Playing outside with the family dog

We have a dog that invariably gets out of the back yard at least 3 times per month.  We’ve seen her dig under the fence – and fixed that, then she starting climbing over the fence – and we’ve patched up the low areas where we can.  It’s frustrating when you have a dog that is doing her best to imitate Steve McQueen in The Great Escape!

Now, we’re looking for some sort of alternative solution to spending $2,500 or more on a new 6′ chain link fence, so we’re looking at something like the PetSafe In-Ground Invisible Fence.  This pet safe dog fence is a simple setup that has been receiving some good reviews.

The  PetSafe PRF-304W Deluxe In-Ground Fence offers a well-rated solution to the problem of an escape artist dog.

This advanced wireless dog fence system includes 500 feet of boundary wire and 50 boundary flags that enclose an area up to .33 acres.

The compact UltraLight receiver and adjustable collar weighs just 2.5 ounces for comfortable wearing. When your dog wanders into the warning zone, the collar gives either a warning beep or a static correction. The correction level increases until the dog turns back. Increase or decrease the correction to meet your dog’s training needs. Safety features include extra surge protection during storms and protection against false signals. Also includes a VCD and an easy-to-follow operation manual.

The PetSafe Wireless Dog Fence

With one of these installed, and some basic training for my dog, my kids will not have to worry about their favorite pet escaping and getting lost.  The peace of mind will be great, and we’ll all feel better about letter her out to play.

Over on Amazon.com, Melissa writes:

No more worries, October 12, 2009

This review is from: PetSafe PRF-304W Deluxe In-Ground Fence (Misc.)

I bought this in-ground fence as an affordable alternative to putting a privacy fence completely around my property or paying for professional installation of an invisible fence.

After a lot of research about different options I realized that Petsafe and the Invisible Fence brand are basically the same company, offering the same products under different names. A call to the local Invisible Fence Company came with an estimate of well over $1,000 to “fence in” my yard which is about 1/3 of an acre with two collars.

The DIY installation was easy once we decided to borrow a friend’s gas powered edger. It was miserable trying to make a small trench with a straight blade shovel. With the edger we installed approx 400′ or so of the fence in about 2-3 hours.

So far the fence has been in the ground for two months and I am more than pleased with how well it works. We have two dogs a 1 year old hyper active Saint Bernard and a 10 year old very stubborn extra large mixed breed and they both easily learned where the boundary is and to respect it. During the initial training we had one incident with the dogs crossing the boundary to play with some dogs in the yard that had gotten away from their owner on a walk. After that incident I turned up the correction level to a higher setting and have been escape free ever since. I simply cannot express how much piece of mind this product has given us. Now I feel confident that I can allow our dogs out in the yard for extended periods of time without constant supervision.

I would highly recommend this product to any person who are considering purchasing this fence for their pets.

Though wood and chain link fences are not obsolete, vinyl fencing is the definite way to go for 2009-2010 and beyond. A new vinyl fence will add the privacy of a wood fence along with the security of a chain link fence, however, will also add a great amount of beauty, class and value to your property, all for nearly the same price!

WHY VINYL FENCING?

Vinyl fence has become greatly known for its wide variety of styles, easy to clean material and low maintenance upkeep. Different from wood and chain link, Vinyl profiles can be cut and shaped to just about any size that you may desire. This allows for you to select a style and design that will be the perfect match for your home and property. Vinyl fences come in many different colors which are digitally integrated into the vinyl extrusion process which means the time and money that you would have spent painting/staining your wood fence will instead be spent on vacation, a weekend getaway or that special something that you have been waiting to buy!

The lifetime of vinyl fencing will far exceed your expectations and concerns. You will have your vinyl fence installed only ONE time and enjoy its beauty for a lifetime! Your vinyl fence will not rot like wood or rust like chain link which means that there will be no need to ever replace your vinyl fence. (unless your child’s first driving experience does not go so well).

