Keep Your Dog Safe With A Electric Dog Fence

Dog owners living in large urban areas encounter many challenges when it comes to confining their pet to their property. How do you keep your dog safe, while still allowing him plenty of room to run? The answer is a dog fence.

You can find all the answers to your fencing needs online, or at your local pet or feed store. Don’t be overwhelmed by the selection. There are basically only three kinds of dog containment systems.

The Traditional Fence

Most dog owners will usually think of the traditional fence before any other options come to mind. Chain fences and wood fences are usually fine options if you live in urban areas because not only does it safely contain your pet, it will keep other pets and strays in the area off of your property. Plus, wood fences have the added benefit of privacy.

There are some drawbacks to various types of fencing – and they’re really dependent on your dog – if you’ve got a ‘digger’ (such as a terrier) they can dig under a wooden fence and get away quickly. Other dogs can actually climb a chain link fence and break away! The easiest way to overcome these obstacles is to make sure that you’ve trained your dog on his boundaries and by making sure that they aren’t bored by making sure they have company as well as plenty of toys to play with and of course plenty of water.

The traditional fence, although a great option, isn’t the only one. You may find that they are expensive to purchase and install, and some neighborhoods may not allow you to put up a fence. If this is the case, you should consider an invisible fence.

The Invisible Fence

The next option is an electric dog fence. The invisible fence is installed by digging about 3 inches below the ground and running an electric wire throughout your property. Pet owners can decide what areas they want to confine the dog to and make an outline. Then, the pet owner will place a receive around the dog’s neck which is wirelessly connected to a central box. It looks and feels like a collar, except that there is a black box and two metal nodes on the collar.

As the dog wanders and gets close to the set boundaries, the receiver will give out warning beeps. If the dog gets too close to the boundary, a small electric shock will go through the collar. The level of shock will depend on the settings, which the owner can control. The system is also equipped with flags. These warning flags will give the dog a visual sign that he has strayed too close to the boundary. As you train and work with your dog, he’ll begin to learn that he needs to back away from the boundary when he gets shocked.

There is another alternative it is called a wireless dog fence. This type of invisible fence in wireless, so the electric wire does not have to be buried. Instead, the system utilizes a remote transmitter in conjunction with a collar receiver. You can set a comfortable radius like 10 or 20 feet, and the signal is sent to the collar receiver. The rest works just like the previous type of invisible fence, in regards to the warning beeps and mild shocks.

Most invisible fences are more affordable than traditional fencing and they’re also easy enough for you to install yourself. Unfortunately, since there is no real barrier (other than the shock) to your dog leaving your yard – and if they do leave the yard, the collar stops receiving a signal and therefore becomes ineffective.

Liabilities

Although you might see your breaking out pup as merely a frustration or a source of embarrassment, there are other concerns that you should be aware of. First, your dog can hurt himself, or worse yet, hurt someone else. While you might not think your dog won’t bite, if he comes frightened he might bite a stranger. Your dog could also damage someone’s property (digging up a flower garden, under a fence, etc) and you can be held liable for that damage. Sadly, your dog may also be hit by a car, or if a child begins to chase your dog the child could be hit by a car as well.

Sometimes dogs run away from home because they simply want a mate – you can spay or neuter your dog to help reduce this risk – they’re less likely to stray from home if you’ve taken these steps. If your dog is bored, they’ll often look for their own entertainment – and you can avoid these easily by not leaving them alone in the yard for a long time, provide them with plenty of interesting and fun toys (and change them often).

As communities continue to grow, it becomes more and more important to properly contain our pets. Choose the best type of fencing for you and your dog. It will give you peace of mind and keep your dog safe and happy.

Tags: dog containment systems, dog fence, Electric Dog Fence, fencing, invisible fence, Pets, wireless dog fence