If you have problems with wild dogs coming on to your farm, then you might need to set up some exclusion fencing. You need an effective way of keeping the dogs away from your livestock.

Electric fencing is a good option here. You can install a complete electric fence or add electrified areas to existing fences. What are the benefits?

Train Dogs to Avoid Your Fences

Wild dogs are bright and persistent. They will look for weak spots in a fence. If they can find one, they'll use it to try to get through to the other side. So, they might learn how to dig under a fence. Once they know how to do this, they'll try it on any fence they come across.

If you install an electric fence or add wires in key areas on your current fencing, then you can train this behaviour out of the dogs. You tap into their intelligence. You teach them that touching the fence hurts, and they quickly learn to avoid getting that close.

For example, if you have problems with a dog digging under a fence, then you can install an electric wire close to its bottom or at the actual base. If you've added an apron to fix the fence more securely into the ground, you can set the wire slightly in front of the apron where the dog might start to dig.

In either case, any dog will get a shock when they touch the wire. They'll soon stay away from that part of the fence.

Reduce Maintenance Checks

You can use other types of dog fencing. For example, specialist netting creates a tough and effective barrier that even wild dogs will struggle to get through.

However, these fences aren't unbreachable. If the fence breaks down as it gets older, then any dogs in the area have a way in. If another animal makes a hole or creates a space under the fence, then a dog might take advantage.

You'll have to run regular maintenance checks on all your fencing to make sure that it is intact and in place. This can be a large job even on a small farm. If you farm a lot of land, then you might not have time to run checks as regularly as you should.

If you use an electric fence, then you have less work to do. Most of the time, you simply need to check that your energiser is working and supplying a charge to its wires.

To find out more about your dog fencing options, contact rural fencing professionals.

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