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They do have a fence, its 9 courses of 6×8×16 cinder block around the back yard, they also have a steel pipe fence around the 5 acres doubled next to a barbwire fence that was built before they bought the lot.
Two thoughts to add. First, about the fencing. Second, a couple of thoughts about the breeds.
A steel pipe fence, alone, won't keep any dog in. A six foot block fence will keep most dogs in. It takes an athletic and agile dog to jump and scale such a fence. I would suspect the German Shepherd is probably capable of such feats of athleticism. I would be skeptical about the husky doing so, but certainly could be. Huskies are known for their athleticism - just not as much for agility.
If the ropes were close enough together, that could work. Either dog could easily dig under, though.
An invisible fence is a single wire with a corresponding collar. On proximity to the fence wire, the collar shocks. The shock function is pretty much the same. Electric fencing I've known has a pulse shock, usually a strong one. So it shocks like every second or two. An e-collar is a continuous shock, usually lower intensity, and models I've used won't persist longer than about 8 seconds. So you can't sit there and zaaaaaaaaaaaaap a dog. Because they are not also a barrier, like the electric horse fencing, invisible fences or e-collars require you to train the dog. Some city owners get away without doing that - but the dogs are typically not persistent escapers.
Dig proofing a fence around 5 acres is going to be expensive. So is putting in a chain link or even hardware wire fence around the whole property. Coyote rollers are going to be meaningless on a steel pipe fence. Hardware cloth could be easily added to a steel pipe fence by a DIYer. Stuff like this: https://www.wallywiremesh.com/produc...hardware-cloth
Chain link could also be added to a steel pipe fence, but I would need a pro to install it. Wouldn't take that on for myself.
Now, if you have a 6-9 foot perimeter chain link, or hardware cloth fence, you could add coyote rollers.
Some thoughts about the breeds. In my opinion, the GS is more likely to be sufficiently agile to scale a fence, or to leap and scale. The husky is going to be more likely to need the hard exercise to fulfill that internal drive to move, but the shepherd won't be far behind.
Huskies are notorious for their prey drive - and they will follow through and take it all the way. A German Shepherd is less likely to take it all the way - even though the working instincts may be weaker in modern bloodlines - they were bred for herding - not hunting. A husky was originally bred to work, and to be able to fend for themselves during the summer months - hunters.
And they WILL likely play off each other, and behave worse when they are together. It takes a lot of good training to counter that.
My family and I live on a 5 acre lot with neighbors about a 1/4 mile apart, but we recently got a fullblooded Sybiran Husky and a Black German Shepherd (both about a year and a half old now) they eventually started running off (both separately and/or together) and going to all of out neighbors yards. At first we thought they were just exploring so we added some boundaries but they still would run off just about every time we looked away. We have a 9ft block wall they normally stay in but they still get out, we then intstalled an electric wire around the 5 acres, still no changes. We then added another fence inside the block wall with concrete poured around it and under it and they still get out.
Today one of our neighbors came over and had the dogs tied up and he was enraged seeing as this isn't the first time, but he told us they were attacking his livestock and peeking into other neighbors houses and with very good reasoning threated to sue. We have tried multiple different ways to prevent them from running off and nothimg seems to work.
I understand and dont dissagree with the neighbors about this, but i also dont want to get rid of the dogs. The neighbors are 100% in the right about wanting to sue i just dont know what else to do other than give them to someone that can do a better job then we have.
If anyone can help i would greatly appreciate it and thank you for your time.
You tried being good to the dogs. Now how about restricting them more securely by installing a chainlink pen with full footers AND ceiling? It will both protect your neighbors and your dogs (from mountain lions).
Or keep them inside your house.
These dogs are gonna get offed one way or another if they continue to harm other animals, people, or property, or even just repeatedly trespass.
When we had dogs, we were well-informed about their unshakeable prey instincts. When outdoors, they were in a chainlink pen, enclosed on all six sides. When out of the pen, they ALWAYS were leashed with us holding the leashes...none of this Dog Leash in Dog’s Mouth BS you see with some smartazs owners. I know they could have either climbed the 6’ high chainlink or jumped over it, because I SAW them leaping up with running starts. The male would have cleared it if there had not been a peaked ceiling. He was all of 28 lbs, about coyote size. I do not doubt that huskies and GS could jump over 6’.
First of all, are they neutered? Male dogs who are unneutered have an uncontrollable urge to roam, to find a mate. Of course, even neutered dogs will roam, but neutering helps.
Second, are they house pets, or outdoor dogs? Making them into trained housepets. who are walked twice daily either on leash, or well-trained to recall, would solve the problem. It's very easy to train a dog to recall while walking off leash. Simply don't feed them otherwise, so that they'll be hungry when you start your walk, and go out with a pocket of good food or treats (we used cut up meat trimmings from the table), and call them back to you frequently, have them sit and look at you, and treat them, then wave them off again. Do this for even a few days, and the dogs will reliably come right back when called. Once they are well-trained, you can treat them with food intermittently during the walk, and with praise the rest of the time, as long as they get some food treats during the walk. Remember, intermittent reinforcement is the strongest kind!
There is no way that you can securely fence 5 acres to contain them. They will dig underneath or go over the top, no matter what you do. Yes, you could keep them in a cage outdoors, with bars around, above, and below them, but that's no life for a dog. It would be cruel. If you cannot keep them in the house, or find a way to safely let them have the run of your 5 acres, contained, then I would seriously consider re-homing them.
BTW, as concerns the shock collar fence: Dogs with thick neck ruffs don't feel the shock, because the hair insulates them from it. You'd have to shave the ruff by the shock collar frequently. Also, if there's a lot of snow, they can go right over the buried shock wire without getting shocked. We had a gorgeous neighborhood husky male who would get out often all winter long for both these reasons. Nobody really minded, because it's a suburban wooded area with no livestock to be killed, so he was just a beautiful addition to the scenery, but in an area with livestock, he could have been a menace.
