We have our property gated, but not locked. The other day I was out in the back yard with the dog and I could not see the gate at the end of the drive(it is maybe 70 feet long)

We just happened around the corner of the house when the UPS man was about halfway down the driveway with a big box. Dog loves everyone and he took off fullspeed to greet the stranger. Well, stranger took off running up the driveway. He ran fast with a big box. I called out to him that he was friendly, stop running, but that did not work. And no, dog is not to the point in life where I can call him off something as exciting as a person running up the drive.

But what made me mad is that he had left the gate hanging wide open. Had come into a farm and opened a gate and left it hanging wide open. Needless to say, he heard about it when I got to the gate. And I reiterated it more than once. I really don't think that particualr driver will come in again, but someone will. I delivered for awhile at one point in my life, but it seems that sense to close closed gates behind you or not to enter at all is a learned skill.

I have started looking for a sign, I don't know what to get. I found an ugly yellow diamond sign that says dog on premises, please close gate. I am starting to think after some looking that a keep gate closed sign plus a dog on premises sign may be the only option. I know better than the beware of dog sign. ANy thoughts here on what there may be out there that I haven't found.

I am trying to figure all scenarios. There will be the person who thinks keep gate closed, means after they come in. And who doesn't get the dog on premises sign means to not come in, or at the very least to close the gate. What have you all found to work well? And where did you find it? I had a thought of getting one made that said, dog on premises & do not enter or no trespassing.

use a sign and put a spring on the gate so it closes automaticaly

I have no trespassing signs on my fence and signs that show a picture of a dog that says I watch here.

Betty, did you have that custon made?

This gate is big, wide and heavy, and no possible way to make it shut on it's own. It is a drive gate, extra wide.

I deramed this little gem up and had it made locally. You may copy it with wild abandon if you wish.

my want to put a pedestrian gate in. I set my fence up with the big gates as well as the ped gates. A simple sign for people to sound the horn for deliveries would probably work as well.

I have had various signs. One made by someone local with my dog's picture " I can make it to the gate in 3 seconds, how about you?" " Come on in, i'd love to play with you!"

With Roger..."My dog has issues"

I like my gates locked, I wouldn't trust anyone to close them.

Red, I like that sign!

After going back and forth with my local utility company about their meter readers just barging into my yard, I finally got a custom-made sign that says:

DOGS ON PREMISES
DO NOT ENTER!
WITHOUT PERMISSION

I'll try to post later with the name of the company I got the sign from. They'll make just about any customized sign you need. It was pretty inexpensive.

And, Dennis, thanks for giving me the idea to put a spring on the gate. I could do that since it's just a people-size gate.

 Quote: Julie Sloan

Betty, did you have that custon made?

This gate is big, wide and heavy, and no possible way to make it shut on it's own. It is a drive gate, extra wide.

I think I got them on Ebay?

I have several gates like yours and then a couple walk in gates. We don't lock them unless we are both off the property and have them chained with a clip normally.

That is a good one Red!

I like the honk for deliveries, and yours too Cheri. All good ideas to draw on.I wish I could get the mail carrier to honk for packages, she prefers to let the pick-up card in the box even if she sees us in the yard and go on. Less time for her, I guess.

I would prefer locked too. We tried it when we went on vacation just to make it harder for anyone to get into the yard at all, but it was almost impossible to get the lock through the place that was made for one. The only way we could lock it I think would be to chain it.