Describe the escape behaviour before changing the fence
A dog that slips through a gate opening presents a different fencing problem from one that digs beneath a boundary or climbs using nearby objects. Begin the brief with what you have actually observed. Record the place, the circumstances and the route, without recreating the escape to confirm it. Keep the dog in an already secure arrangement while an identified weakness is assessed. An attractive new panel elsewhere will not address the route the dog is using.
Separate confirmed behaviour from suspicion. You may have seen a dog push under a loose edge, or you may only have found the dog outside with no clear route. Say which it is. Photos of the fence and notes about gate use can help the installer review possibilities, but do not allow the dog access to an unsafe area as a test. Where behaviour is unclear or changing, professional behavioural advice can complement the physical assessment.
RSPCA Australia's guidance on dogs jumping fences explains that motivation, including boredom, can be part of escape behaviour. Fencing decisions should therefore sit alongside appropriate care and advice, not replace them. If a dog is distressed, repeatedly escaping or suddenly behaving differently, discuss that with a veterinarian or qualified behaviour professional. The fencing brief should focus on physical routes and daily management rather than promising that one material will change behaviour.
Map the complete containment line
Draw the boundary of the space in which the dog will actually spend time. Include the house, side passages, sheds, gates, fence returns and any connection to another enclosure. The containment line may be smaller than the property boundary. An internal dog yard can have a different purpose from a front fence, but it still needs a complete assessment. Avoid assuming the house closes a gap if a side door or passage routinely opens that route.
Walk the accessible route without the dog and record visible openings. Look at corners, panel ends, gate hinge sides and where different materials meet. Do not push unstable components or reach near damaged wire or sharp edges. A gap that looks small from a distance may be relevant to a particular dog, but this guide does not prescribe a universal acceptable opening. Give the installer the dog's size and behaviour information so the actual detail can be assessed.
Review both permanent and occasional routes. A removable panel used for equipment, a shed door opening onto another space or a side gate used on bin day can change the effective boundary. Mark those events on the plan. The purpose is to understand how the yard works throughout an ordinary week, rather than inspecting it only when every gate is closed and all movable items are in their tidiest positions.
Treat ground gaps and digging as different questions
A visible opening below a fence and a dog excavating a new route are related but distinct concerns. Show the installer where the ground already falls away and where digging has been observed. Sloping fences can leave varying clearances along a run, particularly where level bays step down a hill. The sloping ground guide explains how to record those changes with a side-view sketch rather than relying on one height measurement.
Ask for a designed base detail suited to the fence, ground and dog. Do not improvise with loose bricks, sharp offcuts or objects that could shift into the yard. Filling a gap with soil can also change the relationship between the fence and the landscape. The installer should explain how any proposed base treatment is supported, maintained and coordinated with drainage. The solution should remain inspectable instead of hiding the vulnerable area beneath an unstable collection of materials.
For digging behaviour, discuss the location and circumstances with the appropriate professional as well as the fencer. A physical detail may address access at the boundary, while the dog's motivation requires a separate response. Avoid punitive or improvised electrical measures. The planning task is to establish a humane, practical containment arrangement and obtain advice where needed. Keep the agreed detail in the fence records so later landscaping does not accidentally remove or undermine its purpose.
Review climbing opportunities inside the yard
Objects near the boundary can change how a dog interacts with it. Record the normal positions of bins, outdoor furniture, storage boxes and raised beds. Include items that move during the week, such as a chair placed near the fence for afternoon shade. Rather than judging only the fence height, ask whether the complete arrangement gives the dog a route toward the top. Keep this review observational; do not encourage the dog to demonstrate jumping or climbing.
The fence face itself should be part of the installer discussion. Rails, openings and adjoining structures can present different opportunities depending on the dog. A broad label such as timber or metal does not describe those details. Ask what the dog-facing side will look like and how it joins neighbouring elements. If an internal enclosure is proposed, assess each face and corner in that enclosure rather than relying on the appearance of the main boundary alone.
Any extension or anti-climb treatment needs appropriate assessment for the existing structure and animal safety. Do not add spikes, sharp materials or an improvised overhang. Adding a screen can change the demands on the fence, and a containment feature should not create an injury hazard. Ask the installer to explain a suitable product and its limitations. If the proposed change affects a pool barrier, stop and obtain qualified pool barrier advice instead of treating it as an ordinary garden modification.
