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Fences And Escaping Dogs


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Hi, I have Raven

TuiandRaven.jpg

(the one on the right) and she's very keen at jumping my 180cm fence. Council restrictions will not let me take the fence any higher without getting planning permission and they'll charge me from $626 just for the admin.... :thumbsup:

Has anyone got pictures of fences with overhangs, electric lines, etc to give me ideas on how to keep this mutt in? Currently we have an electric line across the top, but she's still getting over.

Any ideas, pictures, etc would be welcomed because she's treading on extremely thin ice with my husband who wants her rehomed... :(

Diana

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at the risk of getting flamed, have a look at the innotek thread currently being discussed.

we ended up running a meter width roll of chicken wire almost horiztontally along the fence line with tent poles to keep it up as kira would sail over the top without any issues, and had been taking sparty with her on her explorations :thumbsup:

since we moved to 20 acres she no longer wanders..

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hmmmm, tricky. our escape artist just used to go through the fence!!

I don't know how your back yard is set up but you could put a second obstacle in front of the fence to stop the "run up" to the jump?

what I'm thinking of, is maybe planting something in those parts of the fence that will eventually block it a bit and putting up a second lower fence in front of that maybe. it could be as simple as trellis wire - doesn't have to be a proper fence but if it breaks up the run up and makes it harder for her to jump over.

also depends how the dog is jumping over them - does she need a run up or is it a standing start?

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Our council gives some advice re fence-jumping dogs.

At the top of the fence, add a section which points inwards & slopes slightly. If a dog jumps up, he can't get over the fence. And, because of the slight inward slope, he can't haul himself up to scramble over the added piece.

To think of the shape of the addition side-on, think of a capital T (clean out one side of the bar at the top...& make the other slope down a little).

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OK....now imagine with that wooden fence at the end, you've added a sloping inwards piece at the top. See how he couldn't get over the top then? And he couldn't scramble over the piece due to the slight slope.

For the longer fence bit with the lattice on top, it mightn't be so easy to build an inwards piece on the top. Maybe that's the place to put something that more stops him taking off.

Don't know how this would go...but farmers used a trick to stop foxes getting over the fences of their chicken runs. They used long widths of chicken wire. One side of the wire was pinned about 1/3 the way up the run fence. The other side was pulled back a few feet from the fence & held down with something heavy. There's no way the fox can get past this stretch of chicken wire to make a jump over the top.

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Not wanting to be Miss Negativity, but the trellising is suffering from Raven leaping at it, grabbing a hold with her teeth and her weight pulling pieces of it off, thereby making a gap big enough for her front feet to yank herself over.

I don't think any sort of wire is going to be strong enough to hold her off (unless electrified!). Definately looking at wood or an 8ft fence! :thumbsup: And the 8ft fence is the bit where the council start getting excited and demanding over $600 in fees...

Diana

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We built a run ( a pice of wire with a pulley on it with a 15m lead that hooked onto harness so that Taco couldn't choke) that went from one end of the back yard to the other. We made sure that he couldn't get tangled or caught on anything. It was the only option we had at the time because his didn't jump or dig his way out he chewed!!!!!!!!!!!

We looked at those collar things but couldn't bring ourselves to have him zapped or sprayed when he went near the perimiter and it was about $200-$300 for the pack.

The run cost us $8 and we made it in about 20 mins with material from the harware.

He could lie in the backyard, sleep in his bed, get to food and water and not tangle himself up. He hated it though. And I was little scared about it still because of wild dogs in the area and he wouldn't be able to get away.

He doesn't go on it anymore since we got Buckley. And so far hasn't chewed his way out.

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espinay2, thanks for those websites, they look more promising. The lean in arms are probably what I'm going to have to go for with an electric wire across the top to act as a reminder.

I did look at the Innotek stuff, but Raven is a rescue and we have had HUGE issues to work through in regard to fear aggression and I don't think an electric collar is the way to go with her. Funny how the wolfdog site also dislikes the e-collars too :(

So, some woodwork at the weekend! OH will be thrilled - NOT! :thumbsup: Oh well, whatever keeps my baby in. Honestly, if this dog knew what I'd gone through to get her this far, I'm sure she'd never do a single "bad" thing again!

Diana

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Have a read of the innotek collar thread...from memory there are some good alternatives to the e-collars as well as information on the collars themselves.

Good luck with your darling girl :thumbsup:

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Have a read of the innotek collar thread...from memory there are some good alternatives to the e-collars as well as information on the collars themselves.

Seemed to me more like bickering than helpful advice! :laugh: Maybe I'll trawl a bit further this evening! :rolleyes:

We've decided to go for a tensioned wire running one length of the dog run to the other and enough chain that she can lie down, but no more than that. She'll have to be on a chain because she'll eat a rope line and I'm hoping that the lack of excess chain will mean that the wire is holding the weight, not her collar and that she'll be less likely to tangle herself in it.

