8' Solid privacy fences would be best… at the very least. I have 10' and in so places a 12' fence. 6' could be a bit too low. 5 to 6' is not ideal, IMO... but if that is the choice.. consider "hot wire" top and bottom. Do not under estimate a Basenji in climbing anything that is said to be "non climb"... a Basenji will prove them wrong if they are determined!
What gauge is the wire? Deer fencing tends to be somewhat flimsy as they aren't worried about deer pushing on it, only leaping it. And if it's really heavy gauge, I would expect it to be extremely costly. And, of course, "non-rust" doesn't apply to us here in South Texas, home of humidity… I agree with Pat that solid wood is the best choice, though you need a level yard so they can't go under at least easily. And hot wires are a good deterrent for climbers.
That being said, we have 5 foot chain link and none of ours have even tried to climb it, even when deer and squirrels are taunting them. But...they are never out unsupervised for long, except for the 13 year old, who wouldn't dream of climbing...
Terry
10 gauge on top and bottom wire. All the rest with 12.5 gauge. It's not the actuall deer fence stuff, closer to fences for horses. Black vinyl coating on wire. I am asking for samples of all types from manufacturers. Hot wires is a great idea.
Personally I think it depends on your dog's personality. I live in an urban setting and had a normal chain link 4-1/2 foot fence – none of my dogs were jumpers and none has ever tried to jump it -- so this has worked well for me.
I did put up a 8 foot wooden fence around one corner because of nasty neighbor dogs but mine would simply try digging underneath and when I put rocks down they simply began to chew on the wood to make a hole, especially after a windstorm that toppled it and the wood splintered a little.
I do use a taller deer fence in the winter to keep the dogs out from one side of the house (neighbor's snow gets blown over into my yard there and builds up high enough for the dogs to walk out otherwise). It works well but is not the strongest gauge. After chasing rabbits into it, it becomes weak in spots and I have to do some patching. So if you use this style, then use the strongest gauge you can afford.
10 gauge on top and bottom wire. All the rest with 12.5 gauge. It's not the actuall deer fence stuff, closer to fences for horses. Black vinyl coating on wire. I am asking for samples of all types from manufacturers. Hot wires is a great idea.
My friend Jeff lived in a home that backed up to open space. Farms used the county land to graze their cattle and the home owners association would only approve chainlink (so not to spoil the view). He used a hot wire top and bottom and it worked fine.
We have put in this type of fence this spring on our acreage. I believe it is called a Fabric Wire Fence. It is one by two inch squares and we put up 5 foot high. Neither of our dogs are climbers and we haven't had a problem with this type of fencing since we put it up. We have chain link in the front of the house 5' to make the acreage look pretty. This stuff came in 50 or 100 foot lengths. The 50 feet lengths are easier to deal with. We made a stretcher and with our quad winched it tight then used fence staples to tack it to the existing wood fencing that was there. It is fairly cheap also. This summer I plan on fencing in the rest of the acreage for the dogs and setting up an agility course in the back pasture. We have 3.66 acres and once fenced the dogs will have at least 2 acres to roam. You do have to watch to make sure that the bottom of the fence does touch the ground and if your dogs are diggers this won't work unless you trench it in. We piled dirt around the bottom of high spots and put fallen trees along some of the bottoms of the fence too if it were too high. You can also get tent pegs and pound those into the ground so that the fence doesn't rise up too. It took us 2 days to get the fence up (about 1 acre) and once we let the dogs out they were so happy to be free!
Thanks for the replies everyone. We live in the country with farms around and the agricultural fences are economical and not bad looking especially with the black vinyl coating and I never really heard if basenji owners had any success with this type of fence. If it was totally up to me, I'd build fortress walls but that's not gonna happen.
Chris Battistelli
Personally I think it depends on your dog's personality. I live in an urban setting and had a normal chain link 4-1/2 foot fence – none of my dogs were jumpers and none has ever tried to jump it -- so this has worked well for me.
I did put up a 8 foot wooden fence around one corner because of nasty neighbor dogs but mine would simply try digging underneath and when I put rocks down they simply began to chew on the wood to make a hole, especially after a windstorm that toppled it and the wood splintered a little.
