Big dogs come with a lot of energy. More often than not, large dogs are athletic and active, which can be a great time but can also pose some interesting challenges for an owner.
We all know that a dog is a mans best friend, which means keeping them safe and secure is a priority. Because large dogs are energetic they can get distracted by a lot of outdoor stimuli. Cars, other animals, even humans can catch the attention of your pup — and they might go running. Having a place for your dog to play around and get some much-needed exercise is great, but it needs to be a safe enclosure to protect your canine friend.
Finding the right fence for the size of your dog can be a bit tricky. It needs to be high enough to keep them from jumping over and finally catching that car, but you don’t want to obstruct your view or make your property seem too closed off (unless that’s what you want). If you have a bigger dog, you’re going to need to think bigger as well.
Dogs Can Leap
One of the more obvious reasons why you need to consider a larger fence for your larger dog is because they can jump. You may have seen videos before like this one where dogs show off their impressive leaping abilities.
Your traditional three or four-foot fences aren’t going to stop larger breeds like German Shepards, Golden Retrievers, Huskies, Labradors, or even Pitbulls. While the video above shows that dogs have the ability to scale massive walls or fences, that’s a pretty rare case.
We would recommend anywhere between five to eight feet for an optimal enclosure. Height matters, but there are right ways and wrong ways to do it.
Slowly making additions to an existing fence to make it higher may seem like a cheap fix, but dogs are smart and adaptable. Think of how us humans learn a new athletic skill. We slowly make feats more challenging until we reach our peak performance. Dogs are no different. If you give them an opportunity, they will continue to learn how to scale your additions. Instead, you should install a new solution that is high enough to deter the leapers.
Choose The Right Materials
The bigger the dog, the stronger the dog. While it may be a rare instance, dogs have been known to charge through fences. They’ll also chew a fence if possible. To deter this, you’re going to want to use high-quality materials.
The best material for the job is vinyl. Vinyl fencing is extremely durable, easy to maintain, and is impossible to charge or bite through. These fences offer a ton of benefits against nature’s beatdowns as well.
Make It Climb Proof
Dogs are also competent climbers. The material you go with for your fence will determine how well they scale up and over it. Dogs are clever as heck, and given the right opportunity, they will find a way to climb over your fence. We mentioned that vinyl is your best option as far as materials go — well, composite wood is also a decent option.
Two options you want to avoid are chain link and wrought iron when it comes to dog enclosures. Chain link fences are incredibly easy to climb and wrought iron fences have large enough gaps for pups to squeeze through. Vinyl is great because it has solid panels that don’t provide a lot of footing for climbers.
The final step is to think like a barkour pup. We’re sure you’ve heard of parkour, where people use any and all surfaces to climb, maneuver, and propel themselves onto impossible surfaces. Well, big dogs will do the same if they have the opportunity. Keep anything that can be easily scaled away from your fence, as it can be used by your dog to boost or maneuver their way up and over your enclosure. Planters, garden hose reels, air condition units, landscape features — you name it, they’ll climb it. Just be mindful of how close you put these near fences.
Privacy Over Picket
Big dogs are easily distracted by cars, animals, runner, and the stereotypical mailman. To keep them from chasing after everything they see, consider paneled or privacy fencing solutions. The smaller the gaps, or no gaps at all, the better. If your dog is a barker, this will keep them from yapping at other dogs or animals they see outside the enclosure.
It also drives dogs a bit nuts that they can’t go where they can see. So, privacy fencing is ideal for keeping your dog happy and calm while roaming the yard.
Try To Avoid Invisible Fencing
You have probably run across the invisible fence option out on the market and while this may seem like an appealing solution, it’s not necessarily ideal. Invisible fences work by emitting a small shock that is harmless to the dog anytime they approach the invisible barrier. Many dog owners stray away from this option because they fear that it hurts their pup. That’s not necessarily true. It may have some behavioral repercussions but the real problems aren’t with how the shock affects your dog.
The real issue is that these fences require constant attention. You need to make sure that batteries are changed frequently. If not, you risk your dog escaping with nothing to impede them. Another huge downside for invisible fencing is that it only works by keeping your dog in. Other animals like squirrels or even other dogs have nothing to stop them from wandering onto your property and irritating your large dog. This can be dangerous for your animal and those around them.
For this reason, we recommend traditional metal pet fencing. it’s sturdy, long lasting, a tried and true enclosure that has been around for thousands of years.
Need a Hand?
If you’re looking for an ideal fencing solution for your large dog, you may need some help. Depending on the size, shape, or slope of your yard — keeping your dog safe and secure may be a bit tricky.
Contact us today and we can help make sure that your pup gets the enclosure it needs while keeping your property stunning.