First of all, are they neutered? Male dogs who are unneutered have an uncontrollable urge to roam, to find a mate. Of course, even neutered dogs will roam, but neutering helps.
Second, are they house pets, or outdoor dogs? Making them into trained housepets. who are walked twice daily either on leash, or well-trained to recall, would solve the problem. It's very easy to train a dog to recall while walking off leash. Simply don't feed them otherwise, so that they'll be hungry when you start your walk, and go out with a pocket of good food or treats (we used cut up meat trimmings from the table), and call them back to you frequently, have them sit and look at you, and treat them, then wave them off again. Do this for even a few days, and the dogs will reliably come right back when called. Once they are well-trained, you can treat them with food intermittently during the walk, and with praise the rest of the time, as long as they get some food treats during the walk. Remember, intermittent reinforcement is the strongest kind!
There is no way that you can securely fence 5 acres to contain them. They will dig underneath or go over the top, no matter what you do. Yes, you could keep them in a cage outdoors, with bars around, above, and below them, but that's no life for a dog. It would be cruel. If you cannot keep them in the house, or find a way to safely let them have the run of your 5 acres, contained, then I would seriously consider re-homing them.
BTW, as concerns the shock collar fence: Dogs with thick neck ruffs don't feel the shock, because the hair insulates them from it. You'd have to shave the ruff by the shock collar frequently. Also, if there's a lot of snow, they can go right over the buried shock wire without getting shocked. We had a gorgeous neighborhood husky male who would get out often all winter long for both these reasons. Nobody really minded, because it's a suburban wooded area with no livestock to be killed, so he was just a beautiful addition to the scenery, but in an area with livestock, he could have been a menace.
I would like to note here that in some places there are leash laws and this protects other people and your dogs please re think letting your dogs off leash anywhere , not every one likes dogs nor do they appreciate your dog being unleashed I know I don't . when mine is on a leash and yours in unleashed there is trouble waiting to happen re call or not . That is not the law regarding leashes and that is why there are a million court cases involving unleashed dogs every year .
My family and I live on a 5 acre lot with neighbors about a 1/4 mile apart, but we recently got a fullblooded Sybiran Husky and a Black German Shepherd (both about a year and a half old now) they eventually started running off (both separately and/or together) and going to all of out neighbors yards. At first we thought they were just exploring so we added some boundaries but they still would run off just about every time we looked away. We have a 9ft block wall they normally stay in but they still get out, we then intstalled an electric wire around the 5 acres, still no changes. We then added another fence inside the block wall with concrete poured around it and under it and they still get out.
Today one of our neighbors came over and had the dogs tied up and he was enraged seeing as this isn't the first time, but he told us they were attacking his livestock and peeking into other neighbors houses and with very good reasoning threated to sue. We have tried multiple different ways to prevent them from running off and nothimg seems to work.
I understand and dont dissagree with the neighbors about this, but i also dont want to get rid of the dogs. The neighbors are 100% in the right about wanting to sue i just dont know what else to do other than give them to someone that can do a better job then we have.
If anyone can help i would greatly appreciate it and thank you for your time.
Dogs killing farm animals around here is an automatic death sentence. And it's understood by all parties.
2. Both dogs are very young. They need a LOT of hands on training and exercise by the owner. Nobody should buy big dogs like these two unless you plan to to exercise them every day.
Taking them to obedience classes is a good place to start, not only for the dogs sake but the owner.
3. Yes to the e-collars but don't just throw the collars on the dogs. Take the time to train yourself and them, according to the instructions.
4. I was raised on a farm and yes indeed, killing of livestock is an automatic death sentence for any dog.
4.1. I still have horses on 25 acres. I have had to train a couple of neighbors dogs to not devil my horses. Thankfully my horses will stand their ground and the dogs (ranging from 120+ pounds down to 20-30 pounds), learned to visit without malicious intent.
5. Get busy and start schooling yourself and those dogs before a livestock owner loses their patience with you and the dogs end up dead.
My family and I live on a 5 acre lot with neighbors about a 1/4 mile apart, but we recently got a fullblooded Sybiran Husky and a Black German Shepherd (both about a year and a half old now) . We have tried multiple different ways to prevent them from running off and nothimg seems to work.
i just dont know what else to do other than give them to someone that can do a better job then we have.
.
The dogs don't know the boundaries.
You should keep the dogs inside unless YOU are out with them and in control of them.....at all times.
When I'm out in the yard (we have 5 acres as well) the dogs are out with me.
When I go into the house, the dogs come in as well.
When dogs are not monitored and aloud to be out on their own they'l almost always get into mischief.
I know where my dogs are at ALL times.
We have had many different neighbors who seem to feel that kicking the dog out for a few hours on their own is fine.....it's not.
It drives me crazy when their dogs come onto my property and endanger my livestock and chase my cats.
It's sooooo irresponsible to just think the neighbors will be OK with it.
If you're not willing to keep them in your control at ALL times then yes...give them away to someone who will.
Dogs killing farm animals around here is an automatic death sentence. And it's understood by all parties.
In many states it's also a death sentence if they chase game animals like deer.
An Amish guy down here was hunting when he shot a dog that was chasing deer. Turns out the dog belonged to a Wildlife Conservation Officer who lived on the game lands (in Maryland they're called Natural Resources Wildlife Management Areas and hunting is allowed) and had the habit of letting the dog run loose.
Of course the Amish guy was heavily criticized but he should have been in the clear except he was charged with animal cruelty because he had to shoot the dog twice. He was found not guilty at trial.
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