New puppy...need fence ideas

[Joe Suelter]

Well, the wife and I adopted a puppy from the local pound last week...a 6 week old something or another! (I think it is an Akita or Shiba Inu). We now need to finish fencing in the backyard so he can run. We have a section that is 30' long from the garage to the house that needs some fencing, but I would also like it to be able to come down for the flatbed trailer when I haul dirt and mulch for the garden...here's the thing though..it is a single car drive that is maybe 10' wide, and I have only that 30' opening to back into, making a 90* turn. I saw some pound in fence brackets at Home Dump today that have a 30" spike that is driven into the ground, then the 4x4 post bolts into that...that would make at least a couple sections removeable..right? By the way, SWMBO wants a picket style fence..in case you haven't caught on to that part yet..sometimes I type faster than I think! Any better ideas from you experts? I'll post some pics of the little beast (dog) when they are developed. Thanks in advance.

[Mark Singer]

Where are the puppy pics?

[Wes Bischel]

Joe,

Have you considered an invisable fence? Two of my neighbors have had them and they have worked well. It's just a wire buried in the ground, and a collar on the dog. Some people think they are mean, but if the alternative is being chained . . . .

FWIW, Wes

[David Klink]

Joe, I've used those post supports. If you wanted to bolt the fence sections to them to take them down, that would probably work, but if you wanted to try and move the post supports as well, it would be a pain.

I used a 24" one for a post for a bird feeder, and another for a wooden eagle I made for the yard in front. They were'nt the easiest things to pound in, but once they're in they're pretty stable. I can't say how stable they would be holding up fence sections though, as that's a lot more weight on them.

The invisible fence is probably a good idea. I don't know how much they run, but my brother had one and he thought well of it.

[Joe Suelter]

Well, we've thought about the invisible fence thing, I'm just not too keen on the HUGE collar they have. Plus, what happens when the power goes out? I'm sure they make some sort of battery system for it, but then your talking serious $$$$! With those fence supports that I was refering to, I could just leave them in the ground and the trailer should clear them completely, then I could put the fence sections back together and be done. I don't know what we'll do just yet. The only time I have the need to get the trailer back there is maybe once a year, twice tops...perhaps I should just buy a better wheel-barrow instead!

[Perry Schmidt]

RE: the invisible fence. From friends I have they work well. The two things to consider:

1) Dogs are pretty smart - it doesn't take them long to learn where the fence is and stay far enough away that they won't cross it. After a little 'training' w/ the collar you can let them out w/ or w/out the collar and they'll stay put just fine. Of course I wouldn't rely on this long term, but for things like 'power loss' generally won't be a problem.

2) If you have dog that likes to chase things (like our dog...), it may backfire. They have been known to get a running start, not stop in time and their momention will carry them across the invisible fence while they're getting zapped. Then they're stuck on the wrong side, and can't get back on the yard. This is one of the primary reasons we don't have one.

Generally though they work very well for smaller dogs. Not so sure about the bigger dogs.

Perry

[Chris Padilla]

Hmm, they need a polarized dog collar...works in one direction only! :)

[Rich Konopka]

Well, the wife and I adopted a puppy from the local pound last week...a 6 week old something or another! (I think it is an Akita or Shiba Inu). We now need to finish fencing in the backyard so he can run. We have a section that is 30' long from the garage to the house that needs some fencing, but I would also like it to be able to come down for the flatbed trailer when I haul dirt and mulch for the garden...here's the thing though..it is a single car drive that is maybe 10' wide, and I have only that 30' opening to back into, making a 90* turn. I saw some pound in fence brackets at Home Dump today that have a 30" spike that is driven into the ground, then the 4x4 post bolts into that...that would make at least a couple sections removeable..right? By the way, SWMBO wants a picket style fence..in case you haven't caught on to that part yet..sometimes I type faster than I think! Any better ideas from you experts? I'll post some pics of the little beast (dog) when they are developed. Thanks in advance.
Joe, That is exactly what I did and it works great. I have the fence brackets below grade and they remove easily. Just put a little crushed stone around it and it makes for easy access when you want to loosen the bolts/nuts to pull up the 4x4. Our dog is two and half now and is pretty well trained to stay in the yard. I plan on ditching the fence in another year or so.

