Tracie's Great Vermont Adventure with Best Friend Fence

I’m in the process of realizing my dream of having lots of land in the country, with tons of room for dogs to roam and hunt and bark without bothering anybody. When I got to my new home in Bennington, Vermont recently the reality sank in: how was I going to contain those pooches on 12 ½ hilltop acres? Rolling lawn was surrounded by dense woods and steeply terraced hillside on two sides of this uneven terrain. For a moment I thought of the adage, “Be careful of what you wish for – you just might get it!” I got the land and privacy, but how was I going to fence the property and be able to give three big dogs safe, joyful freedom? I’ve never been especially handy but I was determined to find a way to let my dogs enjoy every bit of the property.

Traditional metal or wooden fencing would have been ruinously expensive, as well as unsightly. And it would have been impossible to use traditional fencing going down steep hillsides, too. That’s when I heard about Best Friends Fence, which is affiliated with the company that makes that black PVC deer fencing you see everywhere. But would it keep in the dogs? What I learned is that the difference with the dog version of the fence is that this fencing is sturdy enough to withstand a dog jumping against it – but is still light and flexible enough for a person to put up by herself, possibly with another pair of hands to help if the setting is challenging.

So I made the call and a truck delivered that mountain of rolls of fencing you see in the photo. Within one week I whittled that pile down to nothing. Yes – it’s true!  I just finished fencing the entire perimeter of over 12 acres of hilly terrain with this incredible fencing. First of all, it turned out to be one of the most rewarding accomplishments I’ve had – instant gratification!  And made me feel like a genuine homesteader (although in Vermont, anyone not actually born here is forever known as a Flatlander).

What I now know is that anybody can use this fencing on any sort of property - I needed only a pair of scissors to snip open each roll of fencing and a hammer and galvanized brads or nails to bang it into trees along the property line. I draped about a foot of fencing on the ground on the inside of the fence as a skirt, so that a dog inclined to slide under or dig underneath would not be able to. It is a very forgiving material – you don’t need to be precise or measure anything – you can unroll and go for it! It can be a little loose to uneven and the dogs really do not care. Neither will anybody else, since you can’t really see it.

The beauty of this fence is that because it is black – a neutral “non color” – you can be a few feet from this fencing and not even see it.

The TRUE beauty of this fence is that you don’t need any special skills or strength and, if you are so inclined, you can put it up yourself  (although if you have a helper it obviously makes it easier and faster ).

Another beautiful thing about this fencing is that it keeps out deer, who all gardeners know are inclined to gobble up everything in sight. There are white strips that come with the fencing which you can tie on the fencing to make it more evident to the deer, but generally their sense of sight and smell are keener than ours and they know to avoid the fence - in no time you see their tracks around the outside of the fencing.

I am attaching some photos so you can see me having my Great Fencing Adventure. When I stood beside that first truckload of fencing my heart sank - I wasn’t sure I was equal to the task of tackling it. But once I got started it was actually fun.

Little by little I reduced that pile to a mere handful of rolls and my dogs are safely within bounds and I have discovered a tenacity and skills I didn’t know I had.

For those who want to follow in my footsteps just go to www.BestFriendFence.com and find out how to most easily apply it to your property.

It turns out that for those who have less time or energy than me – and aren’t trying to prove themselves as Vermont homesteaders! – there is also an option to have the company install it for you.

Write in and let me know how it goes for you!