[Labracadabra]

Anyone have experience with invisible fences--good or bad?

I'm trying to figure out how to enclose my back yard. The invisible fence might work best for us, but recently a Washington Post story pointed out all kinds of problems with them, such as the fact that some dogs go right through them anyway and wander. I know it is supposed to be mild, but the idea of zapping your pet....


:shock:

 

[annieG]

Are you thinking of using it to put your dog outside and leave it unattended? or are you thinking of using it when you are outside with your dog?

 

[lmtoth2]

One of our neighbors has an invisible fence and they have the border come all the way to the sidewalk. Their dog escapes the fence everytime we walk a dog by their house. I always make the dog go back inside his zone but I'm always afraid the poor dog will run into the street one day.

My advice is if you are planning to do one, make the border of the fence be far away from the street/front of your house. I know that many people have great success w/these types of fences...just make sure you get really good training.

 

[annabelles mom]

If you are considering using it when you are out with the dog, it might be ok

For using when do is out alone, I would say def NOT, Invisible fences are not a safeguard at all, if a dog sees something, or someone they want, there is a very great chance they are gonna run thru that fence - my sister put one in her yard, both her golden's routinely went out of the yard at full speed then would not come back in because they would get close and get shocked.

Once they figure out they can go thru it, they probably will continue to do so, my sisters dogs did, as did one of our neighbors dogs. Another neighbor was going to have one installed but when the fence company came, they say how big hank was and talked to them about Hank - who loved to wander to everyone elses house to socialize, they would Not guarantee the fence would keep him in, so J&B did not put it in

It does NOT keep other animals out, so there is still a great potential for your pet to be attacked by a wandering animal

If you do decide to put one in, I would never leave my pet out in the yard unattended


Good luck

JMHO, I'm sure there are others out there who think they are great

 

[Labracadabra]

Are you thinking of using it to put your dog outside and leave it unattended? or are you thinking of using it when you are outside with your dog?

Well, I had thought both (attended/unattended) but I am getting the picture that unattended within an invisible fence is likely a bad idea.

It's nicer visually to see the yard, but maybe there's a way to partition off a section for safe dog running (all those 500s!).

Thanks for your advice!

 

[cocoandjane]

I had a friend use the invisible fence in her fenced backyard
...to help train her dogs to stay out of her gardens....
but she recognized that to have only that sort of fencing
wouldn't guarantee their safety....as they could run through it
.....Another friend had labs and they learned quickly not to
cross the line....they never even had to keep it on after they
got the hint.
I think every dog is different and there are certainly are no guarantees.

 

[Nicole]

Our invisible fence works great for us! I have my front yard and back yard wired seperatley. She goes potty out back and is only in front when supervised. It only took her a handful of "tests" and she will get nowhere near the line now...no matter how tempting the fun dog that is walking by looks!

I actually feel better that I have one because when I open the front door and if she would dart out, I know she won't leave the yard. Our neighbor's dog almost did a "dance" with the school bus one day because she ran out the front door and darted across the street to see the kids at the bus stop just as the bus was coming around the corner.

I also know people that the fence DOESN'T work for. What they all had in common was that they did it themselves. I'm not sure if that is why but I wanted a proffesional to make sure that everything was just right. I have a box in my garage that tells me if the circuit is broken, so I always know that it is on. I also have the largest correction zone possible. Our correction zone is 4'.

I know these fences are not for everyone, but in our well developed neighborhood it's great for us. The lab down the street doesn't wear his collar anymore because he just WON'T leave the yard (I wouldn't risk it...but that's me).

 

[sandy]

A neighbor said he had an invisible fence as his golden retriever charged Nicky and me when we walked by on the street in front of his house! I don't know where the fence was, but it sure didn't work to keep that dog on his property! His border collie stayed in the backyard while this happened.

I'm really annoyed when I walk Nicky on a leash in my own neighborhood and other neighbor's dogs bother us! The retriever was loose, but I also have problems with people who walk dogs on retractable leashes and don't control them.

I don't think I'd rely on an invisible fence. My backyard came with a high wooden fence, for which I'm most grateful!

 

[Jac]

I have heard of people using them with good luck, but I can't imagine using one. First, as mentioned above, if they are really motivated they can and will charge through the fence...THEN...they don't want to come back because they will get shocked coming back in the yard!
Another reason has been mentioned too, it doesn't prevent other animals from attacking your dog. It only makes your dog more helpless if that happens.
Another consideration is that most people know the value of a Doodle now, and I would be very worried about someone stealing the dog!
Nope, I am in favor of really good, high fences! Double fences are even better.