HTH

[Jim Becker]

I currently have our mailbox mounted on one of those 30" pound in "post holders" from the 'Depot. It flexes a LOT for some reason and I plan on replacing it with a poured footer at the earliest opportunity. It's also difficult to get it straight into the ground as even small stones will deflect its path as it goes in to depth. That's my experience, at least. BTW, for each attempt to put it in straight, I needed to pull it out with a chain and my tractor's loader. No way I could budge it manually, if that matters to you.

[Joe Suelter]

Well, Jim...that's good info...if your mailbox is wobbly, I'm sure a 42" fence would be too. I wasn't planning on removing the bracket actually, just loosening the bolts that hold the 4x4's, and remove the fence for a day or so a year. Perhaps I'll scrap that idea all together, they are awfully pricey ($15 each...I need 8!)...maybe I'll enlarge the entry gate to double 3 footers and with the $$$$ saved buy myself a lawn trailer for the tractor to haul dirt/mulch/junk to the backyard! Really appreciate the help guys.

[Bill Grumbine]

Hi Joe

Let me add my vote for considering an invisible fence. While the base price of the fence is what it is, we were able to put two acres of fence in for $200 less than it cost us to put a 80' x 20' chain link fence in at our old house. Our golden retriever mix Bubba (who has his collar set one notch below electrocute) makes the collar look tiny, but Rowdy, our small back up dog, has the same size collar, and it does not bother him at all. He is all of 10 lbs, most of which is fur, so the collar is not oppressive.

If the power goes out, it is not a problem. They don't even have their collars on most of the time. They know where that line is and they will not cross it to save their lives. Rowdy especially goes ballistic when people walk or bicycle past, but he will not cross that line. It is a riot to watch him corkscrew along the property line barking his brains out as people walk along.

Not only do the dogs have free rein to go in and out, but there is no fence to stop me with the truck, the tractor, or any other vehicle that needs to traverse the yard. Good luck with your decision, and we will all look forward to seeing pics of the new pooch.

Bill

[Bob Weisner]

Hi:

My dogs, (chocolate lab and a German Shorthair Pointer), were really good at pushing their way out of the back yard. Everytime I got the fence fixed, they would soon be digging their way out of the backyard. Finally put a quick stop to it when I went to the feedmill and bought a big roll of fence wire and an electric fencer. The Lab wont go within 6 feet of the fence now when I have it turned on , but the German Shorthair Poiinter still tries to bite the fence wire. I thought about getting one of those invisable fences , but if the dog's collar comes off, the invisable fence would not do anything. With the electric fence , I don't have to worry about a collar falling off.

thanks,


Bob

[Mike Leonard]

I would suggest seriously considering the invisible fence option. We've had one for about 6 years now with no problems. I have a Lab/German Wirehair Pointer mix (looks like a black lab with a beard) and within about 3 days of proper training he undestood his boundries. I can take his collar off now and he still will not leave the yard. He won't even walk to the mailbox with me as that is outside his boundry. The other up side is not having to deal with maintaining the fence. My .02

[Joe Suelter]

Hi Joe


If the power goes out, it is not a problem. They don't even have their collars on most of the time. They know where that line is and they will not cross it to save their lives. Rowdy especially goes ballistic when people walk or bicycle past, but he will not cross that line. It is a riot to watch him corkscrew along the property line barking his brains out as people walk along.

BillSo Bill, what you're saying is that your dogs don't wear the collar? How do they know where the line is then? Have they been shocked enough times to know exactly where they can/cannot go? That's pretty amazing if they do remember. How much "juice" does one of these things give out?

[Bob Weisner]

Joe:

The voltage is about the same as static electricity from a carpet. I went through 4 different pet fence systems before I got an electric fence. Also tried those no bark collars , but they did not work either.

Bob

[Matt Meiser]

We also have the underground fence. Invisible Fence is a brand name, ours is by Petsafe. We bought the system at Lowes and installed it ourself at our first house around about 3/4 of an acre, including crossing an asphalt driveway. At our new house, we had the wire buried for us as it had to be installed while we were moving, in half frozen ground around 2 acres. Installation and wire was about $275.

From what we've heard, these systems work really well if the dog learns them when they are young, but not well at all for older dogs. Our dog was 9 months old when we got the system and he obeys the boundary well, except once when the horses next door were out and the collar battery was dead. Usually, even with the collar off he won't go near the border.

[Jerry Suelter]

Try not feeding the dog so much. It is so big, you can't even keep him in the house.

[Jerry Olexa]

I also strongly reco the underground fence. Two thoughts: the dog quickly learns where the invisible fence is and avoids that area (EVEN when he's not wearing the collar) so power failures are not a concern. Both my labs aRE (WERE) THAT WAY. Secondly, You can buy kits to install these yourself for under $200.(at least when I priced them 5 years ago) I ended up having it installed and for me it was a good decision. You really appreciate it in BAD weather. Give it some thought. I love mine and the dog(s) do fine with it. Jerry

[Pat Monahan]

Joe
You might get a giggle out of this
My brother had one about 7-8 years ago, so maybe this wouldn't happen, with new ones, but, my brother's father in law would always, when leaving, play with his van keys, locking and unlocking the doors. This in in farm country, so beeps and flashes of lights wouldn't bother anyone. Or so it was thought. When the FIL would chat for five, ten, maybe fifteen minutes outside before he left,playing with the remote, the dog would start to act strange - barking, backing up, cowering, etc. It got to the point that when the FIL reached into his pocket, the dog would react. Finally figured out that every time the van remote locked or unlocked the van, the dog would get zapped!:eek:
Hope the changed the frequency on those things
Pat

[Brian Austin]

I'm in the process of training a German Shepherd (9 month old headstrong female) and won't go the invisible fence route. At full maturity, with Schutzhund training that she's slated for, she would be able to scale the six foot wall I have surrounding my backyard. Four of her brothers and sisters are going into K-9 training and another one is being trained as a personal protection dog.

Any dog can be trained to stay inside a certain area and walk out when released. My dog is already starting (it's still early) but the headstrong part kicks in when she's in 'drive' (high motivation).

That said, I'd avoid the posts, personally.

Dig a small diameter hole (12" max) a couple of feet down. Fill it with concrete with a 2" pipe sticking out, set for plumb to avoid leaning later. Cut off the pipe right at the concrete after it's set.

Make your fence and attach a 1-1/2" pipe, 12-24" long, to the support posts. You can drill it in if you've got the bits or route a recessed base for a pipe mount. The fence pipe should slide right into the holes.

If it's loose, wrap something around the pipe until it's snug (tape of some sort). Grease the inside of the holes to keep them from rusting and make it easy to lift in and out.

Good luck.

[Jim O'Dell]

RE: the invisible fence. From friends I have they work well. The two things to consider:

1) Dogs are pretty smart - it doesn't take them long to learn where the fence is and stay far enough away that they won't cross it. After a little 'training' w/ the collar you can let them out w/ or w/out the collar and they'll stay put just fine. Of course I wouldn't rely on this long term, but for things like 'power loss' generally won't be a problem.


Perry


I can see that you haven't been around Irish Setters!!! [
We've heard many stories where friends dogs would figure out just how close they could get to the fence and tolerate a little buzz from the collar long enough to run the battery down, then do as they please.
Your second point is right on. Another I would add, is if you have other dogs in your neighborhood, or live where wildlife is close, the invisible fence won't keep other animals, that might be looking for trouble, out of your yard. Then you put your dog at risk, because he can't get away from an intruder. Something to think about.
Joe, I think your last post about doing the double fence gate and a lawn tractor trailer is probably the best all around solution. (you wanted a reason to got the trailer anyway, didn't cha??) The fence I built for our dogs last June before we moved into the house has a double 5 foot 6 foot tall stockade fence gate. I wanted to be able to get a truck or regular trailer or small bobcat in if needed. It's all wood construction. I have even seen the spring mounted wheels that can be attached at Lowes, and may add those if it sags more than the adjustable rods will compensate for. Let me know if a picture would help, but I'll warn you, this is a pretty strange looking gate. It meets in the middle at an angle (following the concrete drive shape) and one of our rescue dogs was scaling the 6 foot stockade fence, both at the gate where there are rungs to aid the climbing, and at the back of the yard where it is just the flat pickets. Caught her hanging by the elbows looking for a place to land on the othere side!! It's now hotwired. I figured a way to do it at the gates where I can still open them without turning the power off to the fence, tho not sure why I would want to do that, and wouldn't have a wire overhead. Hope this helps. Jim

[Dan Gill]

Have you considered a gate? Or is there some reason you can't do that?

[Shawn Battagler]

We went with a double gate on our picket. You can drive any full size truck through it.

Thankfully our dog doesn't dig. The neighbors had to add a little electric fence near ground level to keep their big pups from digging under the fence.