Fencing Questions

[DogLover9501]

We are debating on different kinds of fences to buy/build. All along we were going with chain link, but it seems out of our price range right now, especially for the ammount of yard we'd like to fence(about 300-400 feet)

I'd like to know what kind of fence's you all have, and pictures would be great too!

[Glacier]

We use livestock fencing. It's eight feet high, has small openings at the bottom that get bigger as the fence gets higher. Then we run chicken wire or concrete underlay wire around the bottom of the fence line to prevent digging under. It costs us about 1.50 a foot. We installed it ourselves so labour cost me beer and pizza--fortunately my husband's friends work for cheap!! I used to have some pics of it on the computer, but I can't find them right now.

Our orginal small pen was chainlink. Muskwa thought chainlink was a ladder! He can not be contained with chainlink! With this fence, the only escape that can be blamed on the fence happened in a huge windstorm when a tree took out a section of fence. No self-respecting husky is going to let a chance like that slip by!

Currently we have close to two acres fenced and divided into two pens--one is much larger than the other. This summer we are fencing the whole property--4 acres with the same kind of fencing. It will be divided further in three new pens--one for sick/injured/new dogs, one for Kayleigh, and one for Goldie and her boyfriends. Heyoka will get roam of the entire fenced area, the other dogs will stay where they are now. We are mainly putting it up to keep the wolves out next winter.

[Kfamr]

Maybe a high, wooden, vence?
We have a wooden fence..
I'd reommend that for you since i've heard Boxers are good jumpers.

[lovemyshiba]

We have a wooden fence, 6 feet high. We just had it installed last summer--chain link was NOT an option for us.
First of all, Riley is a climber and a jumper, and he would have been over it in a minute.
And also, there is a public walking path behind the fence. Yes, my dogs can still hear people when they walk by, but they can't see any of the kids who may wish to taunt them, and the kids and people can't see 4 dogs clamoring to get at them.

[DogLover9501]

Okay thanks all.

Well we have TONS of lumber, like enough to build another house lol so a wooden fence is no trouble, but all we were concerned with was the cost to keep it going.

Does the wooden fences rot and chip and then all the painting and stain, how often would we need to do all that?

With chain link, we just figured it was there, and thats it, theres no painting, staining, fixing..etc

[Fallon]

I agree with a high wooden fence too.. that's also what i have.. sorry no pictures.

[DogLover9501]

How high would it need to be, my mom was thinking 4 feet...

[FizzGiggs_Mommy]

DogLover as you no I have a big Goofey Boxer too. Max will jump over a 4 foot fence (My horses fence maybe its even higher hummmm) with ease. Right now I have a big dog kennel I keep them in while outside. The kennel is 10 feet high and have no problem with that I think a 7 to 8 foot stockade fence would be perfect. Thats what I plan on getting when we move to Pa next year.

[DogLover9501]

Well the thing is, Jasper doesn't try to escape anything, we have a gate blocking the stairs thats about 3 feet and he doesnt even try to jump that, he seems too nervous to try to get out of anything, I did mention to my mom that he might try to get out when he's older.

[lizzielou742]

I have a friend with two boxers, and they have both jumped the chain link fence a time or two. I also have a friend with a wooden picket fence, and her chocolate lab puppy actually chewed the bottom half off one of the boards and got out!! So if you build a wooden fence, don't leave any spaces between the boards - they should all be touching all the way up and down, so you can't see in or out.

[DogLover9501]

Originally posted by lizzielou742
I have a friend with two boxers, and they have both jumped the chain link fence a time or two. I also have a friend with a wooden picket fence, and her chocolate lab puppy actually chewed the bottom half off one of the boards and got out!! So if you build a wooden fence, don't leave any spaces between the boards - they should all be touching all the way up and down, so you can't see in or out.

I told my mom that I liked the fences that are really close together, she said they take too much time and tons of wood.

We were going to put them mostly all the way together, about 1-2 inches apart, Jasper isn't a chewer, he's never chewed on anything besides his toys....and us even since 8 weeks all the way until now at 8 months, so I think it should be fine....I hope

[Fox-Gal]

I hate to say this, but as you know I've had Boxers for some 40 years. A 4 foot fence is not going to do it and if they really want out a 6 foot not going to do it. If they have anything they can use as a step or push off they will get over it, if they really want out.

You remember that pictcure I posted of Brook in front of the custom made gate? It's about 8 1/2 feet high. Tuffy can climb it and get over!!!

A wooden fence could work if you put it in backwards. meaning the cross boards that hold it toghter need to be on the other side of the yard, not to pretty to look at that way, though. The goal is to not give him a way to climb or push his weight over it.

Now, we use feild fence, what Glacier calls livestock fencing. the fence its self, Tuffy can't climb to well, but the conner braces he can. He uses the braces as a step up and then from there he pushes over the rest of the way. Chain link, he does have a harder time with, the openings are small, so it's harder for him to get his big paws in them to climb. He has done it though. He even chewed a hole in the chainlink and got out that way!!

I hate saying it but we had to put up a elec. fence for a short while, just to train him. We got the smallest power we could so it wasn't to bad of a shock, just enough to get the message. It's been down 3 years now and he still doesn't climb over any more.

Have your dad look into underground fence, all in all, I don't belive it would cost much more and in the long run it's better, for everyone. We would have done it also, but not when you have acers of land to cover. $$$$


Even though Jasper doesn't climb now or seem to want to get out, he's still a puppy and in time that will change. The more attached a Boxer get to their owner the more they want to be with them. So if they see you leave, they are going to want to go too. And even more so if you are in the habit of taking them for car rides. One of the main reasons Tuffy and Cannilla don't go on car rides with us much.

What ever fence you so put up, with the exception of the undergrond, make sure you put something under the ground too, so he doesn't dig out.

Boxer are a pain to keep in, if they don't want to be kept in. I have not found one thing that they can't get out of, if given a little time to figure it out. Best bet is training.

[DogLover9501]

lol Tuffy seems like quite the escape artist

Well Jasper is a nervous dog, he will not even jump up to the front of the van from the back, he also wont even go under the table or stay on a stool/chair.

I really doubt, knowing Jasper, that he will try to climb the fence, and if Im wrong...then well we'll just have to build on a couple more feet, I asked my mom to go atleast 4 and a half or 5 feet, so we'll see how it all turns out.

Also if we're leaving to go somewhere we'd put them inside because I know then they'd want to get out lol