Puppy question - large garden but not possible to fence it...

[brawhen]

I'm doing the research to think about getting our first dog. Can anyone advise me about whether our garden is dog-feasible?

We live fairly rurally (edge of a village at the foot of open hills). We have a large garden, 0.75 acre ish, but it's not possible to fence it. The back of the garden goes on to open woodland/hillside (which then runs for miles) - there is nominally a 'fence' but it's just a line of wire and could not realistically be secured as the garden there is steep, rocky, full of bushes/trees etc. One side of the garden has a dry stone wall which is 3-4ft high so also probably not dog proof. The front of the garden goes on to the road - that could be secured (we'd have to put a gate on the driveway, but that's very do-able.)

Ideally I would like to feel that a dog could hang out in the garden without constant supervision (at least once they got past young puppyhood)...

We've only recently moved - last place we lived was a bit more suburban and was easy to see how dog owners sorted their gardens. Am trying to bump in to friendly looking dog-walking neighbours to ask them, but hoping I can also get some ideas here!

I rehomed two puppies from the RSPCA and Spaniel Aid, I lived very rurally in Cumbria with an insecure garden and they were both happy to place a puppy with me. When the dogs were older I lived on a farm and the dogs pleased themselves but again, two miles from
the nearest road down a farm track.

Our garden is fenced but there is a small irregular gap by a tree trunk.
Our old girls couldn't manage to negotiate it and didn't want to but now that they are gone we often dog sit and you can guarantee that the gap is found within minutes by any visiting dog. If they get through there are miles of open land populated by deer, sheep, foxes and badgers and thus irresistible to canines.
We have to exercise visiting dogs in the garden on a long lead which is a pain. I would strongly recommend that you at least fence off part of your garden so that you can safely let your dog out.Otherwise you are going to spend hours a day standing around at the end of a lead while the dog mooches about.

The majority of our garden is not fenced (huge hedge round 2 sides, 8ft wall on another but drive way area is open to incredibly quiet road) and we have an older dog and a 9 month old pup. When pup was very young we took him out on a long lead but now we let them out and just supervise from a distance . Older dog spends time in garden unsupervised as he’s been well trained, is neutered and doesn’t stray. We’re semi rural, have huge garden and you can’t see in the garden from the road so we’re not worried about anyone stealing them. They are labs who have been properly trained and have excellent recall so I don’t know if this has made the difference. We will need to be careful during the period between pup hitting proper puberty and getting neutered though.

What kind of dog are you planning to get and how are you intending to train then?

I would not get a dog unless I could fence the garden, incase the dog got lost. X

@Motorina you mean it would be an instant fail even if we fenced an area? Why would that be?

We live rurally and have a large garden too. We moved in with our big dog and he immediately leapt a wall I'd have said he couldn't into our neighbours.

Our solution was 5 foot stock fencing all along the boundary. Our other boundary are wall and another fence but he's not interested in that direction as there are no chickens.

A deer could leap the fence but our dog can't. I'd speak to a local fencer and get a view they'll deal with fencing challenging areas all the time.

No! Lack of a fence would be an instant fail. if everything else was fine you’d be asked to email over copies of the fence once done and then approved.

Photos of the fence not copies of the fence. Sorry. I have concussion and nothing’s coming out quite right.

@MsMarvellous - speaking to a fencer is a good idea. I'm sure you're right that they'll have seen it all before!

I really loved our terraced garden layout before I started thinking about how to fence bits of it I've also realised that the owners before us always had dogs, so maybe I'll drop them a line and ask what they did. There was a patch in the garden where I think they may have had a kennel/run, though it would not have been direct house access.

I'm sure there'll be a way to fence off enough space for your dog to be safe without ruining the garden. You've a lot of space to play with. I think you'll get there.

Could you fence the tricky boundaries with farm fencing (the post and wire mesh type)? It’s flexible enough to bend around wonky bits, affordable (compared to wooden panels), has gaps to let wildlife through and won’t obstruct your views. Height may be a slight issue in that it’s only about waist height but with training and initial use of a long line, you should be fine and just the presence of a barrier should be enough to remind the dog not to cross beyond.

Ah @MsMarvellous has suggested it. Stock fencing!