Not Chicken Wire But Dog Deterrent Fencing

One of my biggest concerns is how to keep my dogs from digging in the garden. I know they do it to unearth a cool area in which to lay but that doesn't make it any less frustrating. So, I did some research to discover the most economical way to put of dog deterrent fencing. A fellow gardener suggest that I put up chicken wire. And sure enough, he was right. It was the most economical fencing to invest in. A 24" X 50' roll cost $8.27 at Lowes and the stakes were about $2.50.
 
All that was needed to put it up was a hammer to hammer the stake into the ground. 


My three year old dog Cleatis pretty much understands the rules of the house and since he doesn't like getting in trouble, he doesn't press his luck by pushing on the fencing. My daughters 1 year old puppy Hersheys is primed to test her boundaries at every junction and apparently doesn't mind getting confined to the kennel when she does what she's not supposed to do. You see, my dogs are indoor dogs and don't need to dig in the dirt to keep cool, unless I've had to leave them in the backyard for an extended period, all Hersheys fault. They just come in the house and lay on the cool tile when they've had enough of running around outside.


Hersheys has tested the boundaries of the fencing and likes to poke her nose under the bottom of the wiring and try to pry her way in. I think after doing it three times and getting punished she's learned her lesson but with all the labor and effort I've invested in growing my garden, I'm not taking any chances. I try to keep an eye out for her when she's outside in the yard and tell her "No" when she puts her nose to the ground anywhere near the fencing. 


All this is to say, if you have a dog that will test the boundaries, you may want to place your stakes closer together than where I placed mine, about 10 ft. I would venture that every 5 ft would keep it taunt enough to deter invitation to test the fencing.

Here is a picture of the gauge fencing. It's a little more expensive than chicken wire but it is thicker and much more a deterrent for dogs. Cpl. Cleatis is not happy about being fenced out of any area in the back yard. Especially since he patrols the cylinder block fencing.



Here is a picture of the chicken wire with Hersheys sitting next to it. In this picture you get a better idea of the difference between gauge and chicken wire fencing.