Gun Dog Forum

Some dogs, as on farms and ranches, must live and/or work around barbed wire fences.

Dogs with guns over them afield may encounter barbed wire as well.

What can be done to minimize such fence-related injury to such dogs?

Is it a good idea to keep fencing wires tight and in good repair? It seems as animals are more likely to get caught in barbed wire that is loosely stapled to the posts.

Can our dogs be conditioned to not get too close and respect barbed wire?

My dogs run and jump through barbed wire all the time. I get nervous sometimes. My younger dog actually cut his paw on it earlier this year. They learn to maneuver through it however I’m sure there is a way to train them to stay away.


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I know a few border collies that know exactly what barbed wire is and know exactly what electric cattle fence is as well. They could win a limbo contest. Dogs can easily be conditioned to avoid it, but then they may not want to go through a fence on their own again. Barbed wire can be especially hard on a male dog who is not taught to go under.

I had a shorthair that would hit the brakes if a fence was hot. She always knew. She was also careful around barbed wire. None of my other shorthairs have ever respected fences much.

When I was younger I used to train my dogs to jump over fences, including barbed wire ones. ! Now I train my dogs not to jump over them ! I lift the dog over or I walk to a gate. My dogs got several barbed wire injuries including a torn nipple on one of my bitches and a torn penis sheath on one of the males.

I used to have my dogs jump barbed wire partly because I was young and liked showing off a bit ! And partly because I was too much of a lazy git to be bothered with walking to a gate. The vet bills soon stopped me from being a "macho man !"

Bill T.

Trekmoor wrote:When I was younger I used to train my dogs to jump over fences, including barbed wire ones. ! Now I train my dogs not to jump over them ! I lift the dog over or I walk to a gate. My dogs got several barbed wire injuries including a torn nipple on one of my bitches and a torn penis sheath on one of the males.

I used to have my dogs jump barbed wire partly because I was young and liked showing off a bit ! And partly because I was too much of a lazy git to be bothered with walking to a gate. The vet bills soon stopped me from being a "macho man !"

Bill T.

Perhaps barbed wire is a very old-fashioned invention that turned out to be cruel to animals and sometimes people who run into it. It might be effective but can cause serious suffering. Perhaps there is more humane-but-effective fencing these days. I would fence my dogs inside chain-link.

The last thing I would want to do is train my dogs to jump over fences. The last dogs I owned were Labs. I had a devil of a time keeping them constrained inside my yard. They would jump over my four-foot chain-link fence without any training whatsoever.

I had to build a 6-foot-tall chain-link dog run for them. They would eventually dig under this fence!! I then had to put rocks, cement blocks and pieces of wood along the edges where they started to dig. It was a constant battle to keep them constrained.

JonBailey wrote:
Perhaps barbed wire is a very old-fashioned invention that turned out to be cruel to animals and sometimes people who run into it. It might be effective but can cause serious suffering. Perhaps there is more humane-but-effective fencing these days. I would fence my dogs inside chain-link.

The last thing I would want to do is train my dogs to jump over fences. The last dogs I owned were Labs. I had a devil of a time keeping them constrained inside my yard. They would jump over my four-foot chain-link fence without any training whatsoever.

I had to build a 6-foot-tall chain-link dog run for them. They would eventually dig under this fence!! I then had to put rocks, cement blocks and pieces of wood along the edges where they started to dig. It was a constant battle to keep them constrained.

Perhaps barbed wire was designed for Cattle/Livestock when slowly grazing in one are were restrained from grazing in another when they slowly approached it and pricked themselves on it , then learned it was better to stay one side of the fence .
People however are more stupid if they Run in to it , unless you are Paul Newman with a Motorbike ,even then You aint such a Cool hand ! Look ..?
Humane and Human is two different things (I threw that one in just to keep the OP thinking some more ,before reaching for the meds) .
Chain link looks good when you paint it white !..and see many nice gardens btw.
The First thing I would want any dog to do is learn to jump over fences ...why ? ..because we have so many of the dog "bleep" things ! ...Now ...How You or anyone else does that with barb or wood or brick ..Is entirely up to you ..but quite Frankly ! (And btw I use Frankly ..because one dog was named Bill, and it took me ages to call him Frankly. I threw that one in just as another curve ball for Dog Training purposes , and had time to pour another beer) .
I reckon if anyone has to put rocks ,cement blocks or pieces of wood in an enclosure to stop some animal digging out .....Is probably not or ever will be a Gun Dog Trainer /Owner /Handler . They should keep pigs Perhaps ? .

polmaise wrote:

JonBailey wrote:
Perhaps barbed wire is a very old-fashioned invention that turned out to be cruel to animals and sometimes people who run into it. It might be effective but can cause serious suffering. Perhaps there is more humane-but-effective fencing these days. I would fence my dogs inside chain-link.

The last thing I would want to do is train my dogs to jump over fences. The last dogs I owned were Labs. I had a devil of a time keeping them constrained inside my yard. They would jump over my four-foot chain-link fence without any training whatsoever.

