A Fence for Your Dog in Anniston & Oxford: Height, Diggers and Privacy

Start with how your dog gets out

The AKC sorts escapes into a few habits: jumpers who clear the fence from a running start, climbers who use whatever sits near it, diggers, chewers who open a hole, dogs that learn to open a gate, and dogs that rush the gate whenever it opens.^[1] Its fence guide makes the same point from the other side: a relaxed dog that lounges in the yard may not need a tall or heavy fence, but a dog that chases squirrels and rabbits needs height and strength, and a protective dog needs a strong gate.^[2] Watch how your dog uses the yard before you settle on a height or material.

Chain link, wood, vinyl or picket for a dog

The AKC also warns that wood can rot or warp where rain is heavy.^[2] That's a real concern in Calhoun County, which sits in the Forest Service's highest decay zone for wood; the fence types guide explains ground-contact treated posts.^[4]

Chain link dog fences

We install chain link for homes in Anniston, Oxford and nearby Calhoun County, from 4-foot galvanized dog runs to taller vinyl-coated perimeter fences. For a dog, the questions to settle at the estimate are:

• Height: pick it from your dog's habits and the city limits below, not from the roll size the store has in stock.
• The bottom: ask how the mesh will meet the ground and whether a dig barrier is part of the price (see the next section).
• A view block: chain link gives no privacy unless slats are added, according to HomeGuide.^[3]
• A separate dog run: where an HOA bans perimeter fencing, the AKC suggests an enclosed dog run or exercise pen near the house.^[2]

Prices, coatings and what a chain link quote should list are on the chain link installation section.

How tall can a dog fence be here?

The AKC ties height to the dog: chasers and would-be escape artists need a high fence, calm loungers less so.^[2] The cities set the ceiling:

• Anniston: the zoning file on the City's site (dated 6/26/24, marked “Draft”) allows fences up to 8 feet behind the front building line in residential districts, but keeps fences forward of that line to 2.5 feet and fences along the front yard to 36 inches.^[5] In practice, a dog yard in Anniston goes beside or behind the house.
• Oxford: up to 6 feet along a residential lot line, or 8 feet next to a nonresidential district, with the finished side facing the neighbor.^[6]
• HOAs: the AKC notes some housing associations restrict fences,^[2] so check your covenants for height, style and color before you sign.

If the dog is a jumper or climber and you're already at the limit, the AKC suggests a section at the top that tilts inward, clearing anything near the fence the dog could climb on (firewood, trash cans, play sets, benches), or a rolling bar along the top.^[1]

Stopping a digger

A dig barrier only works if it runs the whole fence line; Best Friends Animal Society warns that a dog will find the unprotected stretch.^[7] The published options:

• Go down: bury the bottom of the fence one to two feet,^[8] or bury fencing 18 to 24 inches deep.^[7] The AKC describes strips of metal, cement or large rocks one to two feet below the fence line.^[2]
• Go out: attach fencing to the bottom and lay it flat on the ground at least 12 inches into the yard.^[7] The AKC calls this an L-footer and says chicken wire, hardware cloth or a piece of chain link all work, buried or held down with rocks or gravel.^[1]
• Edge it: the Humane Society suggests large rocks partly buried along the base, or chicken wire buried at the base with the sharp edges rolled away from the yard.^[8]

A buried barrier is digging. Alabama requires at least three business days' notice to underground utility owners before you dig; call 811.^[9]

Gates and latches

A fence is only as good as its gate. What the dog groups recommend:

• Make sure every latch holds. If a gate blows open or won't stay shut, the AKC suggests adding a lock or a hook-and-eye.^[1]
• For a dog that has learned to lift a latch, Best Friends suggests a clip, lock or carabiner through the latch hole, plus a “Please clip the gate” sign for visitors.^[7]
• For a gate rusher, the AKC describes a double gate, or airlock: a small enclosed area so one gate is closed before the next opens.^[1]
• Pool in the yard? Oxford requires a barrier at least 4 feet high with locks on all gates.^[6]

List each gate's width and hardware on the written quote; our quote checklist covers the rest.

Invisible fences vs a real fence

Electronic systems are marketed as cheaper and easier to install than a fence, MSPCA-Angell notes.^[10] VCA Animal Hospitals lists the drawbacks: they don't stop stray dogs or wild animals from coming into the yard, a cut wire or dead collar battery lets the dog leave, and a dog that wants to chase something may run through the warning.^[11] MSPCA-Angell discourages their use, noting that with some systems a dog that has gone through won't cross back into the yard, and that, unlike a traditional fence, they don't keep out free-roaming animals.^[10]

Leash and at-large rules

Alabama law gives cities the power to regulate dogs running at large.^[12] In Oxford, Police Chief Bill Partridge told WBRC in 2024 that owners must either have the dog on a leash or keep it in a fenced area.^[13] Anniston and unincorporated Calhoun County set their own rules, so check with the city or county if you're unsure. A fenced yard is the simplest way to stay on the right side of them.

Permits

A dog fence is a fence. Anniston lists fences as permit work and takes applications online; Oxford requires a permit for property changes over $500 in materials and labor.^[14][15] Fees, phone numbers and the full height rules are on the Anniston and Oxford permit guide, and property-line questions are on the Alabama fence laws page. For price ranges by material, see the fence cost guide.

Dog fence questions

Quotes through this site are for new fences and full replacements, including chain link.

How phone and form requests are handled is explained in the privacy notice.