# Tips on fencing



## daddygilbert (Jun 11, 2011)

Wanting to start with some livestock and want a LGD. Have five acres along a state highway and concerned about dogs getting into the road. Already have a pet dog as well that we want to have more room to play in. What is the best way to fence them in? I would think you would have to worry about the dogs digging under it. Also working on a tight budget too. Any tips or suggestions?


----------



## Goatress (Feb 4, 2011)

Bury your fence a foot deep, if its wire (field fencing) this will discourage and stop the digging under and out. I found that was my biggest problem - only have a few climbers and jumpers, most of them tried to and eventually did, dig out. Buy an electric fence set with the solar panel, stand-offs, wire....you can do the perimeter of five acres for about $300 (thats prices here maybe cheaper or more where you are). No climb horse fence is even better than field fencing - holes are a lot smaller, will keep rabbits out puppies inside, etc. The hot wire will buy you a lot of 'fence' in that once they've hit that they usually stop trying to climb or jump over it. Again the digging is what will get you - bury what ever you go with, as deep as you can. Hint: railroad ties can really deter dogs too if you need to lay them under places or under fence. Let us know what you go with and good luck, I am interested to see other suggestions from others too.


----------



## daddygilbert (Jun 11, 2011)

Thanks for that. I have tried the invisible fences here before, but have found them unreliable at best. The railroad tie idea sounds great. Even when I bury the bottom of my fence it seems like the enterprising little jokers dig under it anyway, but that sounds like a good fix. Never used electric fencing before, but I figured that would be necessary with this project. Thanks for the help.


----------



## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

Sorry, I cant help on the budget side...I fenced my whole 10 1/2 acres with cattle panels with a barb wire top, and all my cross fencing is sheep and goat fencing. Quite expensive. Next I will be placing hot wire around the paddocks. My animals will be living in Ft. Knox...LMAO!!!


----------



## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

Another for electric fence. Both my adult LGDs are extremely respectful of all fences now that they realize some bite HARD. Apparently thats the trick~ my nieghbor has a great Pyr (mother of mine) he can't keep in because she learned she could dig under and only hit the electric with the insulating hair on her back. His Charger isn't hot enough in my opinion. My great pyr touched our fence with his his nose ONCE, ran screaming to the other end of the pasture where you could hear him hit the far fence, scream louder and run to the middle of the pasture! He hates that particular pasture to this day~ and he maintains an even distance between himself and any fence when he patrols the fence lines! I think my Anatolian BIT the fence~ she was still a puppy and I was putting up insulators. I got up the next morning and some of the insulators were chewed on. I strung the wire up and electrified the fence. During the night there was a horrible screaming and that dog is also VERY respectful of fences!!

The Anatolian puppies we are raising have all hit the fence at least once out there~ and where their mother used to just trot through the large squares in the field fence when she was a puppy.....these puppies already know DONT TOUCH THE FENCE!!


----------



## BarbadosSheep (Jun 27, 2011)

My new Anatolian puppy will be arriving in around 3 weeks and I know he's going to have to learn about the hot wire the hard way. It's going to bite him good and make him cry but it has to be done. I'd rather let him learn to respect that wire now than wait until he is grown and becomes a problem.


----------



## daddygilbert (Jun 11, 2011)

Electric fencing sounds great. The only problem I foresee (or rather that my wife pointed out) is that we have two little girls. We want them to be active with the animals, but naturally are afraid of them getting hurt on the electric fence. Any solutions for this?:smack:


----------



## hiddensprings (Aug 6, 2009)

We use the field fencing (goat fence) with a hot wire along the top and one along the bottom on the inside. I have also put railroad ties or wooden beams under gates to take care of the digging. I only added the hot wire on the top when my female figured she could jump any fence I had. :>) 
Daddygilbert, you have to educate the children on the fence being "hot". I have a 4 year old grandson and I've told him the fence is "hot" since he was a baby. he is just as careful as the dogs and goats are.


----------



## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

My son was scared to death to allow my grandsons to spend the night in the winter because I burn wood. He asked me how did I keep him as a child from burning himself when he was young. I told him "you'll only touch it once". He thought I was the most worst mom/nana in the world...LOL


----------



## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> We want them to be active with the animals, but naturally are afraid of them getting hurt on the electric fence. Any solutions for this


They will only touch it once or twice before they learn NOT to.

Also, electric fence with a hot wire about 4-6 inches above ground will prevent digging.

Keep it high enough so the deck of your lawnmower will go under it

There's no need to bury anything. Dogs learn about electric fences in a hurry

Under gates you can lay fence wire flat on the ground and cover with enough dirt to let grass grow through to anchor it, or you can run a hot wire below it


----------



## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

Another vote for electric fencing. 

