Last Updated on January, 2025
Choosing between different types of dog fences sounds tedious, right?
At times, you may ponder over the safety and well-being of your dog amid your work loads.
As a solution, you might have to keep your dogs and other animals (if you have some other animals), as fenced in yard pets.
‘’Good fences make good neighbors’’; thus, you can tell that a good barrier makes your dog neighbor-friendly.’ Dog fences also guarantee protection for your dogs and also they bring out privacy into your garden.
Read along. You will get a clear idea about DOG-FENCES and which one to choose. Let your furry friends be contained in privacy fences.
Quick Summary
The 9 popular types of fences are including chain-link, vinyl, picket, snow, split rail, brick, portable, indoor, and invisible fences.
Choosing the right type of dog fence is important for the safety and well-being of your dog.
The cost and maintenance of each type of fence varies, and it is important to choose the best option for your specific dog and situation.
Table of Contents
Dog-Fences, the Necessity
Your four-legged friend has every right to be safe and secure in your garden, with or without your presence. A pet safe environment means a lot to most dog owners. A dog fence makes it the correct option to safeguard your pet.
Think for a moment that you are away from your home. You have left your dog within your premises and have not yet constructed a fence.
Chances are there for a road accident, say an unexpected car mishap; It will kill your peace of mind to leave your pet in such a situation. Further, you might be concerned about dog theft by a stranger or picking up your pet by animal control.
All these pave the way for the unstable state of your mind. Assume you have to be away from your pet, at such an instance, A dog fence becomes invaluable for you and your pet. The peace of mind a fence provides is worth all your investment costs.
Further, your furry friend enjoys ALL THE FREEDOM outdoors while he is contained within a boundary. He even starts to play with the wall itself. It would help if you took care to train your dog for a fence, Especially in the case of an electric fence.
So, it is up to you to get the correct types of dog fences which suit your dog well. You will see in the following sections a detailed account of every kind of fence. Altogether, there are nine types of dog fences, eight varieties of physical barriers, and a report on electric fences.
Types of Dog Fences
1. Chain-Link Fence
Chain-Link Fences are a great choice in case you have a budget plan.
Sometimes chain-link fences are associated with sports grounds and bare government lands; nevertheless, if you find them best suited for your dog, no worries about adopting such a metal fence.
Let us consider your yard more significant and have lots of space for your pet to play and roam around.
In such a situation, chain-link fences keep up with you.
Chain-link comes in various sizes. The gauge level of the metal varies between qualities. The standard length of it is 3 feet upto 6 feet.
If your dog is energetic and can jump up to the stated height, you need to go for a higher one. 8 feet and upwards.
Pros
Cons
Chain-Link fence is perfect for:
- Different sizes of dogs
- Jumpers and diggers
2. Vinyl Fence
Vinyl Fence is an excellent choice if you want an aesthetically appealing hedge while making a containment for your dog.
Further, a Vinyl fence, unlike metal fences or a wooden fence, is resistant to damage and is non-toxic.
Vinyl is a plastic-based material made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride).
Vinyl hedges can be made similar to wood fences in appearance. You can incorporate vinyl doors and windows for the structure of the fence.
You might have doubts about the strength of the material. Are vinyl fences strong enough for your dog? In most cases, the answer is yes; Vinyl is strong enough for your pet. If your dog tends to dig or stretch along, Vinyl makes it harder to break.
Pros
Cons
Vinyl Fence is perfect for:
- All breeds of dogs
3. Picket Fence
Close your eyes for a moment and ponder on an old-fashioned American home.
Your ‘American Dream’ comes into existence with the implementation of picket fences.
A traditional picket fence is composed of posts, horizontal rails and pickets. A picket fence is made of spaced uprights of pickets or slats, usually connected with two horizontal rails.
One on the upper border and one on the lower border.
The material of the pickets is usually wood. Sometimes, the element might differ; Vinyl or PVC act as alternatives.
Since there are small gaps between the slats, you should be aware of your dog trying to escape.
