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A dog changed how I set post depth on a job in Portland
I was putting up a cedar fence for a client in the Irvington area last fall. The ground was soft from rain and I was going by the old rule of thumb, one third of the post in the hole. Then their big golden retriever, Buddy, came barreling out and slammed his full weight against a section I'd just set. The whole thing wobbled like crazy. The owner laughed and said, 'He does that every time. Tests the new fences.' I realized my usual depth wasn't enough for an active area. Now, if I see a dog toy in the yard, I add an extra six inches of depth and pack the gravel base way tighter. It takes more time and concrete, but the fence doesn't budge. Anyone else adjust their methods for pet-heavy homes?
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ericfox4mo ago
Lean into it then. A golden retriever that knocks over fence posts is a training problem, not a depth problem. You can bury that post three feet deep in concrete and a big determined dog that hasn't been corrected will still find a way to shake it loose over time, or just dig around it. I've seen people go overboard reinforcing everything for a dog that should have been taught boundaries instead. Buddy's owner thought it was funny, so nothing's going to change on their end. Save yourself the extra bags of concrete and tell the client to work on the dog.
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mark6766mo ago
That "tests the new fences" line is key. You're not just building for looks, you're building for impact. I'd even check the gate latch type with big dogs around.
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beth_hart686mo ago
Totally get what you're saying. Mark676 is right about the gate latch, that's a detail you don't think about until it's too late. Used to just pick whatever looked nice at the store. Then my neighbor's husky figured out a simple thumb latch in like five minutes. Now I only use the heavy-duty ones with a carabiner clip, the kind you really have to work to open. It makes all the difference for peace of mind.
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