Sunday, August 2, 2009

Has anyone ever used an underground electric fence and had success?

I am considering getting and underground fence for my dogs. I have heard so many different things about them. I was wondering if they really work. I have 2 pit bulls that are very energetic. I take them for longs walks everyday, but they like to play. It is so hard for them to play in the yard on a leash or a chain. They always end up getting tangeled. I just want them to have some kind of freedom, but also be contained. I do not plan leaving them in the yard when I am not home, so I don't think I will have to worry about them running away if the power goes out. Any suggestions will help, Thanks
Answers:
I HIGHLY suggest a different type of fence that might be a little easier. We use an electric "fence" that has a transmitter instead of wiring. The hub just sits in the house and it transmits a signal over a certain radius around our house- a million times easier than burying a wire! It still shocks them just the same, beeping before they hit the edge of their allowed roaming area so that they are forewarned. Let me know if you want more info and I'll find the exact set we have (which was found much cheaper on eBay!)
yea we've used it, it's worked on the bigger dogs, but my little girl kept getting out =) so it's iffey, it prob lowers the chances
yeah just make sure its one that shocks them
Yeah, and It really saved me from a lot of worry. I could let my lab out without worrying about him getting hit by a car or running away.. It may be kind of expensive, but it's worth it.
My grandparents had one for their dog and it worked great for her.

Good Luck.
dogs bolt if something on the other side more interesting; they take the shock and then know not to return b/c of the shock ; fenced in yard is better than electric fence; one mistake can be costly to pet and neighbor
We have one and love it. My neighbor also has one for her pitbull and rottweiler dog and they are fine with it. Take a few days for them to learn but its worth it.
We've had 2 different fences. The first one we bought from the pet store and installed the line ourselves, it never worked right. The 2nd one is from "Invisible Fence" company. They came out and installed everything then came back and trained the dogs for us. We have 2 bulldog mixes who weigh about 80lbs. They were both scared to death of it for about 3 years then the female ran through it a few times and lost all fear. We increased the zone to the max range and strength, we even put both collars on her so she would get double zap. She'd just yelp and keep going. Bad part is once they're out they are blocked out. She never wanted to return back to her own yard bad enough to take the sting again. She would just pant and look at us like "help". She was more aggresive than the male. We ended up having to have her put to sleep when she snapped at a very little boy. All I can say is good luck. The neighbors hated it. The dogs would run up to the line barking which looked to the neighbors like they were coming after them. They never knew what to expect and neither did we.
Your mileage may vary, but there are breeds the industry doesn't recommend to be placed on an underground pet fence system. This includes breeds that have a high prey drive, or tolerance for pain, such as with Grayhounds, the AmStaffs and Pit Bulls.

If you decide a system is right for you and your pets, you have several choices. There are several excellent do-it-yourself systems on the market (brand names include Innotek and PetSafe), as well as several professional installation %26 training companies (Invisible Fence, Pet Stop, Dog Guard). You will want a quality system that offers static correction that ramps, or intensifies, the closer the dog goes to the boundary wire. The system should also offer a tone correction before the "shock" occurs. You should consider a battery backup system and a lightning protection system for times when there are storms or power outages. Be sure to often check the batteries on your dog's collars. And, as you said, never leave your dogs unattended in the yard, no matter how well they seem to respect the yard's boundary.
Yes they work.

We have/had dog(s)that we trained to use the fence. Once the fence is put in you will have the edges of the yard, where the dogs can go, marked with little flags. Then what you do is put their "outside collar" , have someone help you and go for a walk. When you get to each flag slap it and in a meaningful voice say NO. This lets them know they can't go there. Don't get dog to close they get zapped, not harmful but makes them run back into yard or at least that is the idea. First though they should hear a real loud sound like a whistle, this is like a warning and if they keep going they get zapped. When you feel ok to come off leash put treats in pocket and let them out. If they get zapped and run to you yelping tell them they are good and give a treat. When they come back in house take off there outside collar. It takes time for both you to get use to this. Also after a few times with outsid collar on let them out on own, then call them in.

Good luck :)
Yes they work

But...

The fence doesn't prevent other dogs/animals from getting into your yard. And that being the case, if God forbid your dogs are attacked in any way, they know they aren't able to leave the yard because of the fence - then what??

Personally, I don't like them, but many swear by them.. I guess I'm just one of those people that think, what if....
I have used an underground fence for some time now. At first I was lazy and did not bury the fence - big mistake. It got sliced many times. Last spring I finally took the time and buried it using an electric edger that dug a narrow line 2 inches deep - just enough to get the wire underground. My 2-year-old dog Max was then trained using the border flags and walking the border on a leash for 2 weeks. At that point he was off the leash. He has only been "zapped" twice and that was enough for him. Each week I would take away every other flag up until one month. Max has been completely trained ever since and has not once escaped the fence - even when the pretty dog next door was in heat! Max is a German Shepherd/Norwegian Elkhound mix with very thick hair. He does wear the "Stubborn Dog" version of the PetSafe collar - but only because that is the one I bought - not necessarily because he needed it. PetSafe has excellent customer service. At one point, I had called them because I could not get the collar to work. No questions asked, they replaced the collar free of charge. Just a note - this does not keep other dogs, animals or people out of your yard, just keeps your dog in. I have had the occasional passerby harass my dog - luckily the fence truly works and keeps Max in but I can't say that would be true for all dogs when provoked. Right now I am in the process of adopting Maya - a 6 week old pup - and am hoping to get her started once she reaches 10 weeks or so. We'll see where she's at at that point. One other thing - there are many people who disagree with using a shock collar for any reason. Of course I do not want to harm my dog and the best way to ensure that he is safe from the perils of the road and give him the freedom he deserves was to train him on this fence. A couple of harmless shocks was all that it has taken for our peace of mind. Hope this helps!
Yes, it works BUT you NEED another source than just an electric underground. They will still brave getting out, and then they cannot come home because everytime they get within range they get shocked. two, other dogs can come in and harass or injure your dogs. ALWAYS have more.
Yes, I've had great success with it for my GSD and my daughter's GSD, but I started when they were babies, 3 months, but if your patient, walk the lines with your dogs to show them where the vibrations happen, they should learn pretty quickly where they can or can't go. I don't think it's an actual SHOCK like people say. I've held it in my hand while crossing, and yes, I've thrown it and screamed out of "what the hell was that"? but it was a vibration, not an actual shock.

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