We use a 3 strand electric to subdivide the pasture and perimeter fence on one side. While I've never seen him hit it, I KNOW he has. Goose(the LGD) won't play with the fence. 

We will use step-in posts to put up temporary pastures in the front and backyard and run a single non-electric strand about 4' high. The livestock animals don't challenge it, they just assume it's hot. Goose, the LGD, will run all the way around the house to get to the other side of these temp pens, even though he could EASILY walk underneath them. Our fence charger keeps the bull calf in, and it packs a punch. 

It made a clear point to our pup and he doesn't even attempt to "test" it. 

((We also used the shock collar to train the dogs to not run out the gate, when we're driving vehicles in. The gate has come open in the night, still trying to figure that out, and come morning there was our LGD inside the gate gaurding the yard vigilantly in the middle of the driveway, INSIDE the fence. Had himself centered in the driveway, laying, watching out. "You shall not pass." LOL  ))


----------



## daddygilbert (Jun 11, 2011)

Yeah That's just a nervous mama talking. That's what my parents always let me do: Try to warn me but let me learn the hard way. But I do think I should go with electric fencing. From what I've heard from my neighbors and read here it seems like the best option. Thanx for all the info. This is my first Post on here and I'm really glad I joined. I was president of my local FFA but never dealt with livestock much. So, I'll have plenty more questions.


----------



## AnthonyF (Mar 21, 2011)

any of you out there using electric for dogs and get lots of snow during the winter? I was thinking of doing eletric to keep the dogs in but live in northern British Columbia and get a quite a bit of snow. Any way of keeping the electric effective during the winter without shoveling the fence line everyday?


----------



## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> Any way of keeping the electric effective during the winter without shoveling the fence line everyday?


Put cut off switches for both the first and second bottom wires.

When the snow reaches each one, just turn them off.

Once the animals *learn* about the shock, they seldom touch the wires to see if they are still on

I have a 7 year old male Maremma that still squats to pee!


----------



## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

.....................Use 2x4 NO Climb wire , 5 feet tall along the roadway ! Maybe run field fence for the rest of the perimeter length . You don't need too bury any wire , simply run a HOT wire about a foot setback from the fence about 4 inches off the ground and another at 1 foot and another at 30 inches ! The dogs will not dig out cause they'll never even get started once their noses touch the hot wire . , fordy


----------



## HilltopDaisy (Feb 26, 2003)

I read and reread this post; fencing for the dogs would be my least concern. 

The LGD's will follow the livestock they are guarding. If they bond with goats, and the goats get out, the dogs will follow, no matter how hot the fence.

One of my Maremma's is so bonded with the horses she will go with them to the end's of the earth. If you can keep the goats/sheep/horses in, you should be OK.

Will it cost a million bucks? Yes. Someone posted $300? You can't buy the posts for that, let alone the fence....


----------



## Goatress (Feb 4, 2011)

:umno:

The SOLAR PANEL and electric fence stand-offs and the related material for making it hot only cost $300 for five acres.....I did not say the entire fencing project cost that. Of course your field fence, fence posts, wire etc will add to that. 

Every livestock person I know, every rancher, farmer, dog person....for all of them good fencing is #1 priority. Because it isn't just about keeping your stock (and dogs) IN it's keeping what's lurking around out there, OUT.

Your post makes it sound like your horses regularly get out. :hrm: So at what point is that going to cost your dog his life if a truck hits him while he is with your horses and they are off on a run going 'to the ends of the earth'???? Maybe they don't and you were just using that as an example, but regardless, good fencing is being a responsible livestock owner. Not to mention peace of mind.


----------



## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

Goatress said:


> :umno:
> 
> The SOLAR PANEL and electric fence stand-offs and the related material for making it hot only cost $300 for five acres.....I did not say the entire fencing project cost that. Of course your field fence, fence posts, wire etc will add to that.
> 
> ...


........................X2.......... , fordy:clap:


----------



## daddygilbert (Jun 11, 2011)

I have no doubt that the dogs would stay with the livestock, and, of course, I would want them to do that. My father has kept various kinds of livestock and now keeps goats. Because of this I have found that most livestock is rather easy to stay contained with normal fencing techniques. However, I have lost many dogs to the roads around my house, and even if a dog is bonded to the livestock, a dog's curiousity may lead him into the road long enough for him to get hit by a logtruck going 80 past my place. On top of that, we have a lot of predators, especially coyotes in my area, and I would hope the fence could serve a dual purpose. My post was to see if anyone had any ideas on containing the dogs, because I believe I could control the rest of the livestock. Thank you for all the helpful posts.


----------

