Pet Containment - Keeping Your Dog Safe at Home with Dog Fences

There are two main types of dog fence: visible and invisible. The type of dog fence that you choose will depend on your situation.

Visible Dog Fences

 The easiest and quickest way to keep your dog in your yard is to build a visible or traditional dog fence. The cheapest and one of the quickest ways to make a dog fence is to use a snow fence. These fences have holes that are small enough that even a small dog cannot get through. Snow fences can be pretty ugly though and are easily bent out of shape. So you’ll have to maintain the fence too. If these issues are not a concern then this is a quick and cheap option.

 The next best dog fence is a chain link fence, or for a more aesthetically pleasing look try a picket fence. These both make effective dog fences and given their stronger construction they will last a lot longer than a cheaper fence. If you decide to go with a picket fence you will need to consider the gaps in the fence and the size of your dog. You can see that these fences are more attractive and permanent than snow fences, but using them as a dog fence will cost considerably more. 

All the dog fences listed above are effective in keeping your dog on the property, but they do not stop pedestrians and passers by harassing your dog L Its unlikely that your dog could fit his head through a chain link dog fence but a child could put his hand through the fence. So tops in security for dog fences is a brick wall. Of course this just happens to be tops on cost too!! And the final deciding factor for installing any visible dog fence is the local community rules or local zoning regulations. You may end up with very little choice in the type of dog fence you can have on your property. 

Invisible Dog Fences

 A good solution for local zoning regulations is to use an invisible dog fence. You may also decide on this option for aesthetics or even cost. There are two types of hidden dog fence: underground or wireless. 

For an underground dog fence the perimeter of the fence is defined by laying a series of underground cables. These cables trigger a receiver on your dog’s collar that will beep when your dog gets near to the perimeter and gives a mild shock if he continues on. (See Dog Collars for more details on dog collars). 

The wireless dog fence works in a very similar manner except that you do not have to install any underground cables. Instead you place a transmitter in the middle of the area where you would like to contain your dog. This sets up the perimeter within which your dog can roam freely. Once he approaches the perimeter the receiver will beep and again administer a mild shock if necessary. 

The advantages of a hidden dog fence are that you do not have to build and maintain a fence around your property and that the aesthetics of your home are not spoiled by an unsightly dog fence. On the down side for hidden dog fences is the worry that your dog may just ignore the beep and the shock and keep going! If you have a dog that is hard to train then hidden dog fences may not be the best way to go. You will need to train your dog to recognize and obey the signal sent by the hidden dog fence to keep him on the property.  

That being said, hidden dog fences are becoming more popular and with the right training can be an excellent solution to the dog fence issue. (See Dog Training for more details on dog training).