Hi all - just wondering what the consensus is on how tall a fence should be to contain a Whippet? All answers and input are appreciated!

I had four foot 4 board fencing for five years. None of my whippets ever jumped it. I needed to mesh it so they would not go through it. I never left them out in yards without me at home. Ive had dogs,deer,foxes, you name it tempt my whippets and they never went over. I did just install extra sections of black chain link seperating a few sections to keep my dogs closer to house. I have seven acres and keep about an acre and a half for house/dogs. The rest is horses. Some whippets learn jumping and even a six foot wont contain them.

Depends upon if the dog has been taught or figured out how to jump. I have shelties that will not jump even 6 inches because they were never taught to jump or encouraged to jump. Some whippets will respect a fence, others will not. Once a dog gets used to being able to get out of their yard, over or under a fence, it can be very difficult to contain them. Most times they get what they wanted, be it a critter running around or to come to your front door to be let in (the shepherd mix used to do this, never went anywhere though). I have 5 foot chainlink. Same at my mom's. None of the dogs have gone over it, even when I've housed excape artist dogs.

Kari

I have 6 foot chain link and it is working out great. one thing i would do if i had it to do over would be to actually sink it into the ground some when having it installed -- so that stupid bunnies couldn't squeeze their suicidal selves under the bottom of it.

Allie, you don't have rails at the ground level, or is the ground very uneven? I don't get anything coming under my fence, just through the gap at the gate, stupid bunnies.

Kari

I have tension wire across the bottom, but yes the ground is uneven. And I am sure they also come in the gap at the gate. Pix and Bug have no complaints about this at all, I should add.

If you have a whippet who is a fence jumper -- not even an 8 foot fence can contain them. I've seen it. We have 5 feet and it is just fine.

I know a gal who had to put angled chain link at the top of her chain link fence -- like you see behind a baseball catcher. It was the only thing that worked for her.

Linda Z

6-foot privacy fence with chicken wire burried around the bottom (i have diggers). good luck!
catherine

When we bought our first whippet we were not allowed to bring him home until we could provide 6 feet high fencing. Luckily we have 4ft high chain link with bushes & hedging inside the fence to deter any dog jumping out or much else coming in. I have several holly & berberis bushes (pyracantha is another good prickly one, deadly to any intruder) along with various other tall plants around the edge of the back garden, with my neighbour's leylandii hedge along one boundary. Altogether I am screened from view of the neighbours & not much gets in or out easily, although Banjo did chase a cat 10 feet up a holly a few weeks ago!

I have five acres fenced with about 4.5 ft high wire fencing. Keller and Rook could jump over it it they tried, but they do not seem to know that. They are great jumpers over width, but don't seem to go for height. They will jump gravel driveways, and wide planters inside the fenced areas, but, so far, haven't gone "up" and over.

When chasing deer or critters that have entered the yard to sample my garden the dogs stop dead at the fence and wail, howl, bark etc but make no attempt to scale it.

The fence has an electric gate that "beeps" loudly when opening and closing and the dogs do not follow the FEDEX guy in or out fortunately. They would probably follow the deer though if the timing was right at the gate.

I don't know Carol, that sounds good for a whippet, but can that fence hold Aida? That one looks like a real fireball, "able to leap tall fences..." and all of that!
Carrie

Ours is close to 7ft stockade fencing with a 4ft wire fencing on the inside that is burried about 1 ft. in the ground with river rock and pebbles and then cinder pavers (no holes) all around the perimeter.

I don't know why I bother - Delta still jumps and scales it like its not even there.

The rest of the crew would respect a 4-5 ft fence. No problem. Most of the boys won't jump any type of barrier if its put in front of them - including really short baby gates.

I have 5 foot chain link on one half of the yard (my half with the grass and plants...) and 6 foot board fence in the dog yard, except at the back edge which is 4 foot wire - leads into my back acre. I also teach my dogs to stay off the fence which does help deter jumpers as it seems the fence is taller when they're looking up at it. My friend Will Martens and his late wife Sarah had IB's and Saluki's at one time, and those hunting fiends would get over or under anything. Will wound up having to install invisible fence on the chain link and collar the worst offenders to keep them in! He kept the strength turned way up so they just couldn't get anywhere near the fence at all. He had 20 acres fenced like that!
Connie B

Here's two threads from the archives as well with lots of info.

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=147

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=146

Our fence is 6 foot with 1.5-2 foot trellising on top. I never want to take chances, and we have road on 3 sides of the house. At some points the ground is lower on the inside than outside, so at those point for us the fence is about 9ft high on our side and 6 on the sidewalk side LOL. We joke that we build Doggy Alcatraz.

Wendy

So far, I've only had one jump my 48" wire fence. He spotted a deer, ran the full length and scaled it up the corner and was OUT! It was suggested to me to put a chicken wire screen over that particular corner. From then on he continually bumped his head on the screening. He never bothered with any other portion of the fence.
Lucky? Maybe, but then I'm wary of the person with puppies who always picks them UP AND OVER an ex-pen. Seems to me that could teach them early on that they can go over.
My youngest at 3.5 would be quite capable of going over. So far so good! Lot of barking, leaping at the gate, watching etc. but so far contained. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Thankfully she isn't a "digger" 'cos she's small enough to get under most of the bushes, although her coat is so long she'd get all tangled up & hung up on the prickles!