need to dog proof one of my fields (on a budget!)

[tiggipop]

hello

as title i need to dog proof one of my fields, this is to keep my dogs in.... am on wait list for left knee replacement and sadly my right knee suffered a meniscus tear a couple of weeks ago so need somewhere i can get to on crutches to let dogs have a run or for someone else to exercise them safely

i have chosen a field that is surrounded on 3 sides by my fields so less risk of anything attracting their attention!


1 side is a very tall tree/hedge but is bit sparse at the bottom in places
2 sides have a hedge that is approx 4ft high and guessing about 3 ft wide again the bottom a bit sparse in places
final side is the boundary to next door and the helpful farmer has recently had the hedge cut down and laid - was about 15 ft high before - now only about 3ft and very sparse

local farmer fencing chap thinks that sheep mesh on the 3 good sides would be enough as will cover the sparse bits (but mesh is only 2ft 8 high so even with 1 or 2 strands of wire will be about 3ft i guess) and as hedge greens up will also be visual "stop" he is looking into mesh of some description at a height of 5ft for the boundary side.

these fields are used for haymaking not for horse turnout

any ideas if this would be ok, or any alternative ideas? As i said i am on a budget but realise its not worth doing if it wont be suitable.

thanks !

 

[Goldenstar]

I have just done a boundary with horse net it was not cheap it’s a metre twenty high so it will stop the dogs in

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

We use electric sheep netting to keep our dogs away from the gate from yard to horse field but it's not a long stretch. They soon learn to keep away from it but for a field, I think I would want several different lengths with their own batteries.

 

[meleeka]

I was going to suggest electric fence too. Dogs won’t go over it (they apparently think the current goes up), so you’d only need a couple of strands low down. I use electric netting and there’s no chance of my dogs getting anywhere near it. Or You could use normal stock fence with a strand of tape above.

 

[Clodagh]

We have stock netting but that would work out expensive.
I’d go for electric wire, like I have in the orchard for the foxes. Will go take a pic

 

[Clodagh]

Here you go. Mine is free standing but if you put it about 2foot from the base of the hedge it should work. And a battery can light up loads of this as it draws so much less power than net .

 

[Clodagh]

Close up

 

[honetpot]

Sheep netting is good but it needs fixing so its taut, and if its electrified you can lift so far off the floor to make it higher. The poles are pretty flimsy so you will need so wooden straining posts. It is quick and flexible, I used in my garden so the sheep could graze the lawn and the dogs stayed off it, but mine are used to electric fencing, and have both had a zap.

 

[palo1]

For the amount of work, expense and time needed to fence/dog-proof safely and thoroughly I think you could probably train your dog's recall to be really spot on and in the early phase of that just use a very long, light line to prevent escape. Does your dog just bog off if in a field/open space?

 

[FestiveG]

For the amount of work, expense and time needed to fence/dog-proof safely and thoroughly I think you could probably train your dog's recall to be really spot on and in the early phase of that just use a very long, light line to prevent escape. Does your dog just bog off if in a field/open
I think a long line would be almost impossible to manage on crutches!

 

[palo1]

Yes, could be difficult for someone trying to wangle crutches but I think OP was suggesting that they may have some help/someone to exercise dog for them. I just wondered if it might be easier, cheaper and quicker to train. I had to puppy proof our place when I acquired Red as a pup and it was not only a nightmare and expensive but also impossible other than for a relatively small area. I don't think I would attempt that again!!

 

[Tiddlypom]

I have several 50m lengths of mains energised electric anti rabbit netting around much of our perimeter fence. It doubles up as being a JRT containment fence, which was not its primary intended function, but is rather handy .

 

[PurBee]

I was going to suggest electric fence too. Dogs won’t go over it (they apparently think the current goes up), so you’d only need a couple of strands low down. I use electric netting and there’s no chance of my dogs getting anywhere near it. Or You could use normal stock fence with a strand of tape above.

