Making farm/horse fences safe for dogs

So my mom and stepdad just bought a new house. We settle on Aug 22nd.

It's almost 5 acres total. It's fenced off in like 3-4 sections so ready for horses already.

There's one area that is a bit less than half the size of this (I don't have a picture of it).


That I would like to be the dog area where they can safely run off leash. It's probably a 1/2 acre already sectioned off. It's the same fence as above.

My step-dad is worried about being aesthetically pleasing and there also is a house behind the potential 'dog area' so we want to keep the neighbors happy. The dogs would never be out there unattended. The area is in the back, not the front of the house though, which is nice.

Is there anything better/stronger than your typical 'chicken wire' for this type of pvc vinyl fencing? The only other thing I could think of was adding more 'panels' or w/e they're called but that may be too pricey/impossible.

They're small dogs so obviously we're mostly worried about them sneaking out the bottom, not jumping it or anything.

There's definitely sturdier stuff than chicken wire for that. Your local hardware store should have a bunch of rolls of hardware cloth or welded wire in different sizes and gauges. I'm personally fond of the stuff that's already painted green or black because it sort of disappears into the background.

I would highly recommend going with a braided panel fence rather than welded which will break over time. But yes, I would just do the braided stuff on the inside of the fence where it is less visible to the public and call it a day.

Since you have tiny dogs, you may be able to pull off a really thin diamond chicken wire which would blend in even better.

TBH - If it were me I would go with invisible fence stapled to the bottom rail or buried along the base of the posts. Dogs pretty readily accept a consistent visual barrier and I suspect after 3 months you probably wouldn't need the collars anymore.

OMG can I move in with you. Lol

(I would also like to move in with you. Wowie zowie the place is awesome.)

What a pretty place! I would look to your local farm store for fencing (they're more likely to have a bigger, better selection than a Lowes or Home Depot and could give you advice on what to use).
Is that plastic/vinyl fencing or wood? Most wire livestock fence is made to be stapled (the heavy duty staples you hammer) into wooden posts and wired/tied to t-posts. Not sure if you can attach wire fence to plastic/vinyl posts except with plastic ties. I also second getting woven/braided wire, welded wire breaks too easily. If you go with woven wire, do you know you have to 'stretch' it for a tight fence?

That is beautiful.

Go to a local farm store like TSC or rural king and look at different wire fencing they have available. Smaller dogs may fit through the larger wire like the red brand. For the most part if it's a large area and you are there they will not mess with the fence and they do not break down quick. I have seen them last for years with goats and sheep lying on them.

If this is vinyl I just question how to connect it? Ask a fence company maybe. I'd connect it to t-posts hidden on inside behind the vinyl post covers. But in general it will blend in. I've gone by fences and not noticed the wire until going by much slower.

I'm wondering if a garden border fence would do the trick?


They usually come in rolls or sections, they just stick in the ground. You'd have to shop around to find something that would work but I think that would easiest honestly.

Wow thanks for all your suggestions. So many good ideas.

@CrazedACD... wow this MAY end up being the cheapest plus I could get a white one to blend in with the fence maybe. Thanks, definitely going to look into that.

Yeah it's PVC fencing, I am also wondering about how to connect it. I'll likely contact a fencing company soon.

It is actually already wired for invisible fence. Unfortunately it's not something I'm comfortable with for Jackson. He's a big time hunter and I really think if he saw a rabbit, he would go through it and then not want to come back in.
Also can't even imagine him getting shocked, even once. He's super sensitive. Would probably never step foot back in the yard lol. One time my mom set off the smoke detector in our house 3 years ago and he still won't go near a fire outside because of the smoke. lol

Lola would probably be okay and catch on fast, though she's smaller, but she's not as much of a wanderer and wants to stick close to us, but she lacks common sense things and doesn't really have much as far as training goes. Granted she's still only 10 months old and technically my parents dog.

Come on, you're all welcome! lol.

I'll probably only be with them for another year or year and a half. I am still wanted (my mom doesn't want me to move out ) and I figure I'm going save as much money as I can while I can. I am itching for my own place. But... I won't be complaining being able to live here for a while.

I wouldn't trust the plastic border fencing to keep other critters out. That's a serious consideration in the country, where, besides wildlife, many find it acceptable to let their dogs roam.

You can buy UV-resistant zip ties or a more permanent solution is wire. Wire the supplementary fencing to the PVC fence. Are the rails set in the middle of the posts?

You may want to bend a skirt section in at the bottom to prevent squeezing or digging out. Here are photos and how-to's.

True. We already live in the country on a different property and there's 100 acres of farmland behind us, so we're no stranger to critters and the farmers loose dogs. Annoying. But yeah like I said our dogs would never be in the area alone so it's more just so they don't have an easy escape route and I can recall them back to me if I find them digging or whatever.

Hmm I guess I'm definitely going to have to hire a professional on this LOL. No way can I do it right and my step-dad is not the type that's going to care or be worried about it. I think the rails are set in the middle of the posts. But I'm honestly not sure.

You might also want to check out Benner's Friendly Fence - it's a durable plastic mesh that's almost invisible from 15 or 20 feet away. My parents have had it at their house for about 15 years with no issues and it is very cost effective.

Oh wow this may be PERFECT. Thank you.