I had to build a 6-foot-tall chain-link dog run for them. They would eventually dig under this fence!! I then had to put rocks, cement blocks and pieces of wood along the edges where they started to dig. It was a constant battle to keep them constrained.

Perhaps barbed wire was designed for Cattle/Livestock when slowly grazing in one are were restrained from grazing in another when they slowly approached it and pricked themselves on it , then learned it was better to stay one side of the fence .
People however are more stupid if they Run in to it , unless you are Paul Newman with a Motorbike ,even then You aint such a Cool hand ! Look ..?
Humane and Human is two different things (I threw that one in just to keep the OP thinking some more ,before reaching for the meds) .
Chain link looks good when you paint it white !..and see many nice gardens btw.
The First thing I would want any dog to do is learn to jump over fences ...why ? ..because we have so many of the dog "bleep" things ! ...Now ...How You or anyone else does that with barb or wood or brick ..Is entirely up to you ..but quite Frankly ! (And btw I use Frankly ..because one dog was named Bill, and it took me ages to call him Frankly. I threw that one in just as another curve ball for Dog Training purposes , and had time to pour another beer) .
I reckon if anyone has to put rocks ,cement blocks or pieces of wood in an enclosure to stop some animal digging out .....Is probably not or ever will be a Gun Dog Trainer /Owner /Handler . They should keep pigs Perhaps ? .

I think putting concrete curbing along the fence line might be the most elegant solution though not the cheapest. If one has artificial turf inside their dog runs or backyards no dog should be able to dig through that anyway. The fact is many people own dogs that dig or otherwise are troublesome to constrain whether they are avid hunters or not. I am sure many people here may have had trouble keeping their dogs in their yards. Labradors seem to be notorious diggers. Don't know about Goldens which is a breed I fancy for my future pups but I have to be prepared to constrain them if they should ever like to dig under gates and fences. I am not even sure how farmers constrain their pigs inside their stys.

JonBailey wrote: I am not even sure how farmers constrain their pig inside their stys.

You should google it and perhaps go to the Library and study it .
I am more than confident You will be enthralled. It should keep you busy for a while

My dogs usually learn to go under it. I would never want them jumping it. A lot of the places I hunt that has it, they have changed out the bottom barbed wire with a wire with no barbs, I think for the antelope to go under. If my dogs are at the fence the same time I am I put the bottom wire to the ground with my foot and lift the second and they've (dogs) learned that's a great option.

SCT wrote:My dogs usually learn to go under it. I would never want them jumping it. A lot of the places I hunt that has it, they have changed out the bottom barbed wire with a wire with no barbs, I think for the antelope to go under. If my dogs are at the fence the same time I am I put the bottom wire to the ground with my foot and lift the second and they've (dogs) learned that's a great option.

I wasn't talking about how dogs negotiate fences in the field with a gun barrel over them. I'm talking about how dog owners keep their dogs inside their yards or kennels at home.

So far I've never had a dog dig it's way out of my garden although I have had a couple that jumped out. If my dogs are in the kennel or run then they cannot dig out through the concrete slabs the run is floored with. If the dogs are in the garden then I watch them and at once interfere with any signs of digging anywhere in the garden. It's just a supervision thing for me.

Bill T.

JonBailey wrote:

SCT wrote:My dogs usually learn to go under it. I would never want them jumping it. A lot of the places I hunt that has it, they have changed out the bottom barbed wire with a wire with no barbs, I think for the antelope to go under. If my dogs are at the fence the same time I am I put the bottom wire to the ground with my foot and lift the second and they've (dogs) learned that's a great option.

I wasn't talking about how dogs negotiate fences in the field with a gun barrel over them. I'm talking about how dog owners keep their dogs inside their yards or kennels at home.

You should make your posts clearer to minimize confusion.

Barbed wire fences are common where I live and hunt. My puppies learn to duck under the bottom wire at an early age and that is our preferred method of negotiating fences. Never over the top. My kennels are chain link set on concrete with a roof over the top, so digging is impossible and my dogs are under my supervision when out of the kennel.

averageguy wrote:Barbed wire fences are common where I live and hunt. My puppies learn to duck under the bottom wire at an early age and that is our preferred method of negotiating fences. Never over the top. My kennels are chain link set on concrete with a roof over the top, so digging is impossible and my dogs are under my supervision when out of the kennel.

Just like mine. I've never heard of anyone containing dogs with barbed wire. What a terrible idea.

gonehuntin' wrote:

JonBailey wrote:

SCT wrote:My dogs usually learn to go under it. I would never want them jumping it. A lot of the places I hunt that has it, they have changed out the bottom barbed wire with a wire with no barbs, I think for the antelope to go under. If my dogs are at the fence the same time I am I put the bottom wire to the ground with my foot and lift the second and they've (dogs) learned that's a great option.

I wasn't talking about how dogs negotiate fences in the field with a gun barrel over them. I'm talking about how dog owners keep their dogs inside their yards or kennels at home.

You should make your posts clearer to minimize confusion.

