Stray animals need to be kept off your property for a number of reasons. Dogs can be dangerous to people whom they don’t know, and the last thing you want is to be growled at or even attacked by a strange dog when you step outside your home. Many strays can also be destructive, chewing or clawing lawn furniture, destroying flower beds, or even harming your own outdoor pets. The best thing you can do with them is keep your distance. Fortunately, it’s extremely easy to keep stray animals out of your yard– all you need is a quality fence.
Any fencing material will do. You can select wood, vinyl, aluminum, or even chain link depending on your property size, budget, and the look you want. If you’re looking to add privacy in addition to protection from strays, a solid wood or vinyl fence is your best bet. These fences don’t have large gaps in the way that some aluminum panels do, so they also offer better protection from small strays like cats and smaller dogs. However, if you’re mainly trying to keep out large dogs, an iron fence will do the job as well. Chain link is a great option as well because it can be installed quickly and tends to be less expensive.
Animals try to get around a fence by going either under or over. With this in mind, you can throw a wrench into their plans. Select a panel that is tall enough to keep them from jumping over. Six feet is a good minimum height that should keep out all breeds of dog. When you install the fence, be sure that the panels are flush with the ground. If there are gaps, dogs can dig holes large enough to slip underneath. You can prevent this by filling in those spots with dirt or, if you’re really serious, by pouring a concrete base before installing the fence.
Keeping your fence well maintained will ensure that it does its job perfectly. Wooden panels in particular can become weak over time, so keep up your regular maintenance and replace any panels that appear to be compromised. Animals can easily slip in through holes so any that pop up should be taken care of immediately.
