If you use chain link you’ll have to use concrete, and pulling chain link is a pain.
How big are the dogs and how determined are they to get out? With so much on your plate right now I would go for a temporary fence. I used T posts and woven wire fencing off a roll from Home Depot. Hammered posts in and used zip ties for extra security to attach wire. Not decorative but fairly unobtrusive. Worked well for my smaller dogs for years.
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So- hubby and I just put up our 170x80 our door arena fence. Pressure treated 4x4 for posts and PT 2” x6”x 12’ (twelve foot lengths was the only thing I could find). I wanted to start in April, but COVID caused all PT boards to have a shortage. It took 3 months for me to source all my lumber, and the price jumped a solid 40%
We did all the work and used out posthole digger for the posts. It cost me about 2000. And 1 full weekend to put the posts in the ground and about 5 days of working with 2ish hours at night for the planks.
If you could get someone to put the posts in the ground- could you put up the premade stockade panels yourself?
We used black metal chain link posts and top rail (bought in bulk from chain link fence company) and put in wire mesh (field fencing for perimeter, no-climb in paddocks) ourselves. Tractor with auger for post holes, mixed concrete (bought bags at mega home store) in our big wheelbarrow. Built a fence stretcher out of two, 2x6s and bolts. Yeah, it was time consuming and wasn’t all done in a day, yes, it took a bit of skill (though not much beyond using basic tools and a level), but it looks GOOD! Dogs are safe, horses are safe. Feel free to PM for details. We regularly get folks stopping to ask who did our fencing or where the materials can be found.
Here in the PNW we can’t really use wood posts/wood rails-- cost prohibitive and they rot in under 10 years generally. Most places use metal posts and wire or tape or some of the newer types of fencing. If wood posts are used, the expectation is routine replacement.
there is a much easier ready made device that is very simple to use
https://www.lowes.com/pd/36-IN-3-HOO…BAR/1002916366
and can be use to hang harness on later if needed
Clanter-- since we were stretching field fence and no climb, that won’t work…we tried. It’s only designed to pull chain link well. The stretcher needs to clamp the whole body of the fence edge to get an even, taught pull with the tractor and come-a-long. We feel like fencing experts after putting in 5 acres of perimeter fencing (twice in one area!) and several internal dividers and sacrifice paddocks. The DH and I don’t even fight anymore about it! Woot!
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I would suggest for the dogs just getting some of the chain link panels and setting up a small run for them. As mentioned, tractor supply and others have them in kits to make a 10x10x 6’ tall enclosure. You can buy more panels than these to make a larger area. A commercial source like Bluey mentioned might give you an even better deal. This gets you something you can use for the short term, quickly, and without enormous expense.
These panels are pretty versatile and flexible. I have used them to house sheep and also poultry, and you can use them to protect a garden. They are fairly attractive. You can rig them for a covered roof. If you have really determined, large dogs that will dig under them and claw at them, they might not be strong enough. In that case, you can buy welded wire panels that are stronger but also more expensive.
This gets you in to your new place and lets you figure out what you want and need, while giving you time to ride out the temporary high prices. I promise that you’ll have no trouble finding a new use for those panels, or a new home if you decide to sell them.
T-posts and wire are also an easy DIY solution that can be removed and reused elsewhere, but again, take a moment to figure out if your dogs will be contained by that or not.
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When I bought my property it was cleared and just had a house on it. I spent months drawing blueprints and layout for the barn, sacrifice paddock, fields…Then came time to call around for quotes for 8 acres worth of fencing. Ouch. I had already pulled a loan out for the barn and was not going to do it for the fence too, so I did it all myself. I borrowed the neighbor’s tractor and auger (good neighbors will make your life 10x happier), bought the treated wood posts at Lowest, and settled on fencing materials from a company called HorseGuard. The HorseGuard was easy enough for me to put up 100% by myself. It is a bipolar electric fence, runs off of a solar panel and does not need any kind of ground rod. It absolutely love it. It it a very dense, thick tape type material so it stays taunt and does not flap in the wind at all. It looks great and I would argue is easily the safest fencing material for horses I have ever come by.
I did vow to never build my own fence again. If/when I ever move I will not do so until I can fork out the money to pay someone else to do it. It was terrible. It was tedious, tiring, annoying, time consuming. There was a month where I woke up every single day aching. But, I was able to save thousands of dollars and do it all by myself. I did have great biceps that spring.
I would consider T-posts and panels in the front yard for now with the idea to use the panels permanently in the future when you can have the posts you want set. Tractor Supply and Home Depot carry some of these. https://stockyardsupply.com/fencing/welded-wire-livestock-hog-panels/
I think they are really attractive with wood or metal posts and trim.
https://sierrafencetx.com/gallery/cattle-panel-fencing/
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I have three containments for my dogs - though I dont have dogs at the moment! My backyard has stockade fencing for privacy reasons. Then I put in a doggie door but needed a smaller area that I was comfortable with the dogs using when I wasnt home. So I got a dog run similar to this: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Lucky-Dog-1…nel/1001842310 against the house. Then I needed to make a dog area in the backyard that wasnt as big as the whole yard when one dog was injured. That is when I made a doggie yard using wire something like this https://www.lowes.com/pd/Blue-Hawk-A…ncing/50017410 and T posts.
