# electric fence questions



## dwbonfire (Feb 27, 2012)

i am in the process of refencing the pastures and property. i originally had two pastures for the horses fenced with 2 strands of the electric white tape. that wont keep the sheep or goat or dogs in or out, so im planning to refence with 14 gauge wire. i have 4 or 5 ft. T posts, and i was going to do 3 strands of electric with one strand of tape on the top for the visibility for the horses. i want to keep the goat and sheep in, and also my new pyr. i am told pyrs can be tough to contain in fencing, so i dont know if this is going to work or not... what im wondering is how close should the strands of electric be so that he wont be tempted to squeeze through, or underneath?
the frontage of the property is fenced with 4 strands barbed wire. personally i dont like the horses in barbed wire, but i cannot take it down. the first strand is about 6 inches off the ground, then each strand is 1 ft. apart. i figured for the frontage i would just add one strand of hot wire between the third and bottom strand. should this be ok?
i figure once i get all the fencing done i will walk my dog around the perimeter to let him learn the fence lines. i know it sounds mean, but i am thinking i should get him to touch it so he knows its hot. does anyone else have thier livestock and *dogs* successfully in electric wire?
if money were no object i would field fence the whole place, but i cant afford to do that. so im trying to go a cheaper but still effective route!


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## dwbonfire (Feb 28, 2012)

i was hoping id get some feedback, i plan to string wire this afternoon! i just dont want to get it done then have someone chime in that i put the strands too far or something lol that will be my luck. please any advice is appreciated! just need to know how close to put the strands of wire to keep my pyr and critters in.


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## beckyburkheart (Feb 28, 2012)

i used electric fence for years with our horses but during the last drought the ground was so dry that it didn't conduct well enough through their hoofs and i had an entire generation of foals that learned not to respect the fence.  even after it started raining, that group still taught the younger ones to get through it so i eventually had to bit the bullet and put up real fence.  i don't think it's going to work well at all for sheep or goats.  

if it's at all possible, i think if you could put up any kind of field fence, even a cheap kind, it would be better, and you could run an electric strand around the top. 

or, if you have to do electric, i'd run at least six, maybe eight, strands and alternate it hot and ground.


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## Karma (Feb 28, 2012)

My mastiff mix house dog is horrible with electric, if she wants something on the other side more than she wants to avoid the shock she will dive straight through touching two of the wires without even a yelp. I imagine a LGD would be similar in that if there is an intruder on their lands, an electric fence alone probably won't stop them, especially not only 3 stands. I would also go with field fence with a hot strand or at least 5-6 strands of electric.


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## dwbonfire (Feb 28, 2012)

oh darn, not what i wanted to hear lol. well if i went with a mesh fence, how tall would it have to be? i have used this rabbit fence http://www.tractorsupply.com/garden-zone-gard-n-fence-rabbit-guard-28-in-x-50-ft--3632149 before and put two electric strands above it to give it more height. could this work? i dont mean to sound ridiculous, but with the amount of fence i want to do, im not sure we can afford field fence right now. im looking for a cheaper kind either at lowes or tractor supply, but the prices arent always on the websites. hmmm

ETA: i found this field fence at lowes http://www.lowes.com/pd_51320-307-7...entURL=/pl__0__s?Ntt=field+fencing&facetInfo=
would 39" tall with a strand of electric above it be high enough for my pyr to hopefully not jump? he hasnt tested my fencing yet, and hes currently out in 36" welded wire with electric above it, and then that rabbit fence against the barbed wire along the frontage. he seems fine.


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Feb 28, 2012)

We keep our cows in with two strands of electric.  No problem as long as the fence is up.  They respect it and stay away from it.  Our Black Lab however, likes to be with us, and he has learned to time his creep under the wire so that he doesn't get shocked.  He has got zapped before so he knows what it is.  He just got smart about it.  I am guessing that your dog would too as long as he could belly crawl under it after he got the timing down.  