This is true, (most) dogs wont jump through 2 wide strands of electric rope.
My gsd runs under the bottom strand i have for the horses at 2ft height. (Which i dont generally electrify, i want my dog going everywhere with me)
When an area was electrified with the lower strand, she got zapped and i thought she’d jump between the 2 lower ropes (i have 3 ropes, 2ft, 4ft, 5ft) - but she didnt! (At the time i thought it was weird, as she’s athletic and jumps through barbed wire strands in the forestry)
As Meleeka says, they think the electric is an upwards flowing ‘wall’.
Deer jump through electric strands, but dogs dont.


If you’re put off from using electric - there’s builders scaffold netting - cheap and you get it in 50m rolls, 1m, 2m high. Its bright green, stretchy. You could attach it to electric fence posts as its lightweight, in sheltered areas by low hedge. The wind will catch it in exposed areas and would require less bendy posts than plastic horse posts.

Or, there’s black ‘tensile deer fencing mesh’ - very lightweight, 2inch squares of pre-stretched UV protected plastic. Comes in 1m,1.5m, 1.8m, 2m heights. 1m roll of 100m around 100 quid. You could attach to horse plastic fence posts as its so lightweigh. Fast, easy job to erect it, than dealing with sheep wire rolls.

https://truetraders.co.uk/shop/deer-netting-fencing-1-2m-1-5m-1-8m-2m-or-2-2m-high-x-100m-long.html

 

[palo1]

This is true, (most) dogs wont jump through 2 wide strands of electric rope.
My gsd runs under the bottom strand i have for the horses at 2ft height. (Which i dont generally electrify, i want my dog going everywhere with me)
When an area was electrified with the lower strand, she got zapped and i thought she’d jump between the 2 lower ropes (i have 3 ropes, 2ft, 4ft, 5ft) - but she didnt! (At the time i thought it was weird, as she’s athletic and jumps through barbed wire strands in the forestry)
As Meleeka says, they think the electric is an upwards flowing ‘wall’.
Deer jump through electric strands, but dogs dont.


If you’re put off from using electric - there’s builders scaffold netting - cheap and you get it in 50m rolls, 1m, 2m high. Its bright green, stretchy. You could attach it to electric fence posts as its lightweight, in sheltered areas by low hedge. The wind will catch it in exposed areas and would require less bendy posts than plastic horse posts.

Or, there’s black ‘tensile deer fencing mesh’ - very lightweight, 2inch squares of pre-stretched UV protected plastic. Comes in 1m,1.5m, 1.8m, 2m heights. 1m roll of 100m around 100 quid. You could attach to horse plastic fence posts as its so lightweigh. Fast, easy job to erect it, than dealing with sheep wire rolls.

https://truetraders.co.uk/shop/deer-netting-fencing-1-2m-1-5m-1-8m-2m-or-2-2m-high-x-100m-long.html

This looks great - I wish I had known about it previously! Not for long term use (for me, as it would potentially cause other problems) but great short term solution.

 

[PurBee]

This looks great - I wish I had known about it previously! Not for long term use (for me, as it would potentially cause other problems) but great short term solution.

Its a really handy, cheap temporary solution. Being so lightweight per roll is easy to handle, and install. I’ve got some surrounding my veg plot 7 ft tall, from deer, and its lasted 13yrs…its excellent for u.v protection. Still flexible and useable.

Being black also hides it against trees/bushes/fields - handy from a visual perspective, but for animals to see it, i weave white electric fence tape through it so they know there’s a barrier to navigate. Causes them to stop, pause and investigate, than just crash through it. (Deer dont see black fencing at night, for my scenario, but they see it during the day)

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Sheep netting is good but it needs fixing so its taut, and if its electrified you can lift so far off the floor to make it higher. The poles are pretty flimsy so you will need so wooden straining posts. It is quick and flexible, I used in my garden so the sheep could graze the lawn and the dogs stayed off it, but mine are used to electric fencing, and have both had a zap.

IME The netting doesn't have to be spot on to deter dogs, so long as they get a zap off it at first, they will avoid it, with maybe an occasional 'top up' if they get too adventurous. Our sheep will nibble the fencing if there is no power going through far more readily than dogs will touch it and they push through regardless if they feel so inclined. Fortunately our boundaries are stone walls.