A fenced-in yard gives your dog a place to play, run and use the bathroom. It's very convenient for dog owners to have a safe place where your dog can spend the day outdoors. Your yard's fence needs to prevent your dog from being able to easily jump over, needs to protect him from excess stimuli from the outside world and needs to prevent him from easily burrowing under the fence to escape.

Another important aspect of installing a fence to contain your dog is that the fence also keeps wild animals out. A fence that keeps your dog in will also keep coyotes, foxes and other dogs out of your yard, keeping your dog safe and secure in his yard. Whether you're installing a new fence or upgrading your existing one, here's what to know about fencing in dogs.

Some Breeds Can Jump up to Six Feet High, and Need a Fence to Match

Some dog breeds, such as greyhounds, are very good jumpers. You'll need a fence that is at least six feet high in order to contain them. You'll also need to keep the yard area clear of any platforms that your dog can use as a jumping-off point to gain the extra height needed to clear the fence.

Installing free-rolling PVC pipe along the top of an existing fence is an inexpensive way to prevent a problem jumper from easily leaping over the fence. These are also sometimes called coyote rollers. When your dog's paws land on the PVC pipe, it begins to roll and prevents your dog from gripping the top of the fence to pull himself up and over it.

Privacy Fences Prevent Barking and Excess Stimulation

Solid privacy fences are preferable to split fences or chain-link fences. One reason for this is that some dogs can use the links in the fence as handholds to climb over the fence or can slip through the slats in a split fence. Children in the neighborhood may also be tempted to stick their hands through the fence to pet your dog, which can result in them either being bitten or getting their hands stuck in the fence.

The most important reason is that privacy fences don't allow visibility through the fence – dogs who are left in the yard all day long often become bored and will bark at every stimulus they can see through the fence. It can also be frustrating for dogs to continually see stimuli such as humans or other dogs through the fence but be unable to interact with them.

If you have an existing chain-link fence, you can install vinyl privacy guards along the fence to prevent your dog from using the links to climb the fence and to prevent your dog from easily seeing through the fence.

Chicken Wire or Concrete Trenches Are Low-Cost Ways to Stop Burrowing

Some dogs are burrowers and are prone to digging under fences. One solution is to bury the fence deeper into the ground, but this can drastically increase fencing costs, especially if you already need a very high fence to prevent your dog from jumping over the fence. A lower cost way is to bury a few feet of chicken wire in the soil underneath the fence when it is installed. The cheapest way is to pour a concrete trench around the interior of the fence perimeter, but this prevents landscaping.

The overall best fencing for dogs is a wooden privacy fence that is at least six feet tall, but these can be expensive. Discuss your options with a professional fencing contractor – in some cases, it may be better to fence in a small run for your dog to play in rather than attempting to fence in your whole yard. With the right color and style, a run can easily blend in to your landscaping and not look out of place.

For more information, contact a business such as Gatlin Fence Company.