Invisible Fencing For Dogs

[TrillumHunter]

I finally got a puppy! She is a real sweetheart. I'll try to post a picture.

I would like to hear about anyone's experience with invisible fencing. Has anyone put it in themselves? I'm thinking I'll have someone come in, but I don't have estimates yet.

Thanks for any guidance you can give.

[Wolicki]

They can be absolutely great, as long as your puppy isn't a knucklehead If he is very stubborn, it may not do any good. If he's pretty calm and obedient, they can work like a charm. I used to have a chocolate lab when I lived ITMON (in the middle of nowhere). He was about 120 pounds and you could hear his brain rattle around in his head The fence didn't faze him. My female black lab was fine with it. Hope that helps!

[tarnalberry]

it can also fail if your dog is quite smart, as - depending on the size of the dog - they can learn to jump *over* it. also, if there is something they *really* want to get at; they'll just deal with the shock they get on the collar and go "through" the fence.

if it's at all possible, I would suggest a regular fence (we have chainlink, because the owner put it there before, and we just had to finish the enclosure).

they do work great for some folks though.

[Imanistj]

Congratulations on your new puppy. You are being a responsible dog owner by addressing how to keep her safe and still let her enjoy some freedom. What breed or breeds of dog is she? This is important because some breeds are very prone to escaping, no matter how well they are contained. I own four rescued/adopted Siberian huskies and they are among the most determined breeds to escape. Very few Siberian owners rely on electric fencing because Sibes want out so badly they are willing to get zapped. Also, dogs with very dense coats need the area under the electronic collar to be trimmed or shaved. I used to live near a family who had a Golden Retriever and a Labrador and the dogs never broke through the electronic fence. My first Sibe's original owner installed a cheap fence and that dog chose to go through it. I understand that top grade fences, professionally installed, work well. You will have to do very regular training with you puppy if you use this type of fence. I don't know much about the training but you lead the dog up to the flag that is located just inside the underground fence and give the dog the opportunity to hear the warning clicks emitted by the collar. The sound is softer from a greater distance and increases as the dog comes closer. If the dog doesn't stop in response to the sound he gets a jolt. The entire perimeter of the underground wire is marked by little flags while you are training. They help the dog associate the shock with that specific area. With experience, the dog responds to the increasing volume of the clicks and understands the boundary has been reached. My neighbor provided a very small area of his yard for the Siberian and the tiny area further frustrated the dog. The neighbors whose dogs always respected their fence had all of the property for their use. They preferred to lounge in the front yard so they could watch passing traffic and people. The fence does nothing to deter other animals from entering your yard and coming in contact with your dogs. If you have a little dog and there is a bully or a high prey drive dog nearby, your little dog could get killed. Also, any animal that comes to visit your dog will introduce her to whatever bacteria and viri it may carry. I hope someone on this list who has successfully trained his or her dog to use an electronic fence will tell you more. I moved to the country so I could afford to provide my Siberians with a full acre that is fenced with 6 foot chain link and reinforced with an electric fence wire like the ones farmers use to keep livestock from wandering. The wire is down close to the ground because my dogs are diggers and almost dug under the chain link and escaped. As I said, Sibes are escape artists. There are coyotes in the area and none has ever climbed, jumped or dug under my fence to attack my dogs. However, one of my neighbor's outdoor cats did get inside somehow and a Sibe snapped her neck. My Sibes have a very high prey drive and I never had them as pups when the best training takes place.

Good luck with whatever method you choose to keep your puppy safe. I would love to see a picture. Oh, BTW, you can buy top quality and grain free food at better pet stores. None of my cats or dogs eats grain so I don

[TrillumHunter]

She is a mixed-breed. She's half Jack Russell, and, allegedly, beagle/basset for the other half. She's a mutt.

So far, we think she's pretty bright. She fetches, sits, and waits already. I'm getting ready to take a puppy class with her. I'm excited to see what she can learn. My main concern is my cats. They leave the yard and I think the temptation for her to follow will be strong. Barring that, I can see her staying in the yard well. She won't ever be outside unless I'm home, so I'm not too worried about other animals coming in the yard. I home school my kids and I want her to be able to go outside and hang out when we're busy.

This is the first inside dog I've ever owned. She really is such a cuddly thing. She adores me and I am very strict with her. I've wanted a dog for such a long time. She came into our lives on short notice, but she is a good, good fit for us.

Can you tell I'm smitten? Wait until you see her!

[Swimmr]

Growing up we had a golden retriever...extremely smart, but for some reason he just looked like a completely brainless animal.

He would get close to the invisible line and it would shock him...he never put two and two together...he would just keep walking...zap....keep walking zap zap zap and a few bewildered looks from him like "WTH is going on?" and he'd keep going. I don't know if he was just that stupid or just very hard-headed.

[brigala]

We keep bluetick coonhounds, and they are notorious wanderers!

We use the PetSafe invisible fence along with their heaviest-duty stubborn-dog shock collar. AND we have a 4-foot chain-link fence.

Some of our dogs we've had over the years have done OK with one or the other, but the combination of the two keeps all the dogs safely in the yard. Our current male bluetick doesn't believe in fences, but he respects the invisible fence quite well.

Our previous male was prone to running through the invisible fence and jumping over the physical fence but he couldn't run through the physical fence or jump over the invisible one so as long as BOTH were functioning OK he'd stay home. One time the kids put his collar on too loosely and he decided to head down the driveway where we don't have a physical fence. When he got to the invisible fence line, he stuck his neck out straight so the collar hung down far enough not to make contact with his skin. He crept across the line until the collar stopped beeping and then he took off like a rocket. I was too far across the yard to stop him but I saw the whole thing.

Anyway, I think you can install it yourself. Just watch the video that comes with it and follow all the instructions.

[MaryJones2]

We keep bluetick coonhounds, and they are notorious wanderers!

I love coonhounds! My grandfather bread Blueticks and Treeing Walkers many years ago. They are awesome dogs. But yes, they are quite adventurous.

[luvs2eat]

LOVE me some puppies!! Congratulations!!

We bought the do-it-yourself fencing from Home Depot. We didn't bury the wire, but just laid it on the ground around approximately 3 acres. A few times (in about a year), we had to search to find a break and repair it where squirrels or something chewed it. It worked really well until Peaches (the knucklehead boxer) decided our neighbor was her best pal. She started jumping the fence... but ONLY on the driveway... my husband put more wire across there... so that she had to jump thru about 10 feet of shocking. It was pretty funny to watch her stand there and try to decide if it was worth it to jump. She mostly always would... squealing all the way. Our neighbor finally got her to wait at the end of the driveway... he'd come over and take her collar off... and then take her w/ him. They went everywhere together... till he died last year. We don't use it anymore. We live so rurally... she comes and goes and visits all the neighbors... everyone knows Peaches. She doesn't chase cars and we just have to make sure to put a HOT orange t-shirt on her during hunting season.

Good luck!

[digmom1014]

She is a mixed-breed. She's half Jack Russell, and, allegedly, beagle/basset for the other half. She's a mutt.

I have a Jack Russell and they are very smart. They also are very fast and can out run the shock of the fence. You have to ask the person that puts in the fence to adjust it for a speedy dog. It did not faze our dog to be shocked.

However, since they are so smart and you are keeping yours indoors, the following training techique took me all of a half hour to do. I took a small bell-jingle bell-and attached it to a piece of string I tied on the door knob. I taught Gizmo to hit it with his nose when he wanted to go outside. He loved being in control, however we had a fenced in yard that he went into. Being smart though, after "puppy kindergarten" your dog may come when he is called and you won't have to worry.

[tarnalberry]

She won't ever be outside unless I'm home, so I'm not too worried about other animals coming in the yard. I home school my kids and I want her to be able to go outside and hang out when we're busy.

Depending on her personality, you may find she prefers to be indoors with you guys - even if it's napping on the floor (or underfoot) during 'class time'. Neo is home with me during the day, and even if I'm doing something else (cleaning, reading, etc.) he much prefers to be inside, best where he can see or hear me, most of the time. (He also really loves just watching out the front window all day. ) My other dogs were like that - preferred being with the pack, rather than "playing" outside.

[TrillumHunter]

We ordered the wireless fencing today. I didn't even know that existed until a couple of days ago. There isn't any installing to it. I'm excited to train her with it. I think she'll get it pretty quickly. She stays close by, even off the leash.

I do think she'll be an inside pup. She hates the cold and does her business QUICK!