How Much Fenced-In Space Does a Dog Need?

Congratulations! You’re adopting a new dog and are taking important steps to keep her safe. Maybe you already have a dog, but you want to give her more space to burn off her energy. Whatever your reasons, knowing how much fenced-in space she needs is important.

To get started, you need to ask yourself a few questions. How much land do you have? You can’t give your dog more space than you have available. What’s your budget? As tempting as it is to provide acres of fenced land for your dog, you do have to keep an eye on your budget.

Those are the two questions you need to ask first. Once you have those guidelines in place, it’s time to figure out how much space to give your dog.

What Type of Dog Do You Have?

What breed is your dog? A dog is going to be happy with any outdoor space, but some breeds need more room to run than others. The goal of a fenced area is to keep your dog happy and prevent boredom when the dog is outside playing. Any dog can escape a fenced area if things seem better on the other side.

Your dog’s size plays a big part in how much space is needed. If you have a small Chihuahua, a 15-foot square area is likely more than enough space. But, that space would seem tiny to a Great Dane. This is one of the important considerations, but there’s another one.

It’s also important to consider the dog’s activity level. Jack Russell Terriers, Greyhounds, Labs, and Huskies all need space to run around. Make sure they have the space. Meanwhile, Basset Hounds, English Bulldogs, and Boston Terriers will run some, but they tend to be less active and may not need as much room for running.

You know your dog’s habits. That’s a good way to gauge the right sizing for the fenced area. If your dog loves to run laps around a fence line, make sure the fenced area is big enough for the dog to build up speed. If your dog is more likely to go out, do her thing and sunbathe after, you may not need as much space fenced off.

If you have an active Border Collie that loves to play fetch, a 20-foot square area would only allow for a few bounds before the dog has to stop to avoid hitting the fence. Increase that to a 100-foot fence and the dog has plenty of space to run.

How High Should It Be?

How high should your fence be? For dogs that don’t do much jumping, a five-foot fence is fine. Most dogs do not need more than a six-foot-high fence. If you have a notorious jumper, the seven-foot MAX fence is great and as the mesh resists chewing, your chewer won’t chew through the fencing as it could with vinyl or wood fences.

Check Local Codes

Before you make a final decision on the size of the fence for your yard, check local codes. Laws vary from one state to the next. You might learn that a building permit is required if your fence is more than four-feet high. It’s best to check before you start your project. Avoid unexpected fines or property tax penalties.

The other reason to check codes protects you against neighbor disputes. You don’t want to put a fence up and have a neighbor complain. If you’ve gotten a permit in advance, you’ll know that your fence isn’t too close to or even over a property line.

With any luck, you won’t need permits. But it’s less stressful to check and learn it’s unnecessary than to install the fence and learn the hard way.

How Do You Get Accurate Dog Fence Measurements?

Ideally, you’ll have a 100-foot tape measure available to calculate your area, but this isn’t always possible. You do probably have a ruler or smaller tape measure, however. The average person’s stride is between 2 and 2.5 feet. Take a step and stop. Have someone measure the distance from the front toe to the back of your other foot’s heel. This is your stride.

Now, head outside and walk the perimeter you want to fence in. Multiply that by the length of your stride. That’s the number of feet you need. Do this all the way around the perimeter to get the full length of fence you’ll need.

If your goal is to fence off your entire property, you may be able to save a lot of time. The deed should have the property’s measurements for the width and depth of the land. Look over the land for any trees you can use for posts and determine how many other posts would be needed in addition to the trees.

Choose Fencing That’s Easy to Install and Offers Unique Benefits

Keep costs down by looking for fencing that you can install on your own. Consider the time and energy you have to invest in the project. Are you looking to avoid having to dig a lot of holes and set posts in concrete? We get it. Not only is that time-consuming, but it also leaves you with a lot of work in the future if you need to replace fence posts due to storm damage or dry rot.

Pet Playgrounds has five-foot, six-foot, or seven-foot fences that don’t require you to dig holes and set posts. Hammer the sleeve into the ground, set the fence post into the sleeve, and attach the flexible fencing. The bottom of the mesh fence covers the ground and is secured with stakes until the grass grows through it and affixes it to the sod. This ground-based mesh portion is dig-proof and keeps your dog from digging under the fence.

As the posts do not have to be a specific distance apart, there is no reason to worry if you hit rocks or find tree roots in your way. Move the sleeve a few feet and try another location. If there’s a tree right there, skip the sleeve and post and attach the fence to the tree instead.

Our DIY dog fence kits come with the hardware you need to affix the mesh fencing to the posts and you get the metal wire that forms the top of the fence. They’re flexible fences, so animals like coyotes cannot scale them and get in to attack your dog. Plus, your dog can’t use the sides of the fence like a ladder to escape and explore the neighborhood.

Within a day or two (depending on how many helpers you have), your dog has a fully-fenced area to us. Let her run around while you enjoy some fresh air without having to hold a leash or micromanage her every move. It’s a freeing experience that makes you both happy. Price your fence today in seconds at Pet Playgrounds once you have the measurements you need.