CLEANING & MAINTENANCE:

Cleaning vinyl fencing is easy and requires very little effort. You can simply get a bucket of soapy water along with a rag and begin cleaning. You may also purchase special vinyl cleaning solutions at your local hardware store and use it to clean your vinyl fence. To insure maximum beauty, you should clean your vinyl fence every 3-6 months or whenever cleaning is needed.

FINDING A FENCE COMPANY:

There may be many fence companies in your area that are specialized in vinyl installation. It is best to go with one of these companies when having your new vinyl fence installed. Most of these companies are certified and specialized in vinyl fencing and will be able to answer any questions you may have, as well as, guarantee that your new fence is installed correct and professionally. You may research these companies by checking their rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and making sure that they are a member of the American Fence Association (AFA).

To search for a certified vinyl fence company in your area, you may try searching for the following keywords/phrases in your preferred search engine:

-vinyl fence company in “state/city”
-fence company in “state/city”
-residential fence company in “state/city”

Once you have searched and found a few fence companies, continue on with your research and view their BBB rating and make sure they are a member of the AFA.

In conclusion, if you are looking to add value to your property, beauty to your yard, or simply just need a new fence, you can be sure that a new vinyl fence is the only option you should consider when making this decision. You will hear many compliments from neighbors, friends and family regarding your new vinyl fence and you will be inviting many people over for a barbecue on your new grill that you bought with the money you saved from not painting a wood fence.

Author: John R Burke
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

It is advisable to plan ahead first before placing a chain link fence to make things simpler. You can also ask the help of your friends or professionals that are knowledgeable about the matter to make the installation easier.

MATERIALS NEEDED IN INSTALLING A CHAIN LINk FENCE

The materials needed are post hole digger, shovel, hoe and wheelbarrow for mixing the cement, carpenter’s level, tape measure, pliers, stakes and string, fence stretcher (it can be a ratchet, block or tackle), ½” or 9/16″ wrench and saw or cutter.

STEPS

Place the stakes in the property lines of your home. Tie a string between the stakes. Create eight inches wide and eighteen to thirty inches deep holes with straight sides for the posts. Use chalk to mark the base area on the posts. Once properly installed, the posts should equivalent to the fabric’s height plus 2″. Strengthen the posts with a concrete mixture. Create a heavy mix because pouring in a lot of H2O weakens the composition of the concrete, which may result in premature weakening of the set-up.

Check if the posts are installed in the middle of the holes. Use a carpenter’s level to test the plumb and make sure that the marks you have made with the chalk are at base level. Crown the footings of the post for H2O drainage. After a day, when footings have set, place the taut between the posts. It should be place on the exterior portion of the posts, four inches below. Double check the total distance between the terminal posts to check the total distance between the line posts.

Beginning at the terminal post, place the fabric of the chain link fence on the area along the exterior portion of the fence boundary line to the succeeding terminal post. Carefully place the tension bar through the 1st layer of the fence. Secure the bar and chain link fabric to the tension bands. Place the additional features like caps to the terminal post and upper rail. Install the rail bands.

Spread the chain link fabric on the frame, smoothing the bumps along the way. Place the hinges to the post of the gate. Make sure that the gate is properly aligned with the upper portion of the fence. Adjust the gate hinges according to your preferences. Check if all the bolts are secure.

ADDITIONAL TIPS

It is advisable to educate yourself first with fitting use in fences and their equivalent uses. You should not forget that the latches, gate hinges and other parts of the whole set-up are included in the overall wide of the fence gate. The width for lone walk gates is thirty-six inches-forty-eight inches. The width for double drive gates is ten ft.-12 ft.

The line posts should be place in a way that their middle part is the same with middle part of the terminal posts. Open the upper and lower loops of a piece of wire with the help of pliers to remove the excess part of the fence wire.

A rule that you should follow when placing the chain link fabric is that you should exceed ten ft. between the fence posts. If there a bad portion in the whole set-up, use a bolt cutter to remove it.