I do use a taller deer fence in the winter to keep the dogs out from one side of the house (neighbor's snow gets blown over into my yard there and builds up high enough for the dogs to walk out otherwise). It works well but is not the strongest gauge. After chasing rabbits into it, it becomes weak in spots and I have to do some patching. So if you use this style, then use the strongest gauge you can afford.
we have a 5' wooden fennce that has worrked great for about 10 years, but some of the posts have rotted & needed replacing. If I had to do it again I would get a colored vinyl fence.
A dedicated escaper is a challenge, but our 4 ft chain link has worked well for 30 years. I do like the kind of fence you are describing and will likely replace our aging, rusting chain link with 'farm fence'.
we have a 12 ft wooden fence 
But - my inlaws have an acre and have just fenced with your typical dog wire fencing. My two dont seem fussed by this at all and respect it.
We put up a 6" chain link last summer, August 2010, because Bitty had never shown any interest in climbing, but when we adopted Mr Baroo we were a bit concerned as he is a very active male , about 1-2y. So far the 2 of them have been quite satisfied staying in the yard, just over a half acre with pleanty of trees and shrubs for them to search for wildlife, so far the 2 of them have done away with one large buck cottontail and a male possom. Mr Baroo thinks he is the worlds greatest hunter. As long as we get the animals coming into our yard we assume that the B's will not try to go out exploring.
I know people with 4 ft fencing, and I know people with 4 ft fencing who have had dogs escape/never found/found dead. I wouldn't consider it for either a foster or home I'd place with unless the person backed it up with an invisible fencing about 3 ft in. Again, not a risk I want to take as I know my guys can go over 3 ft without any running start.
Polypropylene plastic fencing is nearly invisible.
http://www.dogsdeservebetter.com/cantfencemein.html
Another alternative for extended periods outside is the Friendly Fence. This is a fence that was originally designed to keep deer out and is constructed from high-strength and UV light resistant polypropylene plastic. The makers of this fence say it is “all but invisible to the human eye from as close as 15-20 feet away”. The fence comes in rolls of material that is secured to posts or trees by using zip ties. Ground stakes ensure that your dog can not push under the fence. Owners of aggressive dogs can use a nylon tension cable to reinforce the fence and there is a version that is 65% stronger than the standard fencing. The fence comes in heights from 5 – 7 feet. There is also a chew guard that can be attached to the bottom of the fence. The approximate cost of a Friendly Fence is between $159 - $345 depending on the size of your dog and the area you want to enclose. For more information on Friendly Fences you can go to their web site at www.friendlyfence.com. You also could use chicken wire between posts for a similar alternative.
I have concrete fence.. hahaha about 3 mts.. or 9 feet and 10 inches.
I have a 8 foot cedar fence. My female has dug out from under it numerous times. I've had to do some reinforcing. Dig down deep in front of the fence, bury bricks, staple field fencing to the bottom of the cedar fence and cover it all back up.
I have a section of rolling gate that is only 4 feet. My BRAT rescue, who's only 19 lbs, could totally jump over it if he wanted to but he hasn't. I worried about it at first but it's been 2 1/2 years and if he was going to flee, he'd have done it by now. Now that he's sleeping under the covers, I really don't think he's going to go anywhere!!!!
My current boy is a climber. None of my previous Basenjis have been. My dog run fence is only 4 feet, but two things deter him from climbing…...one is that the fence is not chain link and not tight.....it wobbles when he climbs on it, which is disconcerting to him. Another is that I took his breeder's advice (she has chain link) and tied PVC pipe on the top. If he gets that far he hasn't been able to get over the smooth pipe. The gate is the weak point, and he could get over that, but since it is in a corner I can put a plank across that deters him. As it turns out, I seldom use the dog run for him so it is a non issue, but if I wanted to be sure I would back it up with invisible fence to keep him off of it. I have had diggers, but none that dug with intent.......they were happy to dig a den in the middle of the run......however, I have cedar poles lining the bottom of the fence, which would likely help if they were to attempt it. Invisible fence will stop this activity as well.....
Chris, how about a compromise? Create a pleasant but smallish "Fort Knox" enclosure where the dogs can be outside without super close supervision ('tho I'm not a fan of B's being outside at all if their owners aren't home) Then go ahead and fence the rest in an affordable, climb-proof material for those times that you're able to keep a close eye on them. This approach works for some folks, depending on the size of the property and wildlife present, and how committed they are to keeping their dogs safe.
Keep in mind, 'tho, the fence isn't just for the dogs–depending on your property, you might want to securely fence a yard so you can enjoy yourselves on summer evenings without a skunk, racoon or bear sneaking up on you
