Invisible Fence Poll

[Fish80]

Vote early and vote often. I have a new puppy and I'm considering having an invisible fence installed.

[Lavabe]

Vote early and vote often. I have a new puppy and I'm considering having an invisible fence installed.

Will the invisible fence prevent the raccoon killing foxes/coyotes from entering your property?;):confused:

Cheers,
Lavabe

[BlueDevilBaby]

I think they are terrible, but they seem to work. I was visiting a friend in Nashville and had my little puppies with me. We took a walk around the block. Everyone seemed to have dogs and no fences. At couple houses the dogs came charging at us, scared me to death, then they abruptly stopped thanks to the invisible fence. Worked great, but these were all big dogs.

My parents set it up for their dog, a Yorkie. She jumped three feet the first time it zapped her. My brother's pug ran right through it. After all the work we did putting it in, it has been turned off for years now.

[Fish80]

Will the invisible fence prevent the raccoon killing foxes/coyotes from entering your property?;):confused:

Cheers,
Lavabe

The invisible fence will keep the invisible foxes and coyotes out but will not deter the visible ones. :confused:

Keeping the predators out is a good reason for a real fence.

Getting a new puppy is priceless!!!!!!

[captmojo]

I barely recall a story where a guy had the collar in his pocket and the dog ran away. Over the fence, ran the pooch with the owner in close pursuit.

And then?........Buzz!!!!!!!!!(By Whammo)

[blublood]

Personally, I think they're pretty useless. A really bull-headed dog will run right through it and they also do have a high cruelty factor. If you have enough land to stroll around on, I wouldn't think you'd need a fence anyway - just let the dog run.

[Windsor]

As others have said, the don't keep things OUT dogs, predators, children etc. Depending on the breed of puppy you are getting a highly motivated dog won't even slow down when they hit the fence 'line'.

As a part time trainer I've heard dozens and dozens of stories from people who had invisible fences and it always goes "...he always stayed in the yard. We have an invisble fence and then the other day...." something happens and the dog takes off and never looks back.

Once a dog goes over the fence line once they figure out in only bothers them for a second or two...and the fence is totally useless.

Get a real fence sturdy and secure enough to keep the dog in even when he or she is grown.

Congratulations on the new puppy...what kind of dog is it?

[throatybeard]

Invisible fences are awesome because they keep other people's dogs away from me. The nextdoor neighbor in Starkville had the hound of the freakin Baskervilles, and the one time Shalay went to his door to give him something, it jumped and clawed her in the head. Thereafter, we always stayed well outside its invisible fence.

[gvtucker]

I think invisible fences make dogs crazy. Seriously.

[devilish]

I have two invisible fence systems (one on the coast) and they are truly the best for my dog. He certainly can't dig out with it (unlike a real fence.)

It is not inhumane. I have been "shocked" by the collar at full blast before and it is not the kind of electric feeling like many think. It is more of an uncomfortable vibration (like captmojo's Whammo buzzer.)

Also, don't let your dog roam if you are anywhere near a street. I have had dogs to walk out into the road and get hit by a car. Sad for dog, you, and person driving car.

[Fish80]

I think invisible fences make dogs crazy. Seriously.

Please tell me more. I don't want to make my dog crazy.

[Cavlaw]

Had one for my dog when I was a kid, on a four acre lot. It worked great for nearly a decade, with only occassional mishaps when the dog was chasing something and went through the fence. Just remember to take the collar off when you're bringing the dog back across into your yard.

[CLT Devil]

My parents live on about 6 acres on a lake, and they were able to extend the fence out into the water so they can still swim far out. The collar beeps when they get close to the line, and they will absolutely not cross once they hear that.

It is crucial to have the company or a representative come back for about the first two weeks to train the dogs to the fence. You can have a hardheaded dog run through, but most likely it's due to them not being properly trained to the fence. I agree that is you live on a busy walking street a real fence would be better so that you dont get scared everytime the dog charges and then suddenly stops at the fence.

The best part is my brother and I both have dogs that are trained to my parent's house's fence, and have their own collars. When I take my dog, a German Shorthair Pointer who naturally likes to chase game and follow his nose, he knows exactly where the boundaries are because he's been trained to them.