Your pet can penetrate its paws through the slats. So consider having an above-fence layer with wood or other fencing material as the hedge barrier.
Pros
Cons
Picket Fence is perfect for:
- Small dogs
(Large dogs might try to escape from the picket fence)
4. Snow Fence
Are snow fences worthwhile in containing your dog? Most probably, yes, they are.
A snow fence is built against accumulating snow in the winter and fall.
It also becomes handy in creating a railing for your pet.
Snow fence is your option if you want a cheaper and quicker way of creating a fence for your dog.
A snow fence is composed of low gauge wire fabric. It has two-by-four-inch rectangles.
It makes the mesh tiny enough for your dog not to poke through.
Pros
Cons
Snow fence is ideal for:
- Small dogs
(Large dogs might find it not to be vigorous enough against energetic shakes)
5. Split Rail Fences
Many dog owners choose split rail fences as wooden dog fences as a safeguarding tool for their pets.
However, they have to put extra effort into making the rail dog-proof.
A split rail fence comprises two or three horizontal rails with vertical slats .
It is ideal in an agricultural setting due to its natural, environmentally- friendly look.
To make it dog-proof, you must add wrought iron or wire mesh as a connection between the rails.
Otherwise, the escape artists might find a way to move through.
Pros
Cons
Split rail fences are ideal for:
- Small dog breeds
- Large dogs breeds ( when there is a three way rail)
6. Brick Fence
Brick fences or walls make it a permanent outreach of fencing. It is ideal if you are free from worrying about your budget.
A typical home with a brick wall around it is an excellent setting.
Plus, you need not worry about your dog causing damage to the brick fence.
Many dog owners prefer it as a privacy fence for dogs and other animals.
Pros
Cons
A brick fence is perfect for:
- All breeds of dogs
7. Portable Fence
As the name suggests, a portable dog fence is ideal for travelers. You might use it indoors or outdoors or while on a picnic.
Most portable fences are made of wrought iron or other light metals in a way as to be adjustable in their perimeter.
You can stretch or squash it according to the necessity.
However, mobile bars generally cover a limited area, unlike permanent fences, which you can create to the size you wish.
Pros
Cons
Portable Fence is ideal for:
- Small dog breeds
(Due to its lightweight, unsuitable for active large breeds)
Checkout the Best Portable Dog Fences here.
8. Indoor Dog- Fence
Are you fretted over your dog moving all about your home? Indoor dog fences keep your dogs out of restricted areas in your home.
For example, your bedroom, kitchen or furniture. You can keep an indoor dog fence if you want your dog not to roam upstairs and downstairs.
The hedge is usually made of a metal barrier with a gate, or sometimes it is just the gate.
Pros
Cons
An indoor dog fence is optimal for:
- Smaller dogs
- Larger dogs (to a certain extent)
9. Invisible Fence
Let’s assume you are a landscape-oriented person.
You don’t want your garden view to be affected by the appearance of a physical fence.
You can go for an invisible fence or, in other words, an electric fence or wireless fences, at this point.
The invisible fences have three components:
- A wire buried underground: For the invisible system’s proper function, the buried wire should have a closed loop. Some invisible fences have a wireless system set according to the GPS boundaries.
- A transmitter box: It emits a radio signal to your dog through making a connection between the other two components; The copper wire buried underneath and the receiver collar. If it is the wireless system, the main base computer is used to communicate signals.
- The receiver collar: It has batteries inside to receive the signal emitted by the transmitter. Your dog wears the collar on its neck.
The invisible system works by giving a mild shock, a beep sound or a vibration to your dog as it reaches the boundaries of your yard. Or as it approaches the underground loop or the wire, that is, the invisible fence.
Pros
Cons
Invisible Fence is ideal for:
- Dog breeds which are adoptable for static correction.
The Physical Fence vs the Invisible Fence
You might be well familiarized with a traditional physical fence. It runs along your garden’s perimeter as a circular boundary with gates and windows as appropriate. Brick, wood or Vinyl made fences are your dog’s common types of hedges.
