Electric fence/gate questions.

[mowin]

Putting up a fence around part of my property for the muts to run. It will be around 3 acres. I have two dogs that love to dig, so I want to put a hot wire 4-6" off the ground. What I can't figure out, is the gates. I'll have 3 of em. I want the hot wire to continue, not stop at each gate.  Most bury a cable to bypass the gate to the next post, but I don't want the gate to be a weak spot for the dogs. 

Anyone have some ideas? 

[stubborn1VT]

I would just use a gate handle.  Hook the hot wire to the insulated handle.  Make a loop at an isulator on the other end.  The gate handle has a spring in it to keep the wire tight when you hook it to the loop.  Then you can unhook the handle and open the gate.  You can buy a handle at Tractor Supply for 3 or 4 bucks.  Just look up rubber gate handle.

Edited June 26, 2020 by stubborn1VT
typo

[mowin]

8 minutes ago, stubborn1VT said:

I would just use a gate handle.  Hook the hot wire to the insulated handle.  Make a loop at an isulator on the other end.  The gate handle has a spring in it to keep the wire tight when you hook it to the loop.  Then you can unhook the handle and open the gate if need be.  You can guy a handle at Tractor Supply for 3 or 4 bucks.

I'll Google that.   I'm kinda electric fence illiterate. I know how they work, and grounded, but that's it. 

The farm I hunt had those "slinkys" with a hook that would connect to the opposite post. But it had to be removed as well as opening the gate. 

So what I'm trying to do is get off the mower, throw a switch or something similar, open the gate and I'm in.. 

 

Edited June 26, 2020 by mowin

[stubborn1VT]

No way to open the gate without disconnecting the electric fence, unless you bury a wire under the gate.  That's easy enough.  Just have to get a piece of insulated wire and bury it enough so you can drive over it with the mower.  

[mowin]

8 minutes ago, stubborn1VT said:

No way to open the gate without disconnecting the electric fence, unless you bury a wire under the gate.  That's easy enough.  Just have to get a piece of insulated wire and bury it enough so you can drive over it with the mower.  

But how is the gate then not electrified? I don't want my dogs to realize the gates are a escape zone. 

[stubborn1VT]

1 minute ago, mowin said:

But how is the gate then not electrified? I don't want my dogs to realize the gates are a escape zone. 

What type of gate?

[mowin]

Just now, stubborn1VT said:

What type of gate?

Fence will be a 3 board with welded wire. I'll be making the gates to match the fence. One gate will be 10' consisting of two 5' gates for construction access if needed, and my 72" mower through. The other two will match the 3 board, but only be 4'. 

[mowin]

This is the type of fence, but I'll be adding welded wire to keep dogs in.  The gates I'll build to match the fence and they will have the welded wire fence also. So if you can picture fence, gate, fence, I want the hot wire to be continuous, but realize I need to disconnect something to open the gate.

 

[stubborn1VT]

If you build the gate close to the ground will the dogs try to dig under?  My dog has a yard made of board fence on 2 sides and welded wire on the other 2.  He stays in.  

Also, if your dog gets shocked by the fence I doubt he will be testing the gate.  You could put a piece of electric fence wire across the gate, but not hook it to either side.  That way it would look like it was electrified.  But that's getting pretty tricky.

A gate handle would allow you to electrify the gate, but it would be a 2 step process to open it.

 

[mowin]

7 minutes ago, stubborn1VT said:

If you build the gate close to the ground will the dogs try to dig under?  My dog has a yard made of board fence on 2 sides and welded wire on the other 2.  He stays in.  

Also, if your dog gets shocked by the fence I doubt he will be testing the gate.  You could put a piece of electric fence wire across the gate, but not hook it to either side.  That way it would look like it was electrified.  But that's getting pretty tricky.

A gate handle would allow you to electrify the gate, but it would be a 2 step process to open it.

 

Lol, I'm sure a hit or two would discourage them.  The decoy wire is a option. 

Thanks for your input.  It's definitely helping. 

[mowin]

What about something like this, but two pieces. One on the post, the other connecting half on the gate.

On the hinge side of the gate to the post, a coated, flexible wire,  like the one you'd bury? 

[Merlot]

[mowin]

Just now, Merlot said:

That's the one I've been looking for.  Lol

[stubborn1VT]

1 hour ago, mowin said:

What about something like this, but two pieces. One on the post, the other connecting half on the gate.

On the hinge side of the gate to the post, a coated, flexible wire,  like the one you'd bury? 

I've built miles of electric fence.  Looks like a PITA to me.  You still need to actually disconnect the wire to get through.  Your switch would shut the power off.  Another solution that I have seen is to go up and over a gate with the wire, like a telephone wire.  Doesn't look great, but I've done it where I couldn't bury a wire.  You end up the same though - no power ON the gate to discourage the pups.  

I think your situation is what led to the development of the "invisible fence".

[mowin]

22 minutes ago, stubborn1VT said:

I've built miles of electric fence.  Looks like a PITA to me.  You still need to actually disconnect the wire to get through.  Your switch would shut the power off.  Another solution that I have seen is to go up and over a gate with the wire, like a telephone wire.  Doesn't look great, but I've done it where I couldn't bury a wire.  You end up the same though - no power ON the gate to discourage the pups.  

I think your situation is what led to the development of the "invisible fence".

Ugh...  I had one dog that learned the zap wasn't bad enough as the freedom, lol. 

She would dart over the invisible fence, yelp, then be free.  Bitch.  

[Marion]

Ugh...  I had one dog that learned the zap wasn't bad enough as the freedom, lol. 
She would dart over the invisible fence, yelp, then be free.  Bitch.  

My dog would wait out the warning beeps then walk on through

#LessOverzealousMods #WeWantANewMod

[Dinsdale]

when I had the cattle did a top and low wire to stop them from nosing under my fence....but do mine like this;

[mowin]

1 hour ago, Dinsdale said:

when I had the cattle did a top and low wire to stop them from nosing under my fence....but do mine like this;

Perfect.   Thank you

[stubborn1VT]

Very creative Dinsdale.  I never had to build a gate like that for milk cows, but I can see how it would work.