What we did was plant climbers along our fenceline, but we ALSO put down a roll of wire fencing, attaching it to the fence on one side and the ground on the other with garden staples. This prevents them from being able to dig AT the fence so they can get out. It is awkward at first because you can see it, but it grows into the grass shortly after planting and you don't see it anymore, but it still stops the dogs from digging. Our puppy yard (12 x 20) and it has the small hardware cloth all he way around the bottom. Not one dog has been successful at digging UNDER the fence wire.

Yes, we put down the wire fencing, but she's learned to work around that -- where we originally put down heavy-duty chicken wire she's learned to just pull that up and push it in towards the fence (crumpling it/raising it) until she can get close enough to dig, and in her favorite escape spots where we put really heavy duty wire fencing, she's learned to find the outside edge and just push it up. We're slowly replacing the chicken wire with even wider/heavier fencing but that's much more difficult to put down around what we already have planted, plus we know that it only slows her down -- if we leave her unchecked long enough she'll find a way to push it up and burrow under. Unless we sink rebar 3' down all around the entire yard, spaced every 6", we'll never be able to totally stop her, so we're just focused on slowing her down as much as we can and never letting her be outside for more than 10 minutes without checking on her - and letting her see that we're checking on her! :)

But anyway, I appreciate the suggestion, and I'm still hoping to figure out some good bushy options for planting.

The only thorny bushes that the dogs around here avoid is Barberry. It's not a rose, though, and I can't stand the darn plant. I ripped all of them out of our yard. If I'm going to grow a thorn bush, it better have roses on it.

:)

Chicken wire doesn't hold up to dogs.. I use the hardware cloth. I have 32 dogs btw.....LOL I DID resort to a shock collar for my one dog that jumps the fence. The climbers will be a few years before they get big enough to stop him.

3 roses I grow and really like but cringe when I get to close because of their thorns;

Traviata
Sombreulli
Crocus rose.

All are large, floriferous, hardy. They'll need some spraying (I spray once/month)

James Galway is a monster too, but no thorns so I'm not sure about using it.

We have a siberian husky who likes to dig but is pretty well behaved. She knows the spots I can tolerate the holes or maybe she just got tired of the thorns.

It is questionable that any amount of large thorny rose bushes will keep a determined dog from digging around, under, through, etc. Sounds like more likely either the rose(s) or the dog could become injured in the process. My last hope for an unstoppable dog was to hook up a hot wire box that we use for the horse fences, that can be bought in just about any farm or hardware store. We "predug" some of the favorite spots, and hung wires down from a straight wire above, into the holes. After about 3 years of non-stop digging and every remedy I could think up, the pup hit that hot wire once and only once. Never dug under a fence again.

Particentral, yeah I figured out about the chickwire the hard way. :) I don't even know what hardware cloth is but I'll check into it.

Dennis, thanks for the recommendations!

Harmony, the rose bushes will be to deter and/or slow down, not to prevent. We've talked about an electric fence but we also have rescued pugs that would potentially encounter it, and I'm not willing to risk zapping them with whatever level it would take to deter the big dog.

Stanwell Perpetual?

If a dog really wants to get out, a rose bush isn't going to stop it. Investigate the proper way to adapt a dog to a new home. This could involve crate training, a kennel, a professional trainer, etc. I've adopted many rescues. You have to take the time to form a new strong bond. Then they never want to leave.

I think we've strayed too far away from the topic of this forum. Thank you for all of your dog-related advice, and if anyone would like to continue this discussion let me know.

If anyone knows of any other varieties that I might want to consider for this, please let me know. And remember, I'm not expecting them to stop her, just slow her down a tiny bit or make her stop and think for a moment how much she really wanted to get out that day. ;)

I have a neighbors dog that climbs my fence. He did it this morning while I was closing the gate as I left for work...that is why I chose climbers. I doubt he will be able to climb over the fence if the climbers cover it!

Good luck with the dog. Some dogs do not get it. Not easily anyway.

My parents rescued a dog that is an escape artist. The rescue group would only let the dog be adopted by someone who did not have a fenced in yard. My parents are always out there with the dog and he is never left unsupervised.

My dogs have never been slowed down by thorns, only by thick growth. The only rose to give them pause is my gallica.

The rose bush you want is The Fairy. I also have rescued dogs and I have a beagle mix that has done hundreds of dollars of damage to my garden digging. She won't mess with The Fairy though. It's a beautiful low sprawling bush that bursts with pale pink flowers all summer and fall. She has about a billion really mean thorns. Shes a landscape rose and keeps those thorns low and dense. Better yet she will put down babies that take root and grow where her branches touch the ground. Fortunately she is almost disease free and you don't have to prune her.

She's shade tolerant, thrives on neglect and did I mention that she's almost constantly in bloom from June until hard frost? Since she's low you can put her in front of climbers to fill out the area.

Cassie is also an escape artist and I had her microchipped. I would suggest you do the same (along with an identification tag.) That way if the little darling gets out you have a good shot at getting her back.'

Here is a link that might be useful: The Fairy Rose

The Fairy sounds perfect, both as a dig-deterrent and for it's low maintenance and adaptability!

And yes, all our pups are microchipped -- though at this point, Penny is very well known by many of our neighbors and even the local police and animal control!

Good luck with Penny. :) If they love to escape nothing much deters them but I think a wall of the Fairy might come close. It's good that everyone knows Penny. I had a husky here for rehoming that was also an escape artist. I swear the other dogs would give him a hand up to help him get out of the yard. Fortunately Jack was very street-wise and watched for cars. His new home is pretty escape proof and he's happy there so he doesn't try to run very often anymore. He finally found what he was looking for. :)

The Fairy, Cherokee, Knockouts are all thorny. An excited or angry dog will not be deterred by these roses

I've got a question: how are you going to grow the rose into these larger shrubs that might deter the dog - without the dog digging them up or breaking the young growing bushes before they ever get a foothold?
As I've read this, I just couldn't help thinking back to the time years ago when I tried starting a hedge with two large Bouviers inside the chain link fence. I finally resorted to an electric line, but even that didn't stop the very determined and tough male dog, who just had to get right up to the fence to bark at the constantly barking collies next door. I finally gave it up as a dream not to be realized at that time and in that place.