When we moved into this house we had a nice fenced yard, but decided "hey we don't have a dog so lets just take down the fence so we have more open area". Now I have a dog and wish I had a fenced in yard, and am planning another pup so I really really need to re-fence the yard.

My home owners association has strict rules on what type of fencing you can use, it has to be black aluminum fencing of this type... Click Link ... not 100% that style but the bar spacing and general principal is the same.

2 questions...

1) Do you think a puppy can squeeze thru bars spaced that far apart? I can always temporarily put some type of mesh nylon fencing on the inside of the fence till the pup is bigger I guess, I'll just have to convince the HOA that it's strictly temporary if someone does complain.

2) I am willing to dig a 2-3ft trench under the fence and put something down there that a puppy can't dig under the fence to escape - is this a good idea? If so, what would you reccomend I use to put in the trench to keep the pup from digging thru it? Just grab some chainlink and bury it in the ground? Or is there something else that is specifically designed to keep dogs from digging under the fence?

use a wire backer behind it, they'll start bitchin about it and threaten you with whatever. schedule meetings to discuss it, get sick and resched. call the newspaper and threaten to cunter sue. By this time your pupper is over 60 Lbs and you wont need the backer anymore <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Mike,
What about the fence they like and an underground electric fence a few feet inside the fence to keep the dog(s) safe?

When my dogs are outside i'm with them or watching them out of the window, if my 9mo old is outside, i'm outside. My older dogs never developed a digging habit because i've always been right there to tell them NO, and hopefully the pup won't either, btw, my fence is 5.5' tall and it's only just high enough, so don't get a 4' ,
AL

Can you run a hedge row around the inside perimeter of the fencing? Thorny bushes or otherwise? The idea is to give a solid barrier without truly being a fence. If you check the laws and it doesn't mention anything bushy, it might be okay. It would look really neat, too. Maybe then you can hide a better fence on your side of the bushes.

Mike,
You have the advantage ( err...well, common sense <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> ) to live where it's warm. So you have an excellent choice of shurbs available to you - Chinese Holly.

Planting Chinese Holly to line your fence is the way to go - the stuff is like ornimental barbwire when it matures, it's a good barrier against man or beast and is recommended as an anti-burglur deterrant by many security experts.

 Quote:

Mike,
You have the advantage ( err...well, common sense <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> ) to live where it's warm. So you have an excellent choice of shurbs available to you - Chinese Holly.

Planting Chinese Holly to line your fence is the way to go - the stuff is like ornimental barbwire when it matures, it's a good barrier against man or beast and is recommended as an anti-burglur deterrant by many security experts.

Is there any risk of causing injury to a dog the first time they decide to run right into it? Or do dogs have the common sense (ha!) to stay away from it?

Quote "Planting Chinese Holly to line your fence is the way to go - the stuff is like ornimental barbwire when it matures, it's a good barrier against man or beast and is recommended as an anti-burglur deterrant by many security experts."
Hi Will, just one caveat, if Chinese Holly has berries like other hollies, the berries are poisonous. I don't think they are deadly, at least not to humans, but I don't know how poisonous they might be to dogs. That's always something to think about when planting anything where your dogs live.

Another plant choice for a really tough hedge fence is Rugosa rose. There ar a number of different varieties and their thorns will stop just about anything.

Blackberry hedges have impressive thorns, they grow to about 5 feet, and the berries make a great pie.