Property owners have a variety of reasons for needing or wanting a fence, from security and privacy to aesthetics or practical reasons. Among this latter category: Those who own larger pets, particularly dogs, and want to keep them from rambling about the neighborhood and causing trouble.
At Utah Fence Warehouse, we have a variety of fencing materials that will do well for this task, from wood fence options to vinyl and wrought iron options. We also employ quality fence contractors to assist you with every element of your planning and installation, including filling the proper height and dimension needs to keep your fun-loving pup from leaving the property. Here’s a primer on a few of the considerations you should be keeping in mind when choosing a fence for this purpose.
Size and Climbing
For starters, the bigger your dog is, the higher the fence likely needs to be. A four- or even five-foot fence might not do the trick if you own a breed like a Golden Retriever or a Husky – you might have to go with at least six feet, and some owners even add extensions to make their fence higher. Some of this also depends on your dog’s jumping ability, which you can get a good idea of fairly early on in their life.
The quality of the material is also very important here, and can be just as vital as height in some cases. Many dogs like to chew on fence materials, and the biggest breeds can do real damage here if you aren’t using a durable material. You also want the fence to be able to withstand charging or other weight impact that is bound to take place as your dog plays in the yard.
Privacy Fence Benefits
While a dog doesn’t really need privacy, considering a wood or vinyl privacy fence actually protects those on the other side of the fence – whether we’re talking squirrels, other dogs or even human passers-by. Privacy fences don’t allow your dog to see what’s on that side, which makes many dogs calmer and limits how much they will bark.
Exercise and Escape Desires
If escaping the property is a major concern for your dog, we can offer one addition recommendation on top of quality fence materials: Get them more exercise! Dogs that aren’t getting walked and otherwise exercised enough will be antsy and bored, and will almost certainly spend more time trying to escape than they would otherwise.
Risks of Invisible Fences
Finally, while some dog owners look to invisible or electric fence options, we generally recommend against these. For one, local laws may limit the legality of this practice. For another, such fences often actually worsen behavior in dogs rather than improving it, and sometimes are not effective whatsoever in protecting your dog from running off.
For more on taking the proper steps for fence material selection and installation if you own a big dog, or to learn about any of our fence installation or repair services, speak to the staff at Utah Fence Warehouse today.
