How to DIY a Temporary Dog Fence and Bring Your Dog’s Freedom Anywhere

Did you know that almost 10 million cats and dogs are stolen or lost in the United States every year? This translates to about 1 in every three pets! If you plan on spending large amounts of time outside, having a fenced-in area for your pets can make a world of difference in the safety of your furry four-legged friends.

Having just installed a new fence in our yard, I know how expensive they can be. It took us over five years to tackle this much-needed project! To keep our dogs safe and secure, we have explored nearly every type of DIY temporary dog fence out there. We have also learned our way around temporary fence repairs.

So, if you need a temporary fence to keep your pups safely contained in your yard or during your travels, I hope this article helps!

Why Use A DIY Dog Fence?

Putting up a temporary fence can be a lifesaver when you have a canine companion. Fences are great for keeping your pup safe in a ton of different ways. They help to:

• Keep your pup safely contained in your yard instead of running free where they can get kidnapped, injured, or worse. (If your dog is an escape artist or runner, selecting the right GPS tracker will help you find them much quicker).
• Keep your pup safe from wandering stray dogs and wildlife.
• Prevents your dog from getting into places you want them to avoid like gardens or project areas.

But why choose a temporary fence instead of a permanent one? We’ve used them for all sorts of reasons! Like:

• We didn’t have the funds to install a permanent fence at the time
• We were renting the property and couldn’t make any permanent changes.
• We only needed to keep our dogs away from an area for a short period of time.
• We needed a small containment area outside for our dogs while traveling. (We have a dog that chews through tie-outs.)

Things to Consider When Choosing DIY Temporary Fencing

Depending on your needs, some types of fencing will be better than others. And when you DIY your fencing project, it can save you a ton of money. 

Here are the main things you should think about when deciding what type of safety fence to choose:

• Are there fence restrictions where you will be using it? Depending on where you want to install it, there may be regulations on what materials you can use.
• How long will you be using it? Will it be a quick weekend trip or will it take months or years before you can afford a permanent solution?
• Your dog’s size and personality. Is your dog a jumper, or climber, or do they like to dig? How big of a space will they need?
• Where will you be using it? Should it be portable? What landscaping challenges are there?
• How handy are you? Are you able and willing to build a fence from scratch or would you prefer less work?

DIY Temporary Dog Fence Options

Now that you’ve considered what you need your temporary dog fence to do, it’s time to look at options. Most of these are easy to set up, only requiring you to secure the fence panels to fence posts or simply unfold and pop them into position. 

DIY Snow Fencing

Snow fencing is a low-cost option that’s lightweight and flexible. This makes it easy to move and work with. The downside is that because it’s so flexible it sags a lot. This means you’ll need to use more posts to make sure it holds up properly. 

Due to the lightweight material, it’s easy for your pups to move it and escape. We also found that small animals like squirrels and rabbits can and will chew through it. This creates space for small dogs to get out. It’s also hard for us humans to find the holes unless you inspect your fence for small ‘tears’.

DIY Green Vinyl Fencing

Green Vinyl Fencing is firmer and more secure than snow fencing. Meaning it won’t be as easy for your pets to move and escape and that it’s less likely for an animal to chew through it. It’ll also last longer and won’t sag nearly as much as a snow fence. 

I prefer the green vinyl over snow fencing for larger areas I’m trying to block off. My dogs have all figured out how to move snow fencing so at this point, it’s just a polite request that they don’t go through it.

I think this budget-friendly option would also work well as a small perimeter pen when traveling if your dogs aren’t big on digging out or jumping over barriers AND as long as you keep a close eye on them.

DIY Wire Fencing Options

If you’re looking to build a wire fence, there are a few options. You could use poultry netting, chicken wire, or welded wire. All these will be stronger than green vinyl and snow fence materials. Galvanized wire is the most secure option. 

Welded wire will have less give than poultry netting. However, poultry netting and most chicken wire can be easily chewed through so they aren’t the best options for all dogs. Wire edges are sharp, so be mindful of your hands (and pups) when setting it up.

Exercise Pen Panels and Pop-up Pens

Both exercise pen panels and pop-up pens are easy to set up and incredibly portable. Unfortunately, they tend to be more expensive and designed for small or medium-sized dogs. Pop-up pens are great when traveling with small dogs, whereas panels work slightly better for medium-sized dogs because you can adjust the shape and size of the penned-in area. 

Pen Panel fencing is similar in appearance to no-dig fences. However, the biggest difference is stability because you can’t secure the pen panels to the floor. This is great if you want to use it in campgrounds or indoors. Unfortunately, it also means that if a human or larger dog puts pressure on it, it could easily fall over.

DIY No Dig Fencing

No-dig fences are relatively easy to install depending on the type of ground. They also look better and are more secure than the playpens and exercise areas. This option tends to be pricey especially if you need to secure larger sections of land. 

I like using this style as a safety fence because it can stay in place for years and is decorative. They aren’t as practical for traveling since the panels and posts are large enough that they don’t easily fit in most vehicles along with your luggage.

DIY Temporary Chainlink Fencing

Did you know it’s easy to install a temporary chain link fence? We decided to tear our own chain link fence down to save money on our new fence installation. This meant we’d be left without a secure yard for our pets for over a month. With multiple dogs in our house, this wasn’t practical. So, we figured out how to use our old chainlink fence to make a temporary fenced-in yard until the new one was fully functional. 

We re-used the chainlink mesh, hog links, clips, gates, post caps, metal posts, and top rail. You can find used chainlink on sites like Facebook Marketplace or contact your local fence companies to set aside pieces before they get rid of it.

Creating our own temporary chainlink fence was great because we could adjust the size and shape based on our needs. It was also much more stable than my husband and I ever imagined.  The downside was that since the posts weren’t cemented in the ground, they did move slightly when leaned against. 

If you would like step-by-step instructions stay tuned! We have a post coming out shortly.

Other Materials Needed to DIY Your Dog Fence

Chances are, you will need a few other items to install your temporary fence beside the fence itself. Many of the options above will require posts and a way to connect the fence panels to those posts. The connectors can be anything from zip ties or hog links to screws and bolts.

If you’re providing your own posts you’ll need to choose between garden stakes, rebar, PVC, metal, or wooden posts. Depending on how long you plan on leaving your fence up will help you decide which materials to use. Depending on the type of fencing materials you choose you may also need a saw, mallet, pliers, or drill.

Safety and Other Considerations for Your Dog Fence

Keeping your canine companions safe is the priority when choosing and installing your fence. That means that it’s important to remember that this fence is TEMPORARY. That means that it won’t be as sturdy or last as long as a permanent one. Because of this, you should always keep an eye on your doggies when they are using it. 

Give Your Pup Freedom at Home and on Vacation with a Temporary Fence

Fences are a dog owner’s best friend. They keep our pets safe from dangerous animals, areas, and people. They can also protect spaces from our four-legged friends. Unfortunately, building a permanent fence can be a huge expense. That’s why temporary DIY fences can be a lifesaver. 

Temporary fences are a great option if you’ve just spent all your money moving into a home where the fence doesn’t exist or isn’t up to par. Or if you discover a need to keep your pets out of a particular area like your garden or workspace. 

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