Thoughts on invisible fencing?

LauraMax

LauraMax

Cathlete
I might be relocating & will not be buying again. So I'm wondering if I need to limit myself to rentals that already have a fenced yard, or if invisible fencing is an option? It seems kind of cruel........but I have a 12 YO pug who is very stubborn & not so bright. The puggle wouldn't leave the yard if her life depended on it, but the pug is a wanderer. I'm afraid he's gonna just put up w/the shock & then head on out into the street & get hit by a car. I'm also wondering how effective it really is--I've heard it does not deter stubborn dogs. And, of course, does it hurt? Is it even a humane option?

Input please!
 
I'm with you - cruel. Electrocution is never an option in my book. Think about when you've accidentally shocked yourself in your past - it hurts. I wouldn't willing inflict that on anyone or any of my pets. And, like you, I have heard that some animals will still go right through it anyway. I'd go for the real fence, or try a long leash on a stake or a lead line - a pug isn't really big enough to pull that out of the ground.
 
Laura,

I have mine for about 6 months now....and not only do I LOVE it so does my golden retriever. I only put the collar on him when he goes out. I keep it on my washer next to the door that goes outside. He puts his front paws on the washer and nudges his collar like lets go put this on me so I can go out. If you train them and it does not take more than a week they do love the freedom and you do not have to worry. I am totally for it. I even shock myself just to see and it is not bad at all. It gets their attention and once they learn the boundarys all is good.

Hope it helps!
Therese
 
Hey Laura!

Although a physical fence is the optimal choice for a backyard, if you want to be out front, an actual fence is not an option most places. We have lots of people in our neighborhood that have the invisible fence and the neighbors that have it are very pleased.

But I am surprised to hear you may be moving! I had to cancel out on the road trip last year due to my little guy having a refracture of an arm so I didn't get to see you (I am assuming you went - I never followed up on the threads). So hope all is well and any move you may be making is positive and what you want!!
 
We have an invisible fence and it works great after the training. It keeps our dogs in, however, it does NOT keep predators out. We have therefore a chain link fence off the porch and that is where they stay at night or when we are gone for a day.

I tried the collar out before putting it on my dogs. It feels kinda like a real bad hit on the funny bone, so it does not give the dogs pain per se, just a weird feeling.
 
Katerchen said:
We have an invisible fence and it works great after the training. It keeps our dogs in, however, it does NOT keep predators out. We have therefore a chain link fence off the porch and that is where they stay at night or when we are gone for a day.

I tried the collar out before putting it on my dogs. It feels kinda like a real bad hit on the funny bone, so it does not give the dogs pain per se, just a weird feeling.
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This was what I was going to warn you about. It may keep your doggie in, but other animals are not kept out. You have to be careful about that part, depending on where you live.

The collar can be set to different intensities. Like Katerchen said, it isn't a horrible pain. It's just a reminder. I think most dogs learn pretty quickly and aren't constantly shocked.
 
I also have an invisible fence. My chocolate lab has only been shocked once or twice. The collar chimes an alerts when she is close to the line.
 
gratefuldog said:
The best money we ever spent!! Love it! I have had it for all of my dogs over the years. Long ago we had the most stubborn Alaskan Malamute. It worked on him, my terrier, and all of my boxers.
Yes, it is quite a shock to humans bare skin. However, when going through a dogs coat of fur, the current does not pack quite a punch, due to the moisture on our skin.
As for other predators, this is a concern only if you plan on leaving your dog unattended. I never leave my dog outside when I am not at home. If you will be doing that, then I would consider a real fence. The invisible fence is great for when someone would be home.
good luck with your decision!
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I agree wholeheartedly. Best money I've spent. But I never leave the dog out when I'm not home.
 
I had a wireless colar, when I had 2 dogs. There is alot of training involved. For one of the dogs it was great. The other dog was a different story. He acted like it killed him (115 pd. rottweiler) even though it was on the lowest setting. It was sad. He went through it and it zapped him but he kept going so it keeps zapping for a min.. It seemed like 10 min., hearing this horrible yipping noise the dog was making. He developed a complex because of it and would only stay right by the house. So my point is, there is training envolved, and for some dogs its great for others, no. Sorry this probably didn't help out.

Sarah
 
Hmmm sounds like it may well be an option. My only other option would be to pay to have fencing installed on someone else's property. I don't know if I'm willing to spend the $3000-5000 that would cost, unless I ended up spending the rest of my life there..........but the invisible fence is what, a couple hundred?