I don't have one so this comment is purely from what I have read and not experience.  But what I am coming to understand is that your LGD will much rather be with the herd, stay close to them and would rather be within the area that they are in.  If an intruder comes, I assume that the LGD would bark and run towards the fencing only leaving that boundry if it felt no other option.  I am interested in hearing what people that have experience with LGD's say in regards to keeping them within the electric fenced area, as some day, I hope to have a LGD of my own.  

Best wishes!


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## carolinagirl (Feb 28, 2012)

I have my pasture cross fenced with 3 strands of electric and once in a while a sheep hops through it.  The pups have not, but they have not really been that motivated to.  I would not trust it to contain sheep and dogs unless you are doing a proper high-tensile fence with multiple wires.

A pyr can easily hop over that 39" fence.  But they can also easily get over 48" fence too.  Use woven wire fence topped with a strand of electric to keep them in.


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## r4eboxer (Mar 1, 2012)

I vote no on the 36" for Pyrs, I have two 5 month old pups and have my compost pile fenced with 36" fence. They clear it easily. My run is fenced with 60" fence and they cannot begin to clear it.


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## Mzyla (Mar 1, 2012)

_ "...am interested in hearing what people that have experience with LGD's say in regards to keeping them within the electric fenced area, as some day, I hope to have a LGD of my own..."  _


If they want to go somewhere, they will go at any cost; digging, getting shock, etc...
Majority of times they are staying with herds/poultry within designated perimeter.
There has to be valid reason for them to go "over" our perimeter and that for example, could be hot pursuit after predator.

They will jump over in a heart beat, if you happen to close them in a small space.
I closed my Pyr for a moment when I had visitors in a house.
This is what he did as soon as I got inside of the house;







[/img]

I'm talking with gazillion of LGD owners. All of them have to constantly improve and reinforce their fencing/security system
in order to keep LGD's in within property.
Oh well...this is the "risk of a trade" of being an owners of these magnifficient animals.


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## redtailgal (Mar 1, 2012)

lol, that dog in the background is like "DUDE you are so cool!"


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## dwbonfire (Mar 1, 2012)

lol that pic.

well unfortunetly we can only afford the 39" field fence, its the cheapest stuff and to do as much as we need to we cant afford to go higher, the wire costs alot more even just for 47".

we are going to put a strand of hot wire above it, in hopes that will make him think twice. i gotta say, the fencing hes been in so far is not even close to great, and he hasnt tested it at all. he hasnt had much reason to, nothing on the other side for him to get, but he still hasnt tried. our 2x4 wire hes in is only 36" with hot tape above it. i know im gambling, but like i said i cant afford to do it much higher. time will tell!
thanks everyone


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## Mzyla (Mar 1, 2012)

Yeah     I posted the same picture at my www. 
with the caption: "_I will tell mommy on you"_   haha
This Karakachan in background never go beyond, never jumps... very domiciled.

The good thing is with these dogs (Pyrs), that no matter if they go beyond your perimeter - they always coming back, and rather quickly!
They don't wander for hours, they don't get lost, like some other house dogs.


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## dwbonfire (Mar 1, 2012)

Mzyla said:
			
		

> Yeah     I posted the same picture at my www.
> with the caption: "_I will tell mommy on you"_   haha
> This Karakachan in background never go beyond, never jumps... very domiciled.
> 
> ...


see thats conflicting with what the dogs previous owner told me, he said when they get out they LEAVE and are gone for a while, prob wouldnt come back if he didnt go get them. im just not seeing that from this dog, he doesnt seem to care about leaving or getting out of the yard, im just hoping once he has the whole property and possibly sees deer or anything beyond the fence that doesnt change. like i said, time will tell! but im glad to hear your opinion on how they wont go far and will come back. makes me feel better.


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## Mzyla (Mar 1, 2012)

To ensure their coming back and quickly  two things must prevail:

1. LOVE/BOND  they must to love you so much and your property and your animals and your whole setup, that any other places won't be so desired for them
2. SCHEDULE  for example feeding at the same time of a day (and good foodlol), so they think to themselves; hey, we cannot skip that breakfastha-ha

At least, this is the environment Im creating for my, and it works!


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