Landscape border for pets
 

Has anyone used thick shrubs or ornamental grasses as a border around their backyard to keep a pet in or increase privacy. Any advice will help.

There have been some posts on this in the past, but IMHO, I do not believe there is any thick shrubs or ornamental grasses that will provide a suitable way to keep a pet in your yard. There are several that can be used for privacy, STAY AWAY FROM BAMBOO. Remember you need to keep your pet in and predators out. At a minimum chicken wire or similar may work if properly installed with the plantings, however this will not prevent the various flying predators and may not stop some of the others.
You may also need ARC approval for your project and depending on your lot there may be various setbacks or right of ways where you cannot plant. We have small pets, they never go outside, they are allowed in the birdcage, and it has pet resistant screening.

We have a hedge in our front yard. Lizards, snakes and wasps love it.

Do you want to leave the pet outside unattended? Or will you always be with him/her?

someone here uses a metal pen normally used with crates. they have small bushes in front, with this pen/wall behind it. it's for play use only, while you are out there with them. after playtime, the pen comes down, they put it in the garage until next time. may i also add the dog is pretty small, so would have a tough time knocking the gate over. (the owner remains with the dog the entire time)

No fences allowed. But feel free to build a giant birdcage over your entire back yard, so long as you honor the setbacks.

I guess you could say, fences are just fine, so long as your fence is 14' high and fences off the sky and the mosquitoes, as well as the neighbors!

Shrub for privacy
 

We planted podocarpus in the back that provides good privacy but I don't know if it would keep a dog in. Then that also leaves other sections of yard to deal with.

Birdcage is the way to go. If outside to open sky, the Raptors will take a small dog and there are other 4 legged predators out there as well so supervision is necessary. Again, birdcage solves the issue.

Also concerned about what the dog may find. A snake? A lizard? A scorpion? A dead animal? A recently-poisoned palmetto bug? Dogs will eat a lot of things that can harm them. Leaving pets outside unattended is asking for trouble

My neighbor has an underground electric fence. Her dog wears a sensor on his collar. I asked her once and she said it cost 8k installed. You can probably get it cheaper. That dog refuses to leave the property or go near the line.

Invisible fence Fence
 

We have an invisible fence and it works great. we dont let the dogs out by themselves.
Gary

they're good @ what they do, but it can't keep predators out. use with caution

This is why buying a courtyard villa is so important to me, you just can't enclose the outside space in houses built without a yard. I need outside space to let my dog safely run around off leash and let off steam. Walks aren't enough for him, and he's not good with large male dogs so we can't use the dog parks. He's a 70lb pitbull so I'm not really worried about predators. My main worry is him escaping and running off straight to the lake to fight alligators. (he'd lose!)

NO -- Podocarpus won't work!
 

Invisible Fences -- Too Risky!