Dog Proof Fencing

I have a really cool Great Pyrenees named Bear – when we got him he was a little white ball of fur, basically a little polar bear – we kept him inside until his 100 pound puppy stage got to be too much.

I hate keeping him on a chain so we build a big fence with the idea that we would later get a couple goats to give him something to herd. The goats haven’t worked out yet, but he has gotten a work out in other ways. You see Mr. Bear is a 115 pound wrecking ball – he likes getting out and has no problem chewing, climbing, or digging under obstacles. Personally I would rather have him on a farm, but since we are in a subdivision at the base of a hill in the middle of a blind curve, I cannot allow him free reign.

After building those solid oak raised beds, to end his digging, and reinforcing the chain link gates to stop his ramming, he decided that the best way out was through the deck, so he ate the lattice off the guard rails to get out of his yard. I replaced the wooded ones with plastic one piece lattice, but once old bear had a taste of freedom he decided that would not stop him so he ate that also.

I figured the next idea would be wire. I bought a roll of rabbit cage material – welded wire with openings ¼ by ½ and used a air gun to staple EVERY wire. It is strong enough he hasn’t pushed it out, and small enough that (so far) he hasn’t been able to naw his way through it… He seems to have given up, (except for one comical incident where he pulled out a concrete block and was shimmying under the gate without knowing I was watching him from hiding – the look on his face was priceless)…

Anyway, I thought the fence was a good idea so I am sharing it with you if you have an escape artist in your yard. Because while the material is expensive, to me it’s better than keeping him chained up all the time…