For Want of a Fence, a Dog was Lost. Unfenced yards and dog ownership don’t mix. Here are some affordable solutions.
Dogs are born to run, and giving them space to move freely outside is important for their physical and mental health. Letting a dog roam freely in an unfenced yard, however, is a dicey proposition. For one thing, your beloved pet could run away and never return, or more tragically get hit by a car. Dognapping is another risk that is far more than just hypothetical. The American Kennel Club (AKC) reports that dog thefts are on the rise, and Petfinder says as many as two million animals are stolen annually, and only about one in ten ever make it back home.
Finally, in addition to keeping your pet safe from other people, there is the issue of keeping other people safe from your pet. If your dog bites another person, whether on your own property or out in public, you could face serious civil liability to the dog bite victim. Dog bites can cause serious and painful injuries requiring significant medical expenses, as well as emotional trauma, and you could be on the hook for pain and suffering and emotional distress damages in addition to medical costs.
In the past here at the Home Repair News Desk, we’ve addressed different home fencing issues, such as local ordinances and state laws on fence requirements and homeowner responsibility for maintaining shared fences. Fences come in all shapes and sizes, but overall, they are not that expensive in the world of home repairs and improvements. However, if you are afraid that fencing in your yard will ruin your aesthetic or is simply out of your budget, here are a few cost-effective alternatives to keep your dog safe.
Tethers
Probably the simplest solution is to plant a stake in the middle of the yard with a tie-out to your dog’s collar. From the stake to the dog’s collar, you can attach enough length of chain for the dog to roam everywhere you want it to and not anywhere you don’t. Stakes come in a variety of shapes and sizes – a common design is a corkscrew shape that fairly easily screws into the ground and stays put. You’ll want to choose a stake with a strength that matches your dog, so the stake doesn’t break or come out of the ground when your pet gets frisky. The same goes for the tie-out as well. Nylon and leather are popular materials, but is your dog a chewer? Chain or cable might be more appropriate. Finally, consider a collar that won’t snap off or get wriggled out of.
Keep an eye on your dog initially if going the tethered route to make sure the stake is staying in place and that tie-out you chose isn’t tangling up, tying up the dog or otherwise not working.
Dog Runs
A combination doghouse and dog run can give your pet the security and activity it needs, and if you are a do-it-yourselfer, you can put one up in no time at only a fraction of the cost and space of a perimeter fence. Check out the stylish finished product at the DIY Network, complete with how-to instructions in only 19 steps. Alternatively, home improvement expert Bob Vila suggests a quick and easy method for a dog run using 4- to 7-foot wire or polyethylene rolled fencing that you can easily stake into the ground, and move or remove as needed. Metal kennel kits are another quick and simple option.
Electronic Fences
Electric or Electronic “fences,” also known as invisible fences, are not fences in the physical sense, but they have the effect of keeping your dog confined to a bounded area. An electric fence utilizes a radio frequency transmitter to emit a constant signal that is picked up by a receiver on your dog’s specialized collar if he gets too close to the boundary you’ve established. Typically, these devices will first emit a warning to your dog and after that a stimulus or correction that lets your dog know he’s gone too far. Ostensibly, the correction is not painful but to the dog but is strong enough to be effective.
Originally, these fences involved a wire that you buried along the perimeter, but nowadays you can purchase a completely wireless system. Your local big-box pet store sells a complete wireless system with a transmitter, receiver, training flags and training guide for under $300. Stores still sell the wired versions as well, and there are pros and cons to going wired or wireless. For instance, the wireless version is portable, so it’s great for camping or traveling as well as at home. The wired kind, on the other hand, has a greater radius which is better for larger yards, and the boundaries can be more easily customized to the areas where your dog is allowed and those that are off-limits (the street, the flower bed).
Whatever system you get, you’ll need to check the battery on the collar regularly as well as the transmitter to make sure they are functioning correctly. Also, active training is part of getting your dog to understand why the collar is doing what it’s doing. Look to see if the product you are buying contains a training manual, and check online reviews to see what your fellow dog owners have to say.
Next month: What if my dog bites someone on my property?
