Electric Dog Fences The Facts

By Andrew Strachan

Electronic dog fences are intended to be used as a control device for your dog. They are designed to keep your dog within a specified area, either by means of an electric shock, unpleasant noise or offensive smell. Electronic dog fences can be a mixed blessing though. Not only for humans but for your dog also.

The electronic dog fence will consist of a wire that is buried in the ground around the perimeter of where you want to allow your dog freedom. When the dog strays too close to this wire, a signal is sent to the dogs collar that will in response, administer the deterrent to your dog. This has the effect of discouraging your dog from straying over the boundary.

Although electronic dog fences can be quite expensive, they have the big advantage that they are invisible to the eye. This means that they can be used in areas where front or back fences are prohibited. So for somebody without a yard or area where their dog can be kept, they can be very advantageous.

Unfortunately, they have their disadvantages too.

The first problem is that most dog owners will use the electronic dog fence as a substitute for proper dog training. It is a quick fix and can be very frightening for a dog that is not used to the collar. Most dogs will not immediately associate the shock, or noise from the collar with the fact that it has strayed outside of its boundaries. For nervous dogs especially, or dogs that have been adopted from rescue homes and may have history of abuse, this type of punishment control can be very disturbing for the dog.

Also, if your dog is not correctly trained to understand where its boundaries are, what happens if the system fails? Electronic dog fences can be shorted (by lightening or careless digging). Your dog is then free to go wherever it pleases. Additionally, a very active dog (or an un-neutered dog finding a female) may stray over the border and then have trouble returning home due to the repeated shocks he might be getting.

Above all of these problems, it should be considered whether giving your dog electric shocks as a method of training is an acceptable method of dog training in the first place.

With all that said, your decision whether to get an electric dog fence should be weighed up against the pros and cons of other types of fence. Small fences can be jumped by larger dogs. Chain link fences can be unsightly and are not allowed in some areas. In some cases, an electronic fence may work out to be your best option.

When it comes to dog fences, there is no one size fits all solution. Consider all of the facts like breed, personality, size, your living circumstances, health of your dog etc. and you can decide if an electronic dog fence is for you (and your dog.)

Article by Andrew Strachan. Find out more about dog behavior training and types of dogs at http://www.types-of-dogs.com

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Dog Training Invisible Fences

Many rural developments are springing up, developments, which are governed by "home owners associations". Sometimes these groups insist on a ban of regular fencing because it will mar the beauty of their development. In such cases, some dog owners consider the installation of an invisible fence. Invisible fences consist of underground wires, which will carry a current when a dog wears a collar. The collar will buzz the animal when it gets too close to the fence. The theory is that this will stop the dog and deter him from going further. Sometimes this is effective and sometimes not.

There are certain details, which a property owner should consider before installation of an invisible fence. For one thing, dogs who are long coated may need to have the coat around the neck area shaved so that the electric current can make enough contact with the skin for the dog to feel it. Also, dogs whose bodies are so constructed that they have loose folds of skin (called dewlap) beneath the chin may also have fewer nerve cells in that region and may be less affected by the electrical current. For another thing, there are dogs who are completely unaffected, in other words, they could care less. They may get the shock but it does not matter to them because whatever it is that they want on the other side of the fence motivates them more than the shock deters them. Unless such a dog is trained to respect the boundaries through some other manner, the invisible fence will not matter.

The age at which the dog is introduced to the fence is important. Animal behaviorists recognize that puppies have definite "fear stages" which will occur during certain periods. Usually for most puppies, this is around the eighth week and again around the eighth month of their lives. This theory has been well researched and documented. When a puppy is introduced to the electric or invisible fence, the owner needs to be aware of the puppys fear stages and whether or not the dog is psychologically ready to accept such a shock. If the puppy is in a fear stage and the breed of the dog is also a breed, which can be quite timid the invisible fence can do more damage than good, traumatizing the puppy so much that he doesnt even want to be outdoors at all. Also, puppies who are naturally quite timid and submissive in their behavior, regardless of their breed, can react in much the same way. When the electric collar is on the puppy, owners must be aware that they should be present to watch for such adverse reactions and step in with positive reinforcement when the dog is stopping before it approaches the "zapping zone" of the electrical current.

There is another side of the picture to consider also. Invisible fences only work for the animal who is wearing the collar. Property owners with such fences often overlook the fact that their yards have no protection against possible predators or such dangers as packs of wild dogs, who have no barrier to cross to enter their property. Small dogs have been known to be attacked by predators who would not have been able to enter the premises if there had been a normal fence preventing their entrance.

In any case, people who are using invisible fences for the containment of their dog need to realize that using such a fence requires some vigilance and some training of the dog or it may not serve its purpose.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Dog Training

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