This is the corner they fight at the most, so this is where I’m thinking I need a barrier added

Turn the fence into a solid board fence. Then plan for deep shrub borders with a mix of deciduous shrubs, evergreen shrubs, and small trees. Within that, decide on how you want to use the yard--patio, dog run, vegetable garden, etc.

Shadow boxing fences is an hoa requirement 😤

You can run an electric fence inside the physical fence which will keep your dogs back off the fence. That is how I keep my dog out of the horse pastures and riding arena, and off the driveway.

Theres no way you’re going to keep the dogs away from the fence by planting something. That’s not going to stop them - they’ll just trample it.

Electric buried dog fence is the way to go. Or another fence-within-your-fence. Which probably wouldn’t pass the HOA.

Personally, I’d build a dog run for them and never let them into your main yard. Dogs constantly snarling and barking would be hugely annoying to me. A dog run would be less stressful for your dogs and corral their bathroom business to a smaller area for ease of cleanup.

Your back yard is naked. This fall you should go down to the nursery and buy as many shrubs as you can afford. The shrubs preferably flowering, should be tall shrubs, like rose of Sharon, lilac, etc. There are many Roses make good borders with their thorns, and their flowers. Plant them along the fence. I would start in the corner where the dogs fight. You may have to install a temporary fence in that corner until the shrubs are large enough to with stand the dogs. In a couple of year you will have a pretty safe yard for you and your dogs to enjoy. Next year do the buy more and include a some trees.

Hard structure are only going to amplify the noise level and not going to give you a satisfactory long term solution.

You certainly do have a large space and a blank slate. My first step would be to get a landscape / garden designer to draw up plans for me. First the hardscape - and I certainly would expand that patio! You give no clue to your location so no suggestions plant wise or anything from me. I’m going to make an assumption that most HOA rules cover front yard, fencing & color of house. Are you allowed to have a storage shed in back yard? I see something that looks like one in your second picture in a neighboring yard. That would be the first thing I’d put in & I would want a ’nice’ one compatible with house design & color. Then I’d want at least one tree but what kind & where depends on the overall design & plan. Then & only then would I start installing hardscape & plants. This isn’t a one season project but you might be able to get tree & shed in place before real winter sets in - depends on how fast things work in your location.

ETA: Part of my landscape design would include a lighting plan - hard wired in - lights along walkways & in planting beds to spotlight certain speciman plants. And, since you have a riding mower, thinking that the landscape plan should accomodate a clear & easy path for the mower to cut grass & navigate around any planting beds.

The backyard is definitely naked. I’m in Zone 8b. I just had a landscape designer do the front yard, and I didn’t think about the backyard after the huge investment we made with the front, but I’m also trying to maximize planting season time.

Zone 8b covers a lot of territory - I also am in 8— are you anywhere near SW WA state? I think you’re on the right path doing the front yard first. That’s what the neighbors & guests see first after all! So, did you like the designer who did your front yard? It is a huge cost but you can take it in steps. First is drawing the plan. Installing hardscape & setting up a ’nice’ shed is probably not a DIY job. But, installing all the plants certainly can be & maybe installing lighting & the drip irrigation system for watering all the planting beds too. You can save lots of $$ by having a plan drawn & doing the purchasing & planting on your own & over time instead of all at once. Again, the tree is the first thing I’d want to get in the ground and this is a great time of year for that. But, where to site that tree? Depends on the entire planting plan for the back yard!

I’m in South Carolina. I plan on getting a shed, and I may stick it in that corner. I have the largest lot size, so I have a lot of room to play with. I know long term I would love to be able to drink my coffee on the back porch and not have to get a stick to beat the dogs off the fence. At our old house, we put in a raised bed and French drain because we had a poor drain system and the fence line would get flooded. The dogs would run out there, fight the dogs and be covered in mud. Here at the new house though, we have no drainage issues but everywhere we go we have dog fighters 😂

I agree developing an overall landscape plan first (with the help of a landsxape architect or designer) is the best way to approach your backyard project even if it means you have to hold off on doing any work this fall. Figure out if you want a shed, hardscape, lighting, dog fence, irrigation, water feature, etc. Consider using perimeter trees strategically (both evergreen and deciduous) perhaps planted in low berms to block the view of neighbors’ houses/windows/outdoor lights if they shine in your yard.

At one time I thought when landscaping was to prevent animals from causing damage. Several years ago I switch, to let the animals do what they want, but harden your landscape to prevent damage. Example when we moved into the house we bought many Small azaleas, because the deer kept them trimmed back to a small size. After about 8 years the plant reached a size they could provide food for the deer and still grow larger. Now We only plant bushes and shrubs large enough to feed the deer and grow at the same time.

One other thing I learned if you have a chipmunk problem let on establish a dominant position and he will keep the others from the area.