Depending on the size of the dogs being contained, you could purchase cow or hog panels And set 4x4 posts along the line. The panels
are sturdy and can be re used elsewhere or sold later to recoup some costs. They won’t work for small dogs or puppies due to the size of the squares. The panels don’t need to be stretched like rolls of woven or welded wire, so they won’t need the bracing as well. It may be something that could work in a pinch.
You need a really flat surface for any kind of panel fencing. (unless you’re going to dig it in to the ground).
Gate question: how big of a gate do I need for the front yard, so a truck could access the house if they needed? 16 foot?
Dogs are two Border Collies, 45lbs and 33lbs. Both have respected a four-foot fence. The larger male may bolt, the female is off-leash reliable. I’ve gotten spoiled with opening the back door to a 6-ft privacy-fenced little backyard for last-at-night and first-in-the-morning pee breaks. I go out onto the patio to insist they pee but I can be barefoot and half asleep. I didn’t buy ~19 acres to have to walk my dogs on a leash every single time! :lol:
One company will come pound 20 posts, I supply the posts, for $960. But I haven’t heard from him in a week. It’s probably too small a job for their current workload, though there is the bigger job to follow. Renting heavy machinery to do the posts myself costs about the same.
Frugally, I could do T-posts and sheep fence now then pull the posts and reuse them when I have the money/cost of wood has declined. But you know how that goes… if it ain’t broke, that cheap ugly fence will stay forever! I don’t want to hate my front yard forever. And wouldn’t doing it twice, ultimately, cost more?
Regardless, I have to buy every single tool needed to pound a single T-post or drive a single staple. That’s going to add up, so I really need to run the numbers and figure out what is the best use of funds.
If you want to do it yourself, you can buy the chain link wire rolls, any height you want, the metal pipe posts and pound those with a regular t-post pounder.
You need to brace the corners very well to pull the wire from, but the line posts are fine just pounded in.
For right now, I think that buying those kennel panels they sell and putting them up in any configuration you want may be best to keep dogs confined regularly and be able to move them around later as needed.
We did that once with four 6’ x 10’ dog kennel panels, one had a 2+’ people gate and put them around a corner of the house.
Using two walls and the panels, it made a nice large provisory dog yard.
Still have those, now a fence around the generator.
T-posts are around $5 each and a pounder is less than $50. You can use the metal clips meant for T-posts or heavy duty zip ties. You could spray paint the posts to match the fencing if the color bothers you. The panels won’t be cheap but they, and the posts, can certainly be used in other places without much effort if you end up not liking the look for a front yard.
I’m someone who likes to live in a new place before making big investments so I try the economical/versatile route first, with a thought to how I’ll reuse the materials. Many times your vision will change after you establish new routines. Or you realize something you thought you had to have would really suck in a different weather condition.
Other than the one dog not being reliable, why do you need a front yard in addition to the existing back yard?
If you have 19 acres the odds that you’ll want the t-posts, the pounder, and the wire fence again for some other use approach 100%. For example, I use those things to make wire cages around young trees.
Yes, tools are expensive. You might be able to borrow a t-post pounder and puller but I doubt you’ll regret having them. The t-posts usually come with the wire clips for wire fence for free where I buy them. I prefer heavy duty T-posts (both for strength and color) and I prefer tall ones. You’ll also want caps probably, even though it’s not horse fence.
For your gate I suggest a minimum of 12’ and you won’t be sorry I expect to have 16’. Consider not only the challenge of going through the opening but the likelihood that you’ll be going through straight and the challenge of lining up to it. If you will be pulling a gooseneck trailer through it off of any kind of turn the extra space will be beneficial. I was also glad to have a larger gate when I brought some rock in. If a long gate seems inconvenient you can also span it with two gates.
Note that gates are sold as smaller than the opening - that is an 8’ gate will not be 8’ long but could be 7’9" or 7’6".
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That ^ also that going thru any gate when is wet and slick requires as much room as you can give yourself.
16’ is ideal, 14’ can make it work, 12’ a very tight minimum.
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Flame suit on. Are you sure an Invisible Fence/Pet Stafe won’t work for your breed/situation at least temporarily? From a cost and aesthetic standpoint you won’t beat it. I don’t let my Corgis out alone but gives me piece of mind for late nights/early morning potty time and while I’m working in the yard. When I moved 18 months ago to my new place and inherited a new proprietary system I had no trouble selling my old system with collars since the new homeowners didn’t want it for about 50% of retail. I bought new collars on EBay from a super helpful lister and some flags at Lowe’s to train and we were set for 2 dogs for a very nominal amount, little hassle and decent piece of mind.
To your point fast forward 18 months. I now have fencing and the horses home but never did change the dog “fencing”.
Dado blades are not illegal to buy in the US, anyone can have them.
Not all table saw arbors will take them though, you have to double check.
Ok, T-posts and wire it is! I suppose I just do a 4-ft walk through gate for this temporary setup, right? And I will still need a wood posts for the walk through gate and corners, yes?
So I’ll need post pounder, tamper, post hole digger, chainsaw?, stretcher, staples, hammer, wire twists. Anything I’m leaving out? Thanks for hanging in there with me, COTHers! :o