Gonhuntin'

Only a complete moron would ever even consider using barbed wire as kennel fencing material. We ALL know that. Only someone who is a totally clueless pot stirrer, or an HSUS type troll, would broach such a topic on a dog board.

RayG

T

birddogger2 wrote: Only a complete moron would ever even consider using barbed wire as kennel fencing material. We ALL know that. Only someone who is a totally clueless pot stirrer, or an HSUS type troll, would broach such a topic on a dog board.

RayG

My vote is the Latter.

Exactly my thought Ray.

Agree Ray. Never even considered the possibility of being used as kennel fence. The Death Of Common Sense.

I never even imagined that someone would use barbed wire to contain a dog in a run or in a yard which is why my earlier reply was about fences encountered out training or hunting.

Bill T.

Trekmoor wrote:I never even imagined that someone would use barbed wire to contain a dog in a run or in a yard which is why my earlier reply was about fences encountered out training or hunting.

Bill T.

Nobody here lives on a farm or ranch where barbed wire is commonly used to hold in cattle then. On those farms, such fencing may also hold in the farm dogs since I have never seen a farm or ranch surrounded by chain link. I understand many farm dogs run free over the spread. I figure a farmer or rancher might have to worry about their own barbed wire harming their own dogs. I'm not a farmer or rancher so you don't have to worry about my using it. As a suburbanite, I would only use chain link to specifically hold in my own future dogs as I have done in the past with former dogs. I'm still curious about those who do use it.

JonBailey wrote:

Trekmoor wrote:I never even imagined that someone would use barbed wire to contain a dog in a run or in a yard which is why my earlier reply was about fences encountered out training or hunting.

Bill T.

Nobody here lives on a farm or ranch where barbed wire is commonly used to hold in cattle then. On those farms, such fencing may also hold in the farm dogs since I have never seen a farm or ranch surrounded by chain link. I understand many farm dogs run free over the spread. I figure a farmer or rancher might have to worry about their own barbed wire harming their own dogs. I'm not a farmer or rancher so you don't have to worry about my using it. As a suburbanite, I would only use chain link to specifically hold in my own future dogs as I have done in the past with former dogs. I'm still curious about those who do use it.

Jon -

NOBODY uses barbed wire to contain dogs. That would be idiotic. You have been told that by several persons. Are you really THAT dense?

Barbed wire, electric fencing, even field fence will not "hold in" a dog. It is not meant to and it will not. If you allow your dogs to run free and unsupervised, they will eventually learn how to negotiate all types of fencing. Some will even figure out how not to get hit by a car on the road. Your dog...your call.

Most hunting dog owners that I know keep their dogs in kennels and do not allow them to roam free, for a variety of reasons.

If you hunt where there is a lot of barbed wire, it is prudent to have either sutures or staples in your vehicle, along with something to clean out and sanitize the wounds such wire can inflict.

As far as being curious is concerned...I'm still curious about how your dove opener went. Did you manage to scratch down a couple? Did you actually go out? Or are you still trying to figure out which gauge shotgun to use?

RayG

JonBailey wrote: Nobody here lives on a farm or ranch where barbed wire is commonly used to hold in cattle then. On those farms, such fencing may also hold in the farm dogs since I have never seen a farm or ranch surrounded by chain link. I understand many farm dogs run free over the spread. I figure a farmer or rancher might have to worry about their own barbed wire harming their own dogs. I'm not a farmer or rancher so you don't have to worry about my using it. As a suburbanite, I would only use chain link to specifically hold in my own future dogs as I have done in the past with former dogs. I'm still curious about those who do use it.

You are a Rooster for sure ! . If Admin dont do something ,real soon , some Farm Boys may leave the this roost.

Since You aint seen a farm or Ranch ,you must be the New wave Loud of mouth saviour for all those that have ..just to keep everyone in the know .

"The last dogs I owned were Labs. I had a devil of a time keeping them constrained inside my yard. They would jump over my four-foot chain-link fence without any training whatsoever.

I had to build a 6-foot-tall chain-link dog run for them."
The most sense you have made is about 2 feet .
Try using them !

gonehuntin' wrote:Agree Ray. Never even considered the possibility of being used as kennel fence. The Death Of Common Sense.

I have noticed when hunting that sometime's there is barb wire scattered around. And I've had dog's get cut's going through and over it. If you hunt it seem's to be a fact of life that a dog will get some barb wire cut's in barb wire country. For the kennel, I like to keep the barb wire rolled up in the machine shop! :roll:

I hunt near barbed wire all the time. The dog jumps over or through it constantly if it's on either side of a trail etc to hit preferred range. Makes me nervous sometimes but he's never got hung up or cut. They figure it out.

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Athough I did find a dead beagle once, hung up on the barbed fence - before GPS units.

In my country there is barb wire everywhere - literally. I have had more injuries to my dogs by porcupines, deadfall and any other hazard imaginable than barbwire. If barbwire is a serious worry then you may as well keep the dogs kenneled or in the house because if you let them out there are hazards they could hurt themselves on.