If you are a dog owner, you probably realize how beneficial it is to be able to let your dog play outside. Obviously it is very dangerous to simply let your dog roam free, and you should never consider doing so. Tying your dog to a chain on a stake can also be dangerous if the dog becomes tangled or slips out of its collar. The best solution is to build a fence so your dog can walk freely in your yard. Chicken wire is an inexpensive material you can use to build your fence.
Measure and mark the area where you will put the dog fence. It is easiest to build a square or rectangular fence. Mark the four corners by scuffing the dirt with your shoe. These will be the positions for the four wooden posts.
Dig a 2-foot deep hole, approximately 2 feet in diameter at each of the four spots you marked. Use post hole diggers or a shovel to perform this step.
Place a post in each of the four holes.
Mix the quick drying cement with water in your wheel barrow. Position the wheel barrow next to the first post. Make sure the post is centered in the middle of the hole. If you have a friend to help you, have them hold the post straight while you fill the hole with cement. Shovel the cement in the hole until it is 3 inches from the top.
Use your level to make sure the post is straight. Fill in the rest of the hole with dirt and pack it down with your feet. Check and make sure the post is level again before you move on to the next post. Repeat this process until you have set all four posts.
Place a metal "T" bar halfway between each post. Using a hammer or mallet, pound each "T" bar into the ground at least 12 inches, preferably 24 inches. The "T" bars should be in line with the two posts on either side. You should have one "T" bar left over.
Choose the post where you want the entrance to be. Place the last "T" bar next to the post and drive it into the ground 12 inches to 24 inches.
Attach one end of the chicken wire to the side of the entrance post that is not next to the "T" bar. Nail the chicken wire to the post with several "U" shaped nails.
Unroll the rest of the chicken wire around the outside of the posts and "T" bars. Nail the chicken wire to each post as you go. Attach the chicken wire to the "T" bars using wire fencing ties and pliers. Use three ties per "T" bar at the bottom, middle, and top of the bar. Do not nail the wire to the entrance post when you come back around to it.
Cut the wire at the proper length when you come back to the entrance post. Attach wire to the "T" bar next to the post instead of the post itself. This will save you from having to construct a gate. Simply tie or untie the chicken wire to the "T" bar to use it as the entrance spot.
Items You Will Need
- Tape Measure
- 4, 4-by-4-inch wooden posts, 6 to 8 feet tall
- 4, 10 lb. bags quick drying concrete
- Wheelbarrow
- Shovel
- Post hole diggers (optional)
- Level
- 5, 4 foot to 6 foot tall metal "T" bars
- "U" shaped nails
- Hammer
- Chicken wire (at least 4 to 6 feet tall)
- Pliers
- Wire fence ties
- Wire cutter