Trial run this weekend to see what sort of state she gets into. If she gets extremely distressed, we may have to think of something else. :laugh:

Diana

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Hi Diana

If your dog scrambles up perhaps you could put a wire level with top of fence with a bit of PVC pipe so that she can't get a front foothold on the top of the fence (the PVC will just keep turning), you could even run a wire and pipe along what I'm assuming is probably where she puts her back feet which is probably the bits of wood used to keep the fence together so if run one along there also she won't be able to get a back foot hold either. I have never used this but my friend with a very determined Staffy male has and she thinks it's the best thing since sliced bread.

I personally wouldn't be very keen on seeing my dog fall backwards from six feet but the big wide world is probably much more dangerous.

cheers

M-J

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I think the lean in arms are the shot.You can buy it here or make your own out of light gauge galvanised stell angle and bend it and bolt it to the fence.A guy down the road from me has asbestos fence 6 foot high around 25 acres and those lean in arms atop the fence all the way round with 3 rows of barb on it.I dont know what he has in there I figure he is growing drugs but thats his business,but his dogs dont get out.

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the area doesn't look too wide could you put netting over the fence like a shade cloth? hardware sells dog proof fly wire which is really for your fly screens but if you could attach to the top of the fence somehow, staples would be good if you know a friendly carpenter, there are heaps in NZ. I mean like a carner triangle.

Then I would as someone else suggested use thin pipes. Hammer a stake, wooden or metal into the ground put the pipe over the top at regular intervals along the fence line.

What is going on over the fence that interest him so much? maybe try and make his place as interesting, maybe he is chasing the cat?

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The piece of piping sounds fantastic! I might give that a go. As Raven is quite a big dog (GSD x Huntaway I think), the drop won't be such a big deal for her. If I couple that with the wire, I think we're onto a winner. I'm just a little concerned that any type of hanging item to inhibit jumping will be pulled down by her.

Rusky, I have no idea what's so fascinating about the other side... she has canine company, Kongs and chew toys. You can see in the photo that I even have an electric wire along the top, but apparently she's learnt to not be touching it with her feet on the floor and is managing not to get shocked... :mad that's one clever pooch.

There is a dog on the other side and she gets into their garden and bullies it to within an inch of it's life. The poor dog needed stitches last time and goodness knows the neighbours are being very wonderful by not demanding I pay for it - I don't think I'd have been as nice! :) There is also their kitten which loves it's own dog, but not mine!

Thanks for all your help, the ideas have been tremendous. I don't know what I'd have done without you!

Diana x

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I even have an electric wire along the top, but apparently she's learnt to not be touching it with her feet on the floor and is managing not to get shocked..

Try 3 wires out at an angle, 2 positive and 1 earth that way she doesn't need to be touching the ground to get zapped.

Have a look HERE for some good designs.

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You can see in the photo that I even have an electric wire along the top, but apparently she's learnt to not be touching it with her feet on the floor and is managing not to get shocked...

You are happy to use an electric fence/wire...yet you don't like the innotek time collars/fence because of issues?

I'm not trying to be annoying or pushy...but it just leaves me curious because it's not much different...except the innotek collar/fence gives a warning beep when they get to a set distance and they only get corrected/zapped if they get too close to it. But it is consistant...and they can't get around it...because it's a radio wave rather then an electrified set wire that they can get around/over/under/etc etc

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You are happy to use an electric fence/wire...yet you don't like the innotek time collars/fence because of issues?

I'm not trying to be annoying or pushy...but it just leaves me curious because it's not much different...except the innotek collar/fence gives a warning beep when they get to a set distance and they only get corrected/zapped if they get too close to it. But it is consistant...and they can't get around it...because it's a radio wave rather then an electrified set wire that they can get around/over/under/etc etc

OK, hmm, how do I respond? It's tricky, because I know what's in my head and how her head works and I have trouble explaining it... you're not being annoying, you're just keen on a system that works for you!

Now, the idea of having the hot wire at the top of the fence was that she needed to be fairly committed to going over before I was prepared to have her zapped. I believe that the Innotek collars do have a place, but I'm concerned that she'll be running in the dog pen playing with my other dog (or running up the boundary with the dog next door) and go over the boundary line set and get zapped for just having fun. As you can see from the pictures, it's quite a narrow run and she's quite a big dog. She can get from one side to the other in two strides. It wouldn't be fair to reprimand her for going near the fence when she had no intention of going over.

Perhaps if I had a larger area, I would consider one. I've looked at a few, but never been fully happy to go through with it. I hope that explains!

Diana

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