Start with the dog, not the material

A beagle that digs needs a buried apron or a tight bottom rail. A husky that climbs needs height and nothing to use as a step. A chewer will destroy a cheap wood picket faster than a chain-link kennel.

Tell us the breed or at least the behavior. The same 50-foot run can be the right fence or a weekly escape depending on those details.

Common layouts

Full backyard privacy so the dog and the neighbor both get a wall. A side-yard chain-link run. A dedicated kennel with a shade side and a gate that does not swing into the dog. Invisible electronic fences are not what this page is about.

Questions we hear on this work

How tall should a dog fence be?: Four feet holds many small dogs. Five or six feet is the usual request for larger or athletic dogs. The bottom detail is as important as the height.