# The DOG FENCE is UP!!!



## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

So since May of 2007 when I got Atka, I have had a 50'X50' fenced area and the rest of the property (an acre) has been unfenced. I rarely used the 50X50 area... after Atka was trained I did not need it very often. 

With the inception of a second dog.. and one that is not going to be spayed immediately since she may be a dog for breeding (after testing and all the rest) I thought a perimeter fence would be a good idea. 

Now I don't want some crappy looking fence.. tho two sides of the prperty is thought woods, along a stream and a stone wall, the other two sides are to the cul de sac and neighbors lawn areas etc. So.. I priced things and yikes.. chain link was out of the question (about $20,000) so I decided on other things. 

I elected to put split rail across the front and figured 8 sections right by the house and then use 2x4 welded wire and steel posts for the rest... 

I went to Lowes and they had split rail but wanted to get rid of all they had. They offered me the entire pile for 50% off but only if I took it all. Well, you have to realize that where I live the ground is very stony and digging holes for posts is an undertaking. I hemmed and hawed.. and took the pile (20 sections).. and a post hole digger (the hand operated sort). I priced renting a hole digger but it was about $400 for 1/2 day and that was taking me out of exspensive to nirvana... 

I did get my neighbor to help with the holes (I paid him) but I worked with him and the 20 sections of split rail really made a looks difference. I did some of the holes myself too. I overlaid this with black vinyl coated fence wire (2x3 mesh) and it is hardly visible, so it looks good. Out back along the stream thru the woods and on the stone wall/hedge row I put in steel "T" posts and welded 2X4 inche mesh welded wire. Across the driveway I use every day I got two 6 foot tall by 42 inch wid chain link gates. I laid them on their sides and attached them to the split rail end posts. I painted them black and that really made them look better. For the gates arross the 20 foot span over the "service" driveway (the one that goes to the walk out basement and the furnace, wood pile etc.) I purchased two tubular steel "stock" gates at Tractor Supply.. 10 feet long ea. I sunk separate gate posts for the stock gates and hung them (that was today). 

Eventually, when the ground settles around the gate posts I will pour a bit of concrete around them so the gates hang a bit nicer.. and I will install another small man pass down by the stream. 

So.. in three weeks nights and weekends after work.. I put up 220 feet of split rail fence, 450 feet of 4 foot high welded wire on 70 Steel T posts (all driven by hand with a steel tube 'post pounder") and 220 feet of black vinyl coated wire over top of the split rail, two gate posts, 2 ten foot stock gates and 2 light 6 foot long chain link gates. 

Could a dog get out of this yard? Yes. A determined dog could get in or out (fence is 4 feet tall). However, a dog would have to make a decision to get out and I never leave the dog out loose and unattended in the yard with me not around. 

It is an extra layer of security. I have kennel runs if I go out and the dogs are in those.. but having the dogs in the kennel runs AND having the dogs iside a perimeter fence too is very nice. 

By having the gates across the driveways it stops a lot of people from coming in and pestering you too. Friends and family will know to close the gate behind themselves (or leave it open if it is open). All others will likely see the gate as a barrier. 

Yeah.. its not the "Kennedy Compound" but it is mine and already I am enjoying the business of having a fenced yard!
THE DOG FENCE IS UP!!! :clap2:


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

Oh my, next yr it will be a pool.


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## BrittanieJo (Sep 23, 2010)

I know how you feel! We FINALLY moved into our new home with our fenced in yard and Aggie is loving it! Congrats on the hard work! We had a split rail fence at our cabin that we took down this past summer and taking it down was much more fun then putting it up from what my parents have said! The fence was older than I am so I didn't get to enjoy putting it up lol.


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## Morrwyn (Aug 13, 2009)

Can we see pics? It must feel awesome doing something like that yourself, good job Elana!


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## Deeken (Feb 14, 2011)

That's awesome. I would love to have that much fenced property!



Morrwyn said:


> Can we see pics?


X2. I'd especially like to see what you mean by overlaying the split rails with vinyl coated fence wire- the only thing I can picture is coated chain link and I feel like that's not what you're talking about.


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## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

wvasko said:


> Oh my, next yr it will be a pool.