A good deal depends on the type of property, but if you have a fair amount of land you can't go wrong with the Invisible fence. Smaller yards are less effective. Personally, I am a huge fan.

[wilson]

We've had one at my mother's house for about 10 years now, and it works like a charm. I second the comment that it's really not a shock so much as a discomforting buzz. Never once have my mom's dogs run through it, and both my brother's dog and mine are trained to it now as well (each learned it in about 36 hours), so they can be trusted in the yard when they go to stay at Camp Grandma. I would recommend it without any reservation whatsoever.

[Lavabe]

So let me see if I got this correct.

The invisible fence doesn't keep out PREDATORS. Thus, keeping a puppy in an invisibly fenced off area is basically a death sentence. Puppy doesn't leave the area. Predator comes and sees a puppy who won't leave the area. Predator attacks puppy.

Get a real fence.

Now if the fence kills mosquitoes, please give me information.;)

Cheers,
Lavabe

[captmojo]

So let me see if I got this correct.

The invisible fence doesn't keep out PREDATORS. Thus, keeping a puppy in an invisibly fenced off area is basically a death sentence. Puppy doesn't leave the area. Predator comes and sees a puppy who won't leave the area. Predator attacks puppy.

Get a real fence.

Now if the fence kills mosquitoes, please give me information.;)

Cheers,
Lavabe

Bats are our friends. Learn the bat. Love the bat.

[merry]

Our dog is half beagle. When we adopted him we were told in no uncertain terms not to try an invisible fence because if a hound picks up a scent he wants to follow he's darn well going to follow it. So bottom line I think it depends somewhat on the dog. But I also like having a real fence because it does keep out many other animals and deters people from wandering into my back yard too.

[gvtucker]

Please tell me more. I don't want to make my dog crazy.

Dogs without the collar can wander through the invisible fence freely, and I think it confuses the dog that has to stay inside the invisible fence. It seems as though the dogs behind the fence tend to bark a lot more at anything that walks by their yard, because they want to defend their territory, and then when something wanders inside the line, it kind of scares them.

It's all very anecdotal, for sure, so take this with a rather large grain of salt. But I've had a couple of friends take out their invisible fence because they thought the same thing. I'm also a pretty bad source because my dogs have a pretty sizable area to roam around, and most of the time they have no restrictions on where they can go. I do realize that this is just not an option for most people.

[CathyCA]

Everybody in my mom's subdivision here in Greenville has them, or at least they have the little signs on their mailboxes announcing the presence of the invisible fencing. I suppose they work. No dogs have chased me as I've ridden through the neighborhood on my bike.

I intend to put a fence in my backyard, and I don't even have a dog. Ten years of living in California, and I'm a fence person now.

[CLT Devil]

Lavababe....what 'predators' do you refer to? First of all I would not leave a 'puppy' outside unattended as they are not likely to be trained to an IF. If you're worried about something coming to attack your dog and your dog being unable to run away I suggest you either get a gun to dispose of the menace creature, ie coyote, fox, raccoon, etc, or just leave the dog inside. A raccoon can climb any fence and easily take out any fru-fru dog. A real dog, for example a GSP, can dispatch any predator. Maybe I don't understand or am from a different part of the country (NC), but there's nothing I would be afraid of unless you live in an area where vicious dogs are free to roam...than you've got a whole different problem on your hands...call animal control if that is the case.

What predators are you afraid of?

[wilson]

Lavababe....what 'predators' do you refer to? First of all I would not leave a 'puppy' outside unattended as they are not likely to be trained to an IF. If you're worried about something coming to attack your dog and your dog being unable to run away I suggest you either get a gun to dispose of the menace creature, ie coyote, fox, raccoon, etc, or just leave the dog inside. A raccoon can climb any fence and easily take out any fru-fru dog. A real dog, for example a GSP, can dispatch any predator. Maybe I don't understand or am from a different part of the country (NC), but there's nothing I would be afraid of unless you live in an area where vicious dogs are free to roam...than you've got a whole different problem on your hands...call animal control if that is the case.

What predators are you afraid of?

