Attaching Fencing to Posts: If you are using wood posts, plan on attaching the fencing to each post with U-nails, using about 1 u-nail per foot of post. If you are using metal posts, plan on attaching the fencing to each post with one cable tie (zip-lock tie) per foot. Use either strong black nylon zip-lock ties or black stainless steel zip-lock ties for this purpose. The nylon ties are a bit less expensive and will typically last 5 or 6 years, while the stainless steel ties will last the life of the fence.

If you are using nylon ties with our 1-5/8 inch round metal posts, you may wish to use our 14-inch nylon cable ties (zip-lock ties) rather than the 8-inchers because the ties don’t start to grip until 2 inches have passed through the gripping box. You can use the 8-inch stainless steel cable ties (zip-lock ties) comfortably, because they do not suffer from this drawback.

You may wish to get a puller-cutter for applying the ties, but this is not a necessity. If you get the puller-cutter for the stainless steel cable ties and are attaching them to round posts, it’s advisable to get the 14-inch stainless steel ties instead of the 8-inchers for ease of application.

Attaching Metal Mesh to Wooden and Metal Fences: If  you are attaching metal mesh to a split-rail fence, it’s best to attach the mesh to the side of the fence toward your dog and to fold down enough material at the bottom to create an effective digging barrier when this is securely staked down with ground stakes. Plan on attaching the mesh to the posts with 1.25-inch U-nails, using about 1 U-nail per foot of post.

If you are attaching metal mesh to the bottom of a stockade fence, use 1.25-inch U-nails to attach the fence posts to the mesh on the side of the fence toward the dog, and make sure there is enough material at the bottom to fold out (again toward the dog) to create an effective digging barrier staked down with ground stakes. If you wish to use one of our digging barrier kits for this purpose, you will need no ground stakes, because they are included in the kit.