Dogs are known for filling hearts and homes with love. At Orange Fence, we are honored to help our customers provide these furry family members with a secure outdoor space to play, as well as exercise and mental stimulation. Additionally, backyard fencing for dogs ensures that they are protected from dangers like cars and other wild animals. As such, the best fences for dogs are those that provide you with peace of mind and security in knowing that these structures help dogs from harming or being harmed by other plants, landscape features or unexpected visitors to your property.
Types of Dog Fences that Establish a Physical Perimeter
In addition to electric fencing options, various types of backyard fencing for dogs can be used to designate the physical boundaries of the backyard or a specified doggie play area and fit with your home’s aesthetics. To help determine the right type of dog fence for you, the following offers some benefits and considerations for each type of fencing.
- Chain-Link Fences: Often one of the most affordable ways to fence in a yard for dogs, chain-link fences are also durable and provide for easy viewing. This visibility is important to pet parents, as they will be able to see what their dogs are up to, even if they are outside of the area. It is also helpful to pets, because it can help reduce stress that animals may have when they are unable to see their people or any other entity on the other side of the fence.
- Wood Fences: For some dogs, decreased visibility of their outside surroundings is preferable, so a wood privacy fence may be a great option for your furry family member. They can enjoy playing in a safe space constructed from solid, likely tall, panels, and you can enjoy the increased privacy as well. This fencing choice is also accompanied by many design options, which can help you add to the appeal of your outdoor space while also protecting your animals.
- Aluminum fences: This type of dog fence is known for its versatility in diverse styles and across assorted landscape designs. Aluminum fencing is also another affordable and low-maintenance option. Its durability in comparison to other types of fencing may be especially beneficial for canines who chew or consider fencing merely an obstacle on their path to adventure.
- Vinyl/PVC Fences: Available in a wide variety of colors, textures and styles, PVC fences and vinyl privacy fences are a great backyard fencing option. This material is low maintenance and very durable as it holds up to the elements along with emphatic chewers, insects and other pests. The easy-to-clean feature may be especially helpful if your pup frequently claims their territory. Additionally, the smooth appearance of vinyl reduces the potential for a dog’s accidental encounter with sharper edges or splinters.
- Metal Fences: Celebrated for its strength and curb appeal, this type of dog fence also lends itself to customized fence design and decoration. Especially with smaller dog breeds, its construction or combined use with other types of fences may be especially important in preventing puppies or dogs, like the chihuahua or maltese, from squeezing through the pickets or under the rails.
Many of these fence installations can be further enhanced by the inclusion of aprons or dig guards for ambitious diggers, coyote rollers to deter fence climbers, gate security and visual barriers like one of these privacy fence ideas.
Backyard Fencing Tips For Various Types of Doggie Behaviors
The properties of each type of dog fence should provide a foundation for your best fence options for dogs. While people often desire their fence choice and style to complement the overall look of their property, the best type of fence for your dogs is one that also accounts for their known or potential behaviors, as often associated with certain age ranges or breeds. Ultimately, the safety and happiness of your pet is paramount, so it’s important to account for these 6 behaviors (whether they exist now or not) and the boredom, separation anxiety, curiosity, fear, lack of training and other factors that may be causing them.
- Jumpers: For those who are always bounding and hopping up for treats or in excitement, special attention should be paid to fence height. Even if their paws just touch the top rail or their nose is barely to the top, strong jumpers can still make it over that fence to join you at the neighbor’s backyard BBQ. Extra tall fencing can help reduce the potential for this issue.
- Climbers: Particularly athletic pups of all sizes may try their paws at climbing the fence, Incorporating smooth surfaces or angling inward extensions can help discourage escape tactics like these.
- Chewers: In addition to supervising outdoor play and ensuring regular stimulation through games of catch and regular walks, regularly check the status of your fence to ensure that there are no weak spots that can be compromised by exploratory or anxiety-based chewing. Reinforce the fencing as needed by adding pickets or height or using other fencing types or assorted materials.
- Diggers: Dogs dig for many reasons, including following the trail of a rabbit or bird or trying to return to more familiar surroundings. Prevent escape by burying wire meshing below the surface or by installing additional barriers like dig guards or aprons. If the behavior is frequent, try to explore the causes of when the behavior happens and address it through training or other exercise.
- Wigglers: Seeing your puppy (or full-sized lab) wiggling in between your two kids to snuggle on the couch is cute and endearing. However, spotting his wagging tail as it squeezes through any gaps in the fencing or pushing open a loose gate is stress-inducing and terrifying. Maximize gate security with locks, bolts or even video surveillance or electronic controls for your canine smarties (and the whole family). Plan accordingly for the distance between pickets to minimize the potential of any unplanned exits.
- Innovators: Dogs can be very ingenious. Those tree branches that you just threw into a pile for later removal can easily become a stepping stool over a shorted fence. While they may usually snuggle with you on the patio furniture, it can become chew toys or stairs to off-premises adventures, if they are left to their own devices. Have two dogs? If Einstein finds a way, Bud may follow, even if he has no real desire to leave the property. In short, take care to limit or avoid placing any objects in close proximity to your fences.
Training and supervision are essential to a dog’s overall well-being. These efforts also help maximize the safe space that backyard fencing for dogs affords. At Orange Fence, we are ready to collaborate with you to help you choose the best type of residential fence (including custom fence designs) for the dogs that complete your family. If your diggers and wigglers have revealed holes or openings in existing fencing, our professional fence repair team can also provide the necessary improvements. Contact us today for a free estimate or any questions about your upcoming project!