Seconded. We're pretty short on "predators" big enough to take out a dog here in Atlanta (as well as in, I'd guess, 90+ % of the residential areas in the US). If I lived on a big ranch in Texas or something, obviously I'd get a "real" fence. But for the real purpose it's meant to serve, namely keeping your dog safely on your property, an invisible fence is very effective.

[ForeverBlowingBubbles]

I have two invisible fence systems (one on the coast) and they are truly the best for my dog. He certainly can't dig out with it (unlike a real fence.)

It is not inhumane. I have been "shocked" by the collar at full blast before and it is not the kind of electric feeling like many think. It is more of an uncomfortable vibration (like captmojo's Whammo buzzer.)

Also, don't let your dog roam if you are anywhere near a street. I have had dogs to walk out into the road and get hit by a car. Sad for dog, you, and person driving car.

I almost died when running in high school - people with 2 big boxers had an electric fence - I didn't notice it when they came running out at full speed from the corner of my peripheral vision and heard them barking like crazy- I also didn't see the car speeding down the hill beside me - I got a matter of inches from being completely blasted by the car... it was in a nice neighborhood too.

[Lavabe]

Lavababe....what 'predators' do you refer to? First of all I would not leave a 'puppy' outside unattended as they are not likely to be trained to an IF. If you're worried about something coming to attack your dog and your dog being unable to run away I suggest you either get a gun to dispose of the menace creature, ie coyote, fox, raccoon, etc, or just leave the dog inside. A raccoon can climb any fence and easily take out any fru-fru dog. A real dog, for example a GSP, can dispatch any predator. Maybe I don't understand or am from a different part of the country (NC), but there's nothing I would be afraid of unless you live in an area where vicious dogs are free to roam...than you've got a whole different problem on your hands...call animal control if that is the case.

What predators are you afraid of?

Wilson/CLT: In a previous post on another thread, Fish80 mentioned about foxes bringing to his front yard a number of their prey. IIRC, he also mentioned coyotes. He also mentioned living next to a state park, so I am unsure what regulations there are for shooting wildlife. So yes, given my understanding of the situation from previous posts, there existed a very real prospect of free-ranging dogs (coyotes) in the neighborhood.

My response was directed towards Fish80's situation, that of bringing in a PUPPY (not some adult or big dog). Leaving the puppy inside makes sense.

My response about the fence was NOT a generic for some "real" dogs elsewhere, in NC or Atlanta. In a setting away from wildlife in "90+% of the residential US," I agree with Wilson. I had made an earlier post in this thread in which I asked Fish80 specifically whether foxes and coyotes were affected by the invisible fence. Fish80 isn't living in the region described by Wilson.

On a humorous note, as far as "fru-fru" dogs go, you'll recall the stories about the roaming packs of Shih Tzus (http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/01/offbeat_tiny_wi.html)?

CLT: Since you asked what predators I'm afraid of, leopards are the worst, with fossas a close second!:D Perhaps we need another poll, expanding on the venomous snake poll?;) For a great (and easy) scientific read about humans and their predators (over the last 2 million years or so), try "Man the Hunted" (authors: Hart and Sussman).

Cheers,
Lavabe

[Fish80]

:eek:

Thanks to all for excellent commentary.

Kayla, our new puppy, is a chocolate lab. She's a little over 8 weeks old, and completely loved already. She's either on or off, full speed for 20 or 30 minutes and then zonked out for an hour or two.

As Lavabe correctly states, there are predators in my neighborhood and yard, including foxes, raccoons, coyotes, and bobcats. The bobcats are a little bit of a concern, but they don't come near the house or near people. They are quite scarce. In my 8 years living here, I've only seen a bobcat once. Our local paper had pictures and an article another time.

I like the idea that a traditional fence will slow down some of the predators. But any of these predators can get over or under most back yard fences. For some reason, my wife won't let me install a 12 foot chain link fence topped with barbed wire. ;)

Kayla won't be left outside unattended. While she's a puppy, if she's outside, someone will be outside with her. When she's big enough to protect herself, and we have a fence, I'll install a doggy door so she can go in and out. Labs love to be outside, and are happiest with lots of exercise. She'll be my running buddy and will play outside.

I'm still on the fence about the choice of fence. For me, researching and analyzing is part of the fun. :)

