Dog-Proofing a 2-Rail Split-Rail Fence with Stapled Welded Wire: 60-Inch Fabric, a 24-Inch Inside Apron, and 244 Staples for 100 Feet

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Unroll 60-inch 2 x 4-inch welded wire along the yard side of the rails, stand 36 inches of it up, and fold the bottom 24 inches flat toward the dog as a dig apron. Staple it to each rail every 12 inches and to each post 4 times, with every staple turned off the grain.

How do you attach wire mesh to a split-rail fence to keep a dog in?

Staple welded wire to the inside face of the rails and posts with galvanized fence staples, one every 12 inches along each rail, turned about 20 degrees off vertical. Use a 60-inch roll, stand 36 inches against the rails, and lay the bottom 24 inches flat toward the dog so digging hits wire.

The University of Georgia Extension garden fencing guide says a 3-foot-high wire fence is very effective for dogs and cats. It suggests a 5-foot roll with the bottom 24 inches bent toward the outside to discourage digging. To hold a dog in, turn the same apron inward.

The Wire Fences for Livestock Management handbook says never to drive staples vertically into wood posts, because the grain splits. It rotates the staple about 20 degrees off vertical and reports 40% more pullout resistance when the slash-cut legs curve apart.

Staple Count for 100 Feet of Split Rail

Item Per 10-ft. section For 10 sections
Rails stapled 2 20
Staples per rail, 12 in. apart 10 200
Posts (one extra at the end) 1 11
Staples per post 4 44
Total staples 24 244

Buy about 10% extra, or roughly 270 staples, for bent ones and knots in the rails.

Materials and Tools

  • Galvanized fence staples, 1-1/2 inches or longer for cedar rails
  • 100 feet of 60-inch 2 x 4-inch welded wire, 14 gauge or heavier
  • About 60 landscape pins, 6 inches long, to hold the apron
  • A framing hammer, fencing pliers, and aviation snips
  • Leather gloves and safety glasses

Stapling Steps

  1. Clear the line. Cut grass short along the yard side and pull any rocks or roots where the apron will lie.
  2. Fold the apron. Bend the roll along a horizontal wire 24 inches from the bottom edge before unrolling.
  3. Start at an end post. Stand the 36-inch face against the post and staple it 4 times, low to high.
  4. Staple the bottom rail. Drive a staple over a horizontal wire every 12 inches, turned about 20 degrees off the grain.
  5. Staple the top rail. Repeat along the upper rail, keeping the fabric flat against the wood.
  6. Leave it snug, not crushed. Stop each staple while the wire could still be threaded back out under the crown.
  7. Handle the rail joints. Where rail tenons enter a post, staple to the post instead of the thin tenon.
  8. Pin the apron. Lay the 24-inch apron flat on the yard side and pin it every 20 inches.
  9. Trim the top edge. If the fabric stands above the top rail, snip the wire ends flush and file them.

Let grass grow through the apron; in a season it disappears and the dog stops trying the line.

Where Split-Rail Wire Fails

  • Staples driven along the grain split weathered cedar rails
  • An apron left loose lifts and lets the dog push under it
  • Fabric on the outside face pops off when the dog leans on it
  • Open gaps at gate posts become the new escape route

Loose mesh on older wood fences comes back with re-stapling loose woven wire to wood line posts. Chain-link yards with a dog-sized gap use patching a dog-sized hole in a residential chain-link fence.

Small dogs or puppies may need a finer mesh band from the hardware cloth mesh size and gauge guide.

Sharp wire ends at the top rail are finished using cutting hardware cloth without sharp edges.

FAQ

Will 36 inches stop a jumping dog?

Not every dog. Large or athletic dogs may need a taller fence.

Can the apron go on the outside?

Only if you are keeping animals out. To keep a dog in, it goes on the dog's side.

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