 

[cocoandjane]

Very good point, Jac....about others stealing your dog
....being so visible to the area without a fence would worry me.
People around here have had their dogs stolen from their fenced yards...due to an unlocked gate.

 

[annabelles mom]

thanks for remindin me Jane, we have padlocks on all 3 gates to fenced yard

 

[cocoandjane]

Hooooray!! I sure wish we didn't live in a time
when locking everything was so necessary!!
But I am very cautious anymore....locked gates
to keep my pups in and intruders out is a must....
maybe if I lived out of the city more, I wouldn't worry
so much, but in this metroplex area there are just too
many incidences of trouble.....some of which include people's pets.

 

[my Boo]

I'd recommend using a regular fence instead of an invisible fence because the risks associated with an I.F. system can be high. I know they work for some people, and I totally respect that, but we've had really bad experiences with I.F.s.

Once I accidentally shocked myself while holding the collar and it hurt like HECK! (I dismantled the system after that! :wink: )

Our first dog was scared of the invisible fence collar because it would get set off by random things (being too close to the tv was one.) And one time we forgot to take the collar off when we took him for a car ride and he got shocked when we drove out of our driveway. I felt so terrible.

Our friend had an invisible fence and her dog got stuck under their parked car once (not sure how) and got shocked continuously- very traumatic.

And last summer I picked up a stray dog (wearing an I.F. collar) that was running loose on a busy street. When I met the owner he said that their I.F. was new and that the dog kept running away because she was scared of it. She was a senior dog too.

I also read about a Portuguese Water Dog (on an I.F. system) that would freak out whenever someone tried to leave the house because the dog thought the people would get shocked. (Isn't that SO something a doodle would do too! Trying to protect their humans.) The dog would pull on their coats, jump on them, do anything to try to keep them in the house.

And there have been a number of dogs on I.F. systems who have been mauled by loose dogs that enter their yards when the owner is gone. (The dog with the invisible fence collar is essentially a "sitting duck" if he doesn't have a doggie door or somewhere to escape.)

Anyway, sorry for all the depressing stories. I'm just not a fan of those fencing systems.

 

[evervescent]

I've had an invisible fence for 20 years. Its success is entirely dependant upon the dogs personality. I had 2 dogs (1 husky mix and 1 lab mix) that would not stay in it for anything. We had the fence cranked up to full power and its largest boundary, but they both just plowed through it. I must say that the husky got through every fence including a 5 ft chain link and a 6 ft privacy fence. The only thing that held her was pairing the invisible fence with a chain link fence so that she couldn't get close enough to the chain link to focus on getting over it.

I had 2 dogs (a great dane and my current dog Ginny) that I would completely trust to stay within the boundaries of the invisible fence attended or unattended.

I don't think Ginny has ever even received the shock correction. The first couple of weeks you only train them with the beep. Then after a couple weeks of training, you turn on the shock that comes after the beep. She's never wandered near the boundary to get a shock.

I would say that the only negative to the invisible fence that I have encountered is that it doesn't keep other animals out...so if you have a dog that isn't fixed and you're not constantly with them, there might be trouble.

We have 5 acres of yard, field, and woods fenced with invisible fencing.

 

[Labracadabra]

I must say that the husky got through every fence including a 5 ft chain link and a 6 ft privacy fence. The only thing that held her was pairing the invisible fence with a chain link fence so that she couldn't get close enough to the chain link to focus on getting over it.
[/quote]

Wow! My husband used to have a husky who was a wanderer. Maybe I should remind him of those days when he balks about putting up a fence for the doodle!!

 

[Cinsmom]

I've not had an I.F. but we had a neighbor that did. They had 2 German Shepherds, beautiful dogs and quite friendly. I can't count the times we would find them on our front porch. They always got up and greeted us like it was their house and we were their owners. They were well treated, always went home once they were caught out of bounds and the power was turned off. I thought it was kind of funny how they bragged about this fence but couldn't keep their dogs contained! The dogs just liked our front porch!

But there is always another side. My son has a neighbor that has a Golden and has an invisible fence. Even when Cinnamon and I walk right by his property, he stays in the fence. Barking furiously, but in the fence. So I guess it's up to the dog, but I don't trust them.

 

[MaxandMe]

i know many with success to Invisible fencing but for me
being on 6 acres with tons of wildlife (deer red fox, badgers, oppsums, beaver, and more) along with a 70ft wide and 16ft deep creek
and add in the fact that Beau isn't neutered

i'd rather be safe than sorry

i hope to put up chain link fencing by late spring/early summer

 

[seazr]

The think that concerns me about invisible fences is any dog without the controller on can enter the area . . .