:nono: No pool. I really do not have time or resources ($$) for a pool... but my next thing is a small building (10X12) with kennel runs off of it. If I do this correctly I might even be able to run electric out there. The object is a place for the dogs when I am at work, regardless of the wether forecast. Might even be able to go away and have someone come in and do care (someone trustworthy) fora lot less than boarding them. Though.. where I board them is so great maybe not. 

Pics taken tomorrow and I will post on Monday or tomorrow evening. 

Yeah the overlay fence is much lighter than Chain Link.. it is welded wire that has been dipped in vinyl coating.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Elana55 said:


> my next thing is a small building (10X12) with kennel runs off of it.


I want to do this, too. . .so the dog don't have to stay in the mudroom while I'm at work. I'd like a small window air conditioner and an electric heater so it can be used year-round. Do you know of any websites with plans for that kind of thing? I would be just improvising if I tried to do it now, and I'm not so sure that would work out well, LOL.

Congrats on the fence! I love split-rail fences, they're so picturesque. It'll be nice to have that extra layer of security, espeically if there are puppies in the future!


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## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

There are plans out there but you have to pay for them. I have looked..and I am now thinking of a pole building. I did find a prefab building that was REALLY good (2X4 construction and 2X6 consrtuction with studs 16 inch on center and board and batten siding as opposed to T-1-11) and very well made, but most of 'em are crap.. and very expensive crap.... 

What I also like is that the one cat, who I tie out, is out now but not tied (he does not wander.. he sits in the bushes out front and makes believe he is a leopard.. ready to pounce on any sunsuspecting human who walks by.. which is only me BTW).


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## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

As requested.. photos. If you click on the first one you will see part of the wire only. The crooked post is due to "subterranian Obstructions..." Uhh... Rocks...
The second one shows a long view of a part of the split rail and the last one shows a detail of the wire over lay. Not sure why the last one is an "attached thumbnail" but you can see them all better if you click on them.


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## winniec777 (Apr 20, 2008)

Very impressive. And what a beautiful setting. Easy to love a property like that.

Q: will the posts and fencing require a lot of maintenance with heaving, etc? We've been going back and forth about fencing our back yard (about .75 acres) but have been putting it off because of the maintenance needed + the suspicion that Poca would sail over the fence at the first chance she got. She has a history of fence jumping, so we're pretty nervous about it. Still, would be nice to be able to be out there with her, training without having to rely so much on the long lead. Plus a fence would be good for resale around here. So we ponder it. I really like your set-up.


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## RoughCollie (Mar 7, 2011)

I think your fence looks great, and I'm really impressed that you did it yourself.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

The fence is gorgeous, 1st thing that popped in my head was the mowing needed to keep all spiffy. It's spring, it's raining and I can hear our grass growing as I type. aaaaaaggggghhhh!!!

It is better than 4 ft of snow though.


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## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

Thanks. The fence is set in very well drained ground so I hope the heaving is kept to a minimum. I put the posts in 18 inches.. so it may be a problem (tho you really cannot go deeper than 2 feet with these posts). I will be putting water seal on it from time to time as it is pressure treated. The steel posts and wire should be OK but it is easy to put them back down if needed. Of course, you can get longer posts and go deeper. 

The strength of a wire fence is the straightness of it and the tightness of the wire. In this case I am not keeping Wild Buffalo in so it is not as critical other than to have less manitenance. I did put it a long way back from the road (plan to put flower gardens in front of it) so the plow won't hurt it with piled snow. 

I mow all that ground with a 6.5 HP push mower (NOT self propelled). There is a year round trout stream along the one side (where there is wire and steel posts). I hate to buy a ride on mower as they are something else to fix and maintain and they are 'stupid' in that all they do is cut grass. I find the acreage (1 acre) and space cramped and small after having a 180 acre dairy farm for 20 years (plus I rented land so ran about 450 acres all told). I would love a small 2 bedroom house and 20-30 acres of land with a small wood lot and a big barn... The house I have is 2360 SF and is 5 bedrooms and 3 baths... really not necessary at all and a lot of work to keep clean. I heat it with wood and oil and keep my fuel costs to about $1200 a year. Takes about 3.5 to 4 cords of wood and about 180 gallons of oil to heat from Early November to mid April.


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