The invisible dog fence, also called as the invisible barrier, as stated above, is composed mainly of three components; the copper wire, the transmitter box and the receiver’s collar.
Here’s how the physical and invisible fences stack up against each other:
- The biggest advantage an invisible fence has over a physical one is the cost. Invisible fences are much cheaper than physical fences plus you don’t need to spend a penny on the installation of invisible dog fences. Invisible fences are generally considerd as less expensive than physical fences.
- Invisible fences consume less time for construction than physical fences such as wooden fences, brick fences, picket fences and metal fences. Though installation might take a time, it is comparatively less than that of the above types of fences.
- Physical barriers have a gate, while invisible fences haven’t.
- Your dog automatically learns the boundaries through visual appeal in physical fences. Dogs and other animals learn to be fenced in the yard accordingly. You have to train your dog for an electric fence beforehand.
- A physical fence is better in the sense regarding stress criteria. Invisible fences can cause behavioral changes in your dog, causing stress.
So, it is up to you to get the right type of fence which suits your dog well.
Fun Fact
Have you heard about the longest dog fence? ‘Dingo Fence’, also called the ‘Dog Fence’, is situated in Australia. It is approximately 5600 kilometers in length with a height of 5.9 feet.
The primary intention of this wall was to keep wild dogs away from the fertile South-Eastern part of Australia; When it was constructed in between 1880 and 1885. (The best fence, is it so?)
Dog-Fences, Cost and Maintenance
The size of your yard and your geographical location are the primary factors determining the cost of your fence.
- Chain link fence costs around $5 to $14 per linear foot. The price might vary depending on the height, and this is for the standard size of six feet.
- Picket fencing costs between $13 to $50 per foot.
- Portable fences cost between $35 to $200 on Amazon.
- Even though there are invisible fences for $300, the standard ones cost around $957 – $1444.
Other types of fences may vary in their costs owing to the material used (Vinyl Fencing), the type of wood used (split-rail fencing) and the type of brick used (brick fencing). The Indoor dog fence’s cost depends on the type and size.
Some types of fencing need regular maintenance, while others don’t or need minimal maintenance. For example, Picket fencing and split rail fencing need constant care.
Brick fencing and Vinyl fencing are permanent in a way that they are easy to maintain.
Electric fences need minimal maintenance among fence types. The only downside is that they can harm the health of your pet compared to a traditional fence.
Pet owners don’t prefer that to happen, even though they need to spend about half the cost compared to wire fencing.
How to Choose the Best Fence Type for Your Dog?
If your furry friend is energetic and large, you might choose chain-link, vinyl, or brick fencing. If your playmate is tiny, you can choose from other types of fencing. That is picket fencing, split-rail fencing or snow fencing.
Assume that you are a traveler. You have to accompany your pet wherever you travel. Then a portable fence suits you. If you are concerned about your dog’s movements in your home, you can choose indoor fencing.
Last but not least comes the electric fence. It is an option if you don’t want the physical presence of a fence around your garden.
Related article: Dog fence ideas for backyard
FAQs
Final Thoughts
There are many options if you consider your pet to be among the fenced in yard. You have to choose from the list of fences for dogs, which ones are right for the escape artists among certain dog breeds.
The nature and size of your dog matter. So does your budget. Plus, don’t forget the aesthetic appeal the fence induces. (It also matters)
However, most don’t like to sacrifice the look of their yard building these fences, if you’re one of them, invisible fences are the way to go.
The best of these can contain your dog without affecting the look of your yard whatsoever. Check out the best wireless invisible fences on the market right here.
Was this article helpful?
It’s good that you mentioned that chain link fences are an affordable and long-lasting alternative. Since my sister’s dogs are unfamiliar with their new surroundings after moving to a new area, she has been searching for ways to keep them safe. It would be wise to give this a try, in my opinion. I’ll be sure to let her know about this and look into fencing companies that can assist her in getting one installed. I appreciate you sharing!