Make the gate routine part of the design
Even a well-specified fence cannot contain a dog through an open entrance. Map how people use each gate, including children, visitors, gardeners and deliveries. Identify where the dog waits while a person enters and whether there is a separate secure area available. The useful question is not simply whether everyone remembers to latch the gate. It is whether the daily arrangement makes a missed step likely, particularly when someone is carrying equipment or shopping.
A secondary internal gate or separated dog area may be worth discussing where the driveway is frequently used. Such an arrangement needs its own complete boundary and operating routine. Do not assume a decorative garden gate or temporary barrier is suitable just because it is inside the main fence. The driveway gate guide explains why people and animals should remain clear of a powered gate's movement area and why arrival routines need to be planned.
Tell the installer who needs to operate the pedestrian gate and how it is normally used. Latch position, visibility and the closed position should be discussed for the actual users. At handover, request a demonstration of normal operation and how to recognise when the gate is not closing as intended. Do not attach an improvised spring or alter powered equipment yourself. A change intended to improve containment can introduce a different problem if it is incompatible with the gate.
Decide whether visual screening helps this particular brief
Some dogs react to activity visible through the boundary, while other escape behaviour has little to do with that view. Describe observed triggers rather than assuming every dog needs a solid fence. The behaviour professional can help interpret the pattern, and the fencer can explain the physical options. A visual screen is a design feature, not a behavioural treatment guarantee. Keep those roles separate so the project does not promise an outcome the fence alone cannot establish.
If screening is proposed, identify the relevant section and direction of view. There may be no reason to change a whole perimeter because activity at one gate is the main issue. The privacy sightline guide shows how to map views and compare targeted screening with broader replacement. Remember that a dog views the boundary from different positions than a seated adult, so the homeowner's privacy sketch is only a starting point for this discussion.
Avoid fixing fabric, sheets or mesh to an existing fence without the installer's review. The attachment, support and suitability for the dog need consideration together. A screen should not introduce loose edges, accessible sharp fixings or another climbing opportunity. Describe the desired visual effect and ask for a compatible detail. Keeping the proposal specific also makes it easier to maintain and replace later than a series of improvised additions made after each escape attempt.
Plan containment throughout replacement work
Hypothetical example: the rear fence needs replacement, but the dog normally uses a side gate to enter the yard. During construction, that side route would lead directly into the opened boundary. The owners arrange a separate secure space before work begins and agree with the contractor when the completed yard can be used again. The important planning step is recognising that an unchanged side gate does not preserve containment when another section of the loop is missing.
Agree the sequence before the old fence is removed. Identify where the dog will stay, how household members reach that space and who confirms each stage is complete. A partially installed fence should not be treated as usable containment. Neither should unsecured materials or temporary work-zone barriers be assumed suitable for an animal. The contractor controls the work area, while the owner needs a practical animal-care arrangement that remains separate from it.
Include delays in that plan without demanding an unsupported completion promise. Weather, ground assessment or an unresolved interface may change the sequence. Ask how the household will be told if the containment handover changes and keep the alternative arrangement available until the finished boundary is confirmed. This makes the project manageable without relying on the dog being returned to an incomplete yard because the original timetable has passed.
Review the finished boundary before normal use resumes
Walk the completed route with the installer from safe access points. Compare the bottom treatment, corners and gates with the agreed brief. Ask the installer to demonstrate closing and latching, and identify any maintenance or operating instructions specific to the components. Keep the dog secure elsewhere during this review. A handover should check the physical work against the design rather than use the animal as a test of whether an opening is small enough.
Retain photographs of the finished boundary and a copy of the containment plan. Revisit it after changes to garden levels, furniture positions or gate routines. A new raised bed can alter the environment even when the fence has not changed. An opening caused by erosion or damage needs assessment promptly, with the dog kept away from the affected area. Record the exact location and what changed so the fencer can give an informed response.
Continue to review the dog's wellbeing and behaviour separately from the fence. Repeated escape attempts, distress or a new pattern of interaction with the boundary deserve appropriate professional advice. A useful containment project leaves you with a defined physical enclosure, a workable access routine and clear responsibilities for maintenance. It does not promise an escape-proof outcome for every dog under every circumstance. The checklist below helps assemble the information needed for that more specific discussion.
Dog containment brief checklist
Prepare these notes while your dog remains in an already secure arrangement. Do not test an escape route by allowing access to it.
First planning note: I have described known digging, squeezing, jumping or gate-dashing behaviour.