How to Build Dog Proof Deck Railing

I have a really cool Great Pyrenees named Bear.  When we got him he was a little white ball of fur.  Basically a little polar bear.  We kept him inside until his 100 pound puppy stage got to be too much.

I hate keeping him on a chain.  So we built a fence with the idea that we would later get a couple goats to give him something to herd. The goats haven’t worked out yet.  Luckily, (or unluckily) he has gotten a work out in other ways.  Mr. Bear is a 115 pound wrecking ball.  He likes getting out and has no problem chewing, climbing, or digging under obstacles.

We live in a subdivision at the base of a hill in the middle of a blind curve.  Therefore, I cannot allow him free reign.

We built solid oak raised beds, to end his digging.  Also, we reinforced the chain link gates to stop his ramming.  Next, he decided that the best way out was through the deck.  He ate the lattice off the guard rails to get out of his yard.

I replaced the wooden ones with plastic one piece lattice.  However, once old bear had a taste of freedom he decided that would not stop him so he ate that also.

Instead of lattice, I bought a roll of rabbit cage material.  This was welded wire with openings ¼ by ½.  I used a air gun to staple EVERY wire. It is strong enough he hasn’t pushed it out.  Yet it is small enough that (so far) he hasn’t been able to get his teeth between the rows of wire to rip his way through it…

He seems to have given up, (except for one comical incident where he pulled out a concrete block and was shimmying under the gate without knowing I was watching him from hiding – the look on his face was priceless)…

Anyway, I thought the Dog Proof Fencing was a good idea so I am sharing it with you if you have an escape artist in your yard. Because while the material is expensive, to me it’s better than keeping him chained up all the time…