What a pretty yard! You have so much room! I like the idea of extending the covered patio. Not sure of the budget but a place to grill , a TV w sitting area and a fireplace (if in a colder area) would be nice. A water feature off of the patio would give a peaceful affect. I would extend the beds out that are close to the house (if you don't extend the porch), plant a tree somewhere toward the back of the yard (oak, teddy bear magnolia-there are so many choices). In the back corner you could add a bed with a Savannah holly for the tall feature in the back. Along the back flowerbed, Viburnums toward the back of the bed would give you some privacy. You have room to build an area for a fire pit w some Adirondack chairs towards the back if you like that idea. Our local nurseries will give free advice if we go in with pictures. You may want to call around and ask or show up w some pics and see if they will help you. My dogs don't bother the flowerbeds. You could always use treats w positive reinforcement to train them not to go into the beds. Having an irrigation system would be important to keep up with the landscaping.

My first thought was also to put your garden shed in the corner where the dogs fight. I assume you will want storage for the lawnmower and other tools. Then I also thought you need trees, maybe fruit if they grow in your zone and maybe other that would eventually give you shade. Also agree that you need a plan before you start. You have soooo much space you have many options for hardscaping. Deck, pergola, fire pit……ever thought about a pool? You have a great size yard for one…… maybe the dogs would be more interested in the pool than fighting. That last suggestion is just a pipe dream, really as it’s a huge investment. I’m rambling, others have mentioned the electric fence for the dogs and if that works, it may be worth the investment. Good luck and keep us posted about what you do. Would love to see what the front yard looks like considering you worked with a designer.

debra

If you live in zone 8, then probably you can grow Camellias, azaleas. etc. About 11 years ago we found a first year magnolia seedling grown next to my daughter air conditioner. To day it is a beautiful tree of about 15' and the spread provides some shade. There are so many plants that grow in you Zone, you should have no probable finding something.

I would recommend you go to the local arboretum or look at the land scraping around some of the large companies in your area. Pick the things you like for your yard, not what someone else things you should have.

another vote for training your dogs, it is possible, and all the work you put in now will give you loads of benefits later quadrupled, exponentionally, a peace of mind and good relaxed doggos

before you run off buying shrubs willy nilly,

think about creating spaces, where do you want screens/ privacy where some kind of vista and a focal point

what do you want to do in your garden / what kind of areas are required?

and try to be open minded about the choices of plants dont get stuck with the clichees and buy "pretty" which cant handle your soil or demand tons of water in summer

not familiar with your climate

evergreens tend to be fussy

go for woody plant stuff with several nice aspects in a season, like flowers, friuts and fall color

flowers only last for about 3 weeks, just sayin...

some Acer provide that or AMelanchier

excellent advice from KR KNuttle to check out local arboretum or botanical garden

“Everywhere we go we have dog fighters.”

Ah. This tells us a lot. Perhaps your focus should be on dog training and not so much on your fencing.

My dogs are older dogs. We have tried training, but I feel like the other dogs instigate my dogs. I swear I think my neighbors wait until my dogs go out and then they let their dogs out. They don’t dig, they just growl at the fences and run up and down.

You might consider a design with a fence inside of this fence to provide some buffer for your dogs. I have two neighbors with dogs that attack the fence and the section where I have a low fence a few feet away (and plants between) really reduces the conflict. One other section of yard is too shallow to add a second fence and I have to deal with a neighbor dog that aggressively attacks the fence and I constantly have to redirect my dog so she doesn't fixate (smelling and thankfully not barking after much training). I completely understand your pain.

If your yard was mine, I would design planting beds all along the fence line including trees, shrubs, flowers, etc and a lower see-through fence betweet the planting bed and the grass. The dogs may still bark, but the separation should help a lot. Plus you will get lovely privacy and landscaping from having the fencline softened with trees and plants. You could definitely use some of that area for garden beds as well, but you'll want walk ways along all sides of the garden beds.

Have you tried socializing the dogs?..introducing them?…is this possible?…getting them acquainted?…if this works you could put a section of open fencing where they could “visit?”….even hiring a trainer to make this happen would seem well worth it…

The same theory of befriending the neighbors …will definitely make all this easier….

I just moved out of zone 8a in SC and had the same problem with fence fighting. The dogs all got along when they were on the same side of the fence but not when separated. I landscaped our entire back yard (0.65 acres) as well and loved Dystilium. They are easy to plant, tolerate the intense heat and sun of SC and stay evergreen. The variety 'linebacker' can get 10' x 8' and grew moderately fast, for me. They are really easy to care for and are dense. The dogs could not get through that easily after they started to fill in the gaps of how they were spaced. Dystilium has many varieties. I used 'linebacker' for its size. Good luck!

Well, their dog has already knocked the nails out of one end of the fence boards, so when we went out to grill, I saw the head of a German Shepard in my backyard. The joys of homeownership. I think they would get along if they weren’t behind fences. My dogs are sweet dogs and very careful with my toddler, so I don’t see meanness in them which is why it’s weird to watch them bark up and down the fence line.

The dogs won’t be living for long. I think it’s more taking this huge backyard and maximizing potential opportunities. I have zero green thumb but I am loving learning about plants and gardening

My dogs and our former neighbors' dogs are super sweet too. One is a service dog, but I suspect they are just being dogs: letting each other know whose property is whose. IF you like the dystilium, they are perfect for 'no green thumb' people. Have fun learning about gardening.