[Binkalette]

The hubby and I are in the process of buying a house. Once we get moved in (assuming they accept our offer) one of the very first things we want to do is put up a fence so Zoey can run around the back yard off leash. I've been looking into some different kinds of fencing, and I have decided on a solid type of fence made of either wood or one of these artificial materials. I'm wondering if anybody has had any bad experiences with certain types of wood or other materials that I should take into consideration when choosing a fence? I've decided not to go with chain link because my parents have one that they got when my mom had her daycare, but now the fence is getting older and the bottoms are really loose and easily escape-able.. Any advice is appreciated

EDIT: Also, any suggestions for how to lay the fence over hills and bumps and such so there aren't big gaps at the bottom? Do we just fill those in with dirt I suppose?

 

[TooneyDogs]

Chain link is certainly cheaper than vinyl, aluminum or wood.
Link runs about $6/ft installed but, can vary depending on how many gates you have (single or double).
Wood fencing runs about $10/ft but will depend on the design. Downside is yearly painting/maintenance.
Vinyl/PVC/Aluminum will run about $15 installed and again depend on design but, the maintenance is less than wood.
You're right about bringing in dirt to fill the gaps..that's the cheapest/easiest solution for non-digging dogs.

 

[MrsJohnnyG]

Does Zoey ever dig, or climb things when she's off leash? That will help determine the right type of fence.

 

[Binkalette]

Does Zoey ever dig, or climb things when she's off leash? That will help determine the right type of fence.

Not yet she hasn't.. But she hasn't had much time off leash.. she just turned 6 mo on Thusrday.. But I don't intend to ever let her be outside alone.. so it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

 

[hulkamaniac]

I think wood looks better than chain link and I think it actually adds more value to your house than a chainlink does. As far as keeping a dog in though, both are equally efficient IMO.

 

[MrsJohnnyG]

Probably any decent wooden fence (privacy, French Gothic picket, etc.) would be fine since you don't plan to let her stay outside unsupervised... it's a good idea to have it sunk into the ground as if she could become a digger, though (you never know when you'll need to take a phone call that will last longer than you expect and you'll want to feel secure knowing she can't dig right under in the few minutes you've turned your back!).

 

[Dogstar]

You might also consider something like BestFriendFence.com's fencing - it's good stuff, very inexpensive, easy to install, and it's plenty tall for a small dog that's going to be supervised. It's unobstusive visually and would let you have up a small (say, 20x50) area off your back door the day you moved in.

 

[Binkalette]

Hmm.. good idea bout sinking it into the ground.. Does anybody know, do places like Menards or Home Depot come and install the fence for you? Or is that something we'll need to figure out ourselves? I guess I could just call the store.. I'll have to do that when they are open again..

 

[ThoseWordsAtBest]

We've double fenced our yard. Chain link and behind the chain link is a large 10 foot privacy fence. My Elkhound is quite the jumper and digger, and we ended up moving next door to three young children who would poke their fingers through the fence. My doxie is a biter, and a fence fighter, so we just doubled them up. Keeps everyone in, too.

 

[Inga]

I put up a wood fence thinking I couldn't afford the vinyl. Guess what? I have been sorry since that I didn't go with the vinyl. It cost me a fortune to stain the fence, not to mention the hours and hours of painting time and crippled hands from holding the roller. GO VINYL and save yourself a lot of trouble and in the long run, money.

 

[Willowy]

If you want to keep the old chain-link fencing for a while yet (to save up for the ultra-super-duper vinyl fence ), you can run a cable through the bottom. My fence has this, and my dad did it when he put up his fence. We'd never be able to keep Toby in without the cable.