How do I stop my dog from digging under the fence and getting out of the yard??
By thescribbler
@thescribbler (386)
United States
February 18, 2007 10:16pm CST
Last Oct. 31, one of my dogs dug under the fence and got out of the yard, and I didn't know it. The phone rang and it was a stranger telling me that the other dog (who followed her out) was hit by a car. It was bad. We're still working on her recovery with her, and it cost me a couple thousand dollars.
We live in the desert. No dirt here, just sand. And even though it's packed down pretty hard, it's no match for a determined dog's nails digging into it.
We have 1000 ft of fence around our place, and we're a little short on cash, plus neither of us is physically able to do much any more.
So what can we do? We've though of electrifying the fence, or putting bricks or cinder blocks along the whole fence. Chicken wire, buried, is a lot of work and not cheap.
Any ideas? Miracles? She still digs out sometimes, and the sick dog follows her. It scares me to death. We have to go out with them all the time and watch them like hawks. Not fun at two in the morning when it's freezing out there.
Help? Thanks in advance.
2 people like this
3 responses
@mipen2006 (5528)
• Australia
19 Feb 07
I can understan your dilema. Possibly the cheapest way out would be to put a wire 'RUN' for your dog. If only one digs, then you only need to attach that one to the wire. You may only need this for a few months until the dog realizes that even though he can dig under the fence he can't go anywhere. Other than that chicken wire would be effective, but expensive to install.
2 people like this
@thescribbler (386)
• United States
19 Feb 07
Thanks, mipen. Can you describe a wire run for me? I don't know what it is.
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
19 Feb 07
I know this works for jumpers but not sure for diggers. I know someone who's dog kept jumping the fence so he ran a electrified wire along the fence line about 6 in. from the ground. Dog went to jump the fence and got the shock of his life. Never did it again. Maybe you could try that but make sure the wire is about 10" from the fence but still 6" from the ground. Another way is to pound rebar in the ground right next to the fence where the dog is digging at. Can't dig thru rebar. Chicken wire place on the ground bout a foot or 2 out from the fence but attached to it might work as well.
Hope this helps ya. :-)
1 person likes this
@thescribbler (386)
• United States
20 Feb 07
We're seriously considering electrifying the fence. We've tried a couple of things already and nothing is working so far. We need to do something that will really stop the digging forever.
@thescribbler (386)
• United States
26 Feb 07
I know she can dig through the one inch sized rocks we have in our driveway. I was hoping maybe bricks would be large enough to be a deterrent. Maybe not. Thanks again for your input.
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
26 Feb 07
Thank you for choosing my response as best. As for post number 3, heavy bricks would work for small dogs but a determined large dog will dig them right out. I know cause I used to have a med. sized husky/shepherd cross that dug alot and bricks/big rocks wouldn't deter her at all. Knowing you had big dogs, I purposely didn't suggest using bricks/rocks knowing that it would be pointless.
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
24 Feb 07
I wouldn't leave my dogs outside alone for longer than 20 minutes . I never do. My dogs are inside with me all the time or are outside with me. I don't live in desert, but isn't that dangerous for dogs to stay outdoor unattended? I would place heavy bricks along fence.
1 person likes this
@thescribbler (386)
• United States
25 Feb 07
If they were little dogs, I'd worry about them being outside for any length of time, but these are pretty big dogs. I'm not worried about coyotes or anything like that coming into the yard. They'd have to jump a five foot fence to get in and there's nothing here they'd be interested in.
Most times, we watch them when they go out. Sometimes we don't, but we call them back in after five or ten minutes if we see they've finished their business. But once in a while, Molly will dig out within a minute of being let out. No warning, nothing. I'd really like to let them out without having to watch them every second. They're safe in the yard. It's when they get out that they can get hurt.
We're also going to make some calls to find out if we can get used brick anywhere. We have to do something.
