[GreytHoundPoet]

I have 6 foot fencing with my Greyhounds but I also have a Galgo and Ibizan Hounds (Galgos are good jumpers and Ibizans are bred to be extremely high jumpers). I used to have 4 foot fencing with my Greyhounds and they did well. Interestingly enough the only dog who has ever jumped my 6 foot fence was a 7-year-old Greyhound brood mom.

[GreytNut]

I have 4-foot chain link and so far none of my hounds have tried to jump it but I've come up against other problems. I have found that loose neighborhood dogs can easily jump IN to my yard. The weather does a real number on chain link. The load of wind and snow has torn up the fence and it sags and has come loose in places and needs to be replaced after only 5 years. It has a smooth top rail, but the rail has bent under the pressure. Snow drifts easily bury it, meaning that after a snowstorm we have to leash walk because it's simple for them to just walk over a fence that height.

 

When we replace the fence it will be 6-foot board on board, with a small gap between the boards so that wind can pass through (solid wood fences get blown down here).

[Hubcitypam]

GreyhoundPoet - what is it about those 7 year old broodie moms?

[OwnedBySummer]

We have a 5' black chain link fence. I hate it because I think chain link is just... ugly. However, she has never tried to go over it. I also never leave her out there alone.

[sobesmom]

Most groups recommend at least 4 ft. fencing. I have 4 ft. welded wire fencing on 2 sides of my yard, and have never had a grey even consider jumping. 2 of my own, and 14 fosters. Of course, every dog is different, and every one of them could've jumped it if they wanted to. And - I only let dogs into the yard when we're home. If I were going to leave them out when we weren't home - I'd have a higher fence. Welded wire is not pretty - but neither is chain link. And - wood panels or vinyl are just to pricey for us (and I want to be able to see out when I'm in my yard).

[Walliered]

I have a 5' privacy fence and neither one of my greys have ever tried to climb it.

[Guest antiqueal]

Thanks everyone. I had also heard Greyhounds need 6' fences, but a neighbor has a 4' fence for her Greyhound and her dogs have never gone over the fence. My girl is young and when she jumps up on the bed, she makes it seem effortless, so I'll probably go with at least 5'.

[Guest Greysonsmom]

I have 2 in a 4 ft fenced area. I haven't had any issues, but even when I'm not out with them, I keep a close watch on them. It's wonderful not to have to leash walk them every time they need to potty! Enjoy!!!

[PatricksMom]

I've had four greys, Patrick did fine with a 4 foot fence (I think he would have been okay with shorter). Murphy had zero interest in being outside if I wasn't glued to my side. My current boys are in an apartment, but show no interest in going over the 3 foot dog park fence (of course they are watched very, very closely). The house we're buying has a 6 foot privacy fence, but we're debating how high a fence we need around the pool.

[cleptogrey]

i'm not a fan of chain link. while i was watching a kennel of greyhounds and whippets one of the greyhounds was zipping around for joy when the owner returned. holly managed to get her rear paw under the fence- oy- a glove tear....88 stitches later....i was really glad it didn't happen on my solo watch.

 

i stick personally use 5ft turkey wire- there are many different grades and weights and as long as you have enough posts it's pretty secure. we have bushes on the other side of the turkey wire and it blends right in.

 

i hope this link connect, a pretty smart way to deter climbers

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=653929861339337&set=a.391878247544501.96687.329833417082318&type=1&theater

Edited February 12, 2014 by cleptogrey

[Guest antiqueal]

Update...we are getting a 5' wrought iron (steel) fence.

The fence will enclose 23,000 SF area or backyard with 2/3 grass and the rest wooded area.

We looked at wood, chain link, aluminum and steel.

We are getting 500 LF of fencing with (1) 8' gate, (1) 10' gate and (1) 4' gate.

Here are my opinions on fencing -

Chain link - cheap, looks cheap and has a really bad resale value ($8000)

Wood - great for privacy, horrible to look at and requires bi-yearly maintenance at a high price ($9000)

Aluminum - looks okay, has great warranty, bends so easy it's ridiculous ($13000)

Steel - looks great, extremely sturdy, no warranty, rusts (lots of yearly maintenance), best resale value ($14000)

I will take pictures afterwards and post (hopefully I will have enough posts soon to allow me to show).

[BellaBean]

We recently moved and we put up a 6ft black vinyl covered chainlink fence for our greys. It doesn't look cheap or too much like a prison. Lol! Since it is black it blends in with the scenery and is a nicer alternative than the typical silver style. We have been told that it also has a higher resale value then the regular chainlink.

[Guest Gilly]

We decided to go with the black chainlink for our yard, too... the fact that it has a little give over the rigid wrought iron gives me a greater sense of security for Day in case he accidentally hits the fence while running around; the chainlink offers some bounce where hitting iron could easy tear his uberly-thin skin.

[silverfish]

It depends so much on the dog. Jeffie would be flummoxed by a two foot high fence. So would Sid, actually, being an aging tripod. However, our first greyhound could and did clear more than eight feet with enough of a running start.

 

We don't seem to see black chain link here, but it seems to me it would be nicer than plain metal.

[GreytHoundPoet]

I will admit that my yard, with the double fencing and double gates, looks a bit prison-ish. But, I was able to fence a lot more land with it and when cost is a consideration I'll always go with whatever gives my dogs more room. My Ibizans would go crazy with a smaller area to hunt and run.

 

 

GreyhoundPoet - what is it about those 7 year old broodie moms?

 

They're crazy.

[moofie]

Hattie could jump 4ft easily if following a cat over though unlikely to try normally. Pru our lurcher is smaller but more agile & brainy and does clear 4ft our fence is 6ft and 4ft sections have about 12ft privet hedge behind thankfully.

 

 

We don't seem to see black chain link here, but it seems to me it would be nicer than plain metal.

Don't see much chainlink here anyway now, those metal anti climb mesh fences that schools tend to have are becoming more popular. http://www.jacksons-security.co.uk/security-fencing-solutions/welded-mesh-panels.aspx

 

I like solid wood panels & paint ours dark green but its not a massive area to fence, would probably opt for livestock/deer mesh and a hedge if i had acres though its only suitable for big dogs & don't have any critters to keep out.