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This is one cool pool enclosure.

Has anyone noticed that dogs cost more than kids?  They have to be taken to the veterinarian, they need nutritious food and sometimes even need an education.  We even have to worry about their safety and keep them from harming others.  This post follows one I did on things you need to consider when looking at invisible fences (one’s that are buried in the ground).  From that post you probably got the distinct impression that I am not a big fan of invisible fencing, so what do I recommend?

When it comes to the actual fencing itself, you need something that is sturdy enough to handle a dog jumping up against it whether from the inside or the outside. A big mistake some people make is thinking, “Well I only have an 8 pound toy poodle, so I only need a 3 foot high fence.”  It is true that will save you a bunch of money on the fence, but it will not protect your dog.  Whether you have a big dog or a small one the fencing should be the same in my opinion.  Either you are trying to keep your big dog in or other big dogs out ( as well as children ).

So, what do I recommend?  Start with a fence that is 5 feet in height.  This is sufficient to keep most dogs on or out and little kids can not reach over the top.  Also,  the spacing between pickets or the diamond size of chain link should be less than 2-1/4 inches.  This should keep the heads of most dogs from poking through.  If you are concerned about little fingers from children go with a solid type fence, but keep in mind that a solid fence can cause your dog to bark at every little noise that occurs outside of his/her vision.

Most fencing found at home improvement stores present you with another problem.  In an effort to give you the lowest price possible a certain, mostly unseen, detail is compromised …. the thickness of the profiles.  Chain link fencing should be a minimum of 11-1/2 gauge ( the higher the number the thinner the wire ).  If the chain link is vinyl coated you want a gauge of 8 overall ( this includes the metal core wire and the vinyl coating ).  Wood fencing should have vertical boards at least 1/2 inch thick ( a standard 1×4 board is 3/4 inch thick ) and horizontal “backers” at least 1-1/2 inches thick and 3-1/2 inches tall ( this is a standard 2 x 4 ).  The pickets should be nailed, never stapled. When it comes to Vinyl / PVC fencing I like pickets that are 1/2 inch square or 7/8 inch thick by 3 inches wide.  On an ornamental aluminum fence the pickets should be at least 5/8 x 5/8 inch and have a wall thickness no less than .050 .

The final detail is also the most important, the gate hardware.  The gate hardware is often times the last thing to go on the fence. Because of this people often try to save money here.  Resist this temptation !!   The gate is the part of the fence that you will interact with the most, sometimes several times a day.  Because of this your dog follows you to and from it constantly and if he / she is going to try and get out, this is the place. For this reason I tell people to use the same type of hardware you would use for pool gate safety.  This will consist of a self-closing hinge and a self-latching latch.  A good choice for the self-closing hinge is the Tru-Close Hinge.  It is tension adjustable and come with a limited lifetime warranty.  A good choice for the self-latching latch is the Magna Latch Top Pull or Magna-Latch Vertical Pull.  Both of these latches offer no resistance to closure ( little chance of bounce back ) and dogs can not lift/open the latch with their nose ( like they do with traditional fork type latches ).  An added benefit is small kids have a hard time opening the latch, so they can’t let the dog out.

I get asked from time to time, “Should I buy an invisible fence?”  My answer is that you need to know what you are getting into before moving forward.  The biggest argument for an invisible fence (aka underground fence) is they do not like the looks of a “physical” fence.  If you are one of these people, do not let this cloud your judgement and please read on.

An invisible fence is a wire that is buried in the ground around the area you want to keep you dog in or out.  Then your dog wears a collar that emits a sound when you dog approaches the wire and then shocks him/her if they get too close.  I am not saying this shock has any permanent effects but it is meant to be strong enough to deter the dog from trying again.

Here are some problems:

1. What if your dog is chasing a rabbit or cat and runs across the wire.  They may get shocked for a moment but now they are trapped outside of the desired area.
2. The batteries in the collars have to be changed or recharged periodically. What happens if the batteries go dead while you are at work?  Now the dog is wandering the neighborhood.
3. All of the little children in your neighborhood are not wearing collars to keep them out of your yard.  If your dog is aggressive this could set you up for a lawsuit.  I know, some people out there are saying, “Well then people should be watching their children more closely!!”  You are right, they should, but accidents happen all the time.  Just imagine how silly you will sound on Judge Judy with this argument.
4. Not only are the children not wearing collars but neither are the other dogs.  Your dog is now trapped in the yard just waiting to become a snack for some large dog running free.
5. This is usually where someone tells me, “Well we live out in the country and our closest neighbor is a couple of miles away.”  Do a quick search in your favorite search engine for “rabid animals”.  You may never see a raccoon in your area, but that only makes sense because they are primarily nocturnal animals.  I am not guaranteeing that a physical fence will keep a rabid raccoon out of your yard but it is better than nothing.

I  can’t tell you how many times I have been installing a fence in someone’s yard only to be drilling up the wire from their previous “invisible fence”.  All they have done is waste their money and open themselves up to heartache and lawsuits.  Do invisible fences have their uses?  Yes, I can see using them around gardens and flower beds to keep pets out of these areas, but not as the main pet containment.

Related Links:

Owner and Dog Undone Over a Fence Unseen