I'd thought about the predator thing too. Not from an animal perspective--the job is in a beautiful beach community & I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have to worry about anything more than seagulls--but from a dognapping perspective. The pug w/his bad teeth has absolutely no defense, plus he thinks the entire world loves him. The puggle is extremely submissive & even though would probably have a wicked bite, likely wouldn't use it. But it might be tough to catch her. She runs fast & tries her best to hide from the world.

So much to consider, but need to get that job first! Thanks so much for the input, it's helped set my mind at ease when it comes to housing issues. :)
 
We purchased one because our golden retriever started digging out. There are many different types out there. I wanted one that had the noise and vibrate option, not just the shock option. I also wanted to buy it from a company that had a return policy in case it didn't work out.

Wishing the best with the potential job and move.

Jean
 
We put our invisible fence in ourselves and it is not very expensive at all that way. The main cost is in the labor.

One of our dogs learned pretty fast, like in one day: the 85# weenie, afraid of our 8# cats dog. The other dog is more stubborn but seems to be trained now. He went through a phase where he would run through, but only in the evenings. Not sure what that was about but he hasn't done it in awhile.

We live in a neighborhood where fences of any kind are not allowed so this was our only option. Others in our neighborhood just let their dogs run free (rural, scantily populated), but we didn't feel comfortable or safe doing that. DH has shocked himself with the collar and said it's not bad. Our dogs are on low settings, though.
 
FWIW, the breeder where we got our dog had in the contract that we could NOT have an invisible fence.
 
We love ours and our dogs have not crossed the line in the 4 years since we put it in. If you train them properly you can get away without them ever feeling the static shock (fyi, it is not "electrocution"). There is a beep that warns them when they get within a certain distance of the line and you can adjust this distance.

Our dogs will chase bunnies up the yard at top speed and stop instantly before they even reach the boundary. Agree with the others that you should always be around so you can keep watch over your dog if you don't have a real fence.
 
Also wanted to add that our breeder was not keen on selling us a puppy when we told her about the invisible fence. We provided her with documentation on how it works and how they are trained and she even called the Invisible Fence company to discuss. In the end she was fine with it.
 
Hi,

I just know that with our Wire Fox terriers instinct to chase anything running on the ground, no fence, no matter what happens to them for that second is going to stop them!
 
Newf Mom said:
We love ours and our dogs have not crossed the line in the 4 years since we put it in. If you train them properly you can get away without them ever feeling the static shock (fyi, it is not "electrocution").
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I wasn't going to chime in on this thread, but I do have an experience to share with you all.

I'm ashamed to admit that I listened to a trainer several years ago, and purchased a shock collar for my male boxer. We were having problems with our boxer at the front door and this "trainer" told us a shock collar was the best way to stop our dog's behavior. I believed him, he trained police dogs for goodness sake:rolleyes:.
I took my boxer to this guy's training class with shock collar on, and kept shocking with no response. I did not realize the pain I was causing my poor boxer. You see, boxers are a very proud & tough breed, they often hide their pain. My poor boxer was enduring my repeated shocks without ever flinching. I thought the collar was broke.

All I know is by the time the class was over, my boxer was stressed beyond anything I had ever seen. His lips and mouth were fire engine red. I went home and put the collar on myself...mind you not my neck(a more sensitive area), but held it in my hands. I shocked myself and threw the collar across the room because it hurt!. I'm sorry, IT HURTS! It is electrocution.

My sister had an invisible fence and came home to her dog getting electrocuted over and over because the collar shorted. She removed the fence.

I personally would never agree to anything that involves electric shock. I would walk my animal out on a leash for every bathroom break, enroll in doggie daycare, or a dog park so my dog could run free for play and take my dog on long walks.

I never went back to that trainer again. I searched for an animal behaviorist who practiced NILF method, to help us with our front door situation.
 
LauraMax said:
I'd thought about the predator thing too. Not from an animal perspective--the job is in a beautiful beach community & I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have to worry about anything more than seagulls--but from a dognapping perspective.
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The predator's in our neighborhood are off leash dogs. My female boxer was attacked twice by a lab left to roam off leash.
I can't tell you how many people allow their dogs to run out the front door off leash and what's worse...have no control! I wish people would learn not to let their sweet little dog off leash unless they have total recall!!!:mad:
 
Electric shock, yes even the "mild" type, causes stress. That is why it it the method of choice in anxiety studies for inducing anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder.:(
 
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