What to Know About Dogs and Fences (How to make sure your dog stays in!)

One of the best protections for your dog is a secure confinement inside your home or behind a home fence in your back yard. It prevents your pet from traffic, attacks by other creatures, getting lost, consuming harmful substances or visiting unwelcoming neighbors. Digging comes naturally to dogs, but doing so under your fence tends to defeat one of the reasons that you decided to install it in the first place. The Humane Society advises that they may dig for entertainment when you cannot play with them, to hunt for burrowing animals, to create a cool spot or to get away from something that seems hurtful. Whatever the reason, punishment after the fact is never the right thing to do. If you see your dog digging under the fence, a firm command of “No Dig” can start changing the habit. Meanwhile, you can take some action to make the bottom inaccessible to your pet.

• Landscaping
A line of shrubs along your fence line complements your landscape, helps clean the air and limits your dog’s ability to dig there.

• Dig Wire
A quick way to discourage digging is to bury chicken wire below your fence, creating a bend that allows about two or three feet to extend into the interior of your yard. Cover the dirt with rocks.

• Hardscaping
The lines of hard objects such as cross-ties or large rocks can create a pleasing contrast to the greenery in your yard. By placing them along the bottom of your fence, you can design an aesthetic feature that serves two purposes.

• Obstacles
A quick and easy remedy that can produce immediate results is anchoring a piece of chain-link fencing to the bottom of your fence and letting it lie on the ground.