Anyone able to advise about dog proofing?

[woofwoofandwoof]

I am considering getting a dog - would be a first time dog owner so anxious about getting everything right.

I would like to dog proof the garden so the dog is safe and can't get out. Part of the garden is bordered by a holly hedge. I'd prefer for the hypothetical dog
(Schrodinger's dog?) to have the full run of the garden so don't want to create a fenced pen area.

If at all possible I would also prefer to leave the holly as it is because it is visually very attractive and green rather than just bung a fence in front of it.

Is there some way to dog proof a hedge boundary without putting a wooden fence in front? Can you embed a wire type boundary within it.

The hedge is too high for a dog to jump so this is about securing the ground level boudary.

Is there anything else I need to do? what about a dog digging under a fence? do you need wire grids below the fence line?

be grateful for any advice

We bought a house with a large garden that was enclosed byarge hedging. To dog proof it we used square mesh fencing on a roll and some slim wooden posts knocked into the ground. If you do it as close in to the hedge as you can it will eventually grow through it so it can't be seen. You can no longer see ours in front of the hedge. Something like this... Simpa Multipurpose 1M x 10M - Green PVC Coated Galvanised Steel Wire Garden Fencing Roll – Mesh Hole Spacing 10.16cm x 5.08cm amzn.eu/d/7INtOFa

A lot will depend on the breed - most terriers love to dig and will require a more secure baseline than a larger dog probably wood. If the height is 6ft then it's high enough. Personally I would get a strong 4ft wire fence in front of it with it either dug into the ground or logs along the base of it.

thanks both. does the wire of the fence need to be dug down into the soil to stop digging?

Do I need a specialist fencer to do it or will any old fencer do?

We just did it ourselves.

It depends what sort of dog you're getting. If it's a big dog then they're unlikely to get under unless there's a big gap. We just bent the bottom 2 rows onwards so they can't dig under it.

What you need to do really depends on your dog. For some, the prickliness of the holly would be enough to put them off digging completely.

I'd also say that a dog who is properly stimulated, exercised and supervised shouldn't be digging to the point that it becomes an escape risk anyway.

We did something similar to Kate9423 and got advice on how far down to dig it based on our breed.

We put chicken wire around our hedged garden to dog proof it.

I put stock fencing on the outside of some not quite dense enough to be a hedge bushes, they grow through it and the actual hedge just has chicken wire at the bottom on the inside.

Digging escape holes would only really be an issue if you’re leaving a dog out there unattended tbh, I don’t and you see them doing anything like that well before it’d be big enough to get out... though I’ve had dogs helpfully dog back up things I’ve just planted 😐 🤣

What breed? You may need to ensure they can't dig under. Ours are too big to, but others would.

I’ve never had a digging dog despite having terriers. I’ve never left them in the garden for long enough to dig out though. A lot of digging is boredom IME (not all though) so you can remedy that quite easily.

Rabbit fencing is secure and you can countersink it easily but I’d not worry about making it colditz until you get your dog. Just make it secure enough.

We have wire fencing in front of a hedge which we did ourselves. We used metal posts to weave through the wire and sink into the ground. We have large dogs, that aren't diggers but used large U shaped pegs to secure the bottom of the wire fence at intervals as a precaution when they were new rescues.

Hey! I’m looking for advice on this thread. Today we had a situation, only know about it do to the ring door bell (sign on door to state ring door bell is recording). The yodel delivery man came to the property with a parcel, rang door bell and no one was home to answer. Now the delivery man can hear the dog barking & can see the dog from the living room window so he is fully aware he is there. The doorbell footage shows the delivery man leaving with the parcel and then coming back 2/3 minutes later with a card to state the parcel has been left in a safe place. We have an outdoor post box RIGHT NEXT to the front door, as our dog loves to rip mail, however the delivery driver has put the card through the letter box on the door and there has been some commotion. The audio hears my dog growling and the driver shouts and pulls his hand away. We cannot tell if the dog has scratched him through the letter box, bit him or if the man has just simply gotten a fright when he’s realised the dog is at the letterbox (letter box is at the very bottom of the door, at our dogs level). I’m worrying about this situation and don’t know what to do. I can’t understand why he didn’t put the card in the outdoor post box and really don’t know what’s happened. Should I contact yodel to make them aware of the situation??

Get a letterbox cage for the inside of your door. Then it can't happen again.

I think it depends on the dog, on one side of my garden there is a hedge with lots of gaps which a dog could easily squeeze through, I thought I would have to install a fence, but with a bit of training my dog soon worked out the boundaries of her territory and she has never tried to escape. I think of you were to leave a dog unsupervised ( which you shouldnt do anyway) you would need a more secure fence.

It’s physically impossible to get a cage for the inside of the door as the letter box is at the bottom, basically touching the flooring in the hallway - hence why we got an outdoor post box. Never had any issues with any delivery or post man, they ALWAYS use the post box - until today.

Oh I see. In that case I'd block it off with a plank or something from the inside and a sticker on the outside to use the post box to avoid nips! Low down fingers are pretty vulnerable

When our most recent rescues came it was apparent from the start they were post shredders! There was no aggression, it was purely entertainment to grab the post and shred it. We took no chances though. To cover yourself I would tape up the letter box, both inside and out and put a note on your door saying use parcel box for letters and parcels. If the letter box is taped up no-one will be at risk of being nipped or scratched. Be aware that you will probably get stuff left on your doorstep though. We also have a large parcel box right by the door and occasionally find leaflets on the doorstep, despite clear signs saying use the parcel box!