Is 2 x 2 16 guage wire strong enough to cover the entire run?

[Knock Kneed Hen]

The back of the run is going to be solid. The front & side will be wire but it's going to be roughly 7-8ft. tall in the front. I have 6 ft. chain link but I'd rather have the fencing run from top to bottom.
I can only find 16 guage wire and figured I can run it in two rows. I have four dogs and I'm sure that at least one of them will be jumping up on the wire. I want it to hold and not get up bent up.

 

[patandchickens]

If you don't want it to bend, you need to look at something pretty strong and closely-spaced to back it up... either seriously close-spaced wood framing, or something like a heavy-gauge hog/cattle panel (covered with your smaller mesh wire).

I would not 100% trust the 2x2 welded wire they sell around here... I think it is something like 16 gauge, but the welds are pretty crappy, and although I use it for my cat run, I am somewhat skeptical how well it'd stand up to a concerted assault by a hungry dog or coyote whose dinner was just on the other side of it. VERY GOOD quality chainlink (not the thin weebly stuff they often sell these days) is probably safer IMO.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat