Underground Dog Fence Effectivity

Sorry, just saw this.

I'm against them in all forms. First, depending on the pet, it can be bordering on cruelty. Second it doesn't prevent anyone or anything getting in. Finally, if you have a determined animal, it won't stop them anyway.

 

Agree. I have a beagle and when her nose catches a scent she goes, and no commands from me or canine common sense will stop her.

Related to point one, but I have coyotes, rabbits, fisher cats, and the nemesis of dogs everywhere, squirrels. Having the ability to freely enter and exit the defined area could turn into both a physical torture and a mental torture for my dog as the animals could essentially taunt her at the line.

See my first response. Although for beagle I would change determined to stoopid, or more generously one track mind when they catch a curious scent.

 

The other thing I've seen is that besides all the protests and explanations and defenses for such devices, they flat out don't work very well.

The practice is that you bury the wire and then for the first few weeks, you have little flags in your yard where the wire is buried so that the dog knows where it is. The wire emits a low RF signal that triggers the collar if it gets near and at first it vibrates. Then when it get's within inches it shocks. The dog learns that the vibration is a warning and remembers the coming shock so it avoids the flags.

After a few weeks you remove the flags and the dog still knows the boundary. Usually, at some point, the collar is no longer necessary either.

The thing is, that with most dogs (except a few breeds and the really stupid dogs ) that if you worked with them for a few weeks just by walking the edge of the property -- first on a lead, and then without one -- they'd learn the boundary anyway and respect it (for the most part).

I've had dogs for over 30 years, and more than one for 25 (currently have three) and if you have any risk of harm to the dog or others nearby, the only option you should consider is a physical barrier, aka fence.

 

That reminds me of a story.... A friend of mine kept his Lab on a long chain lead that he attached to his clothes line. The dog had pretty much access to the entire back yard and dog house. After a storm he noticed that poor Winchester had all of his hair burnt off. Needless to say, he never restrained his dog in that fashion again and the dog developed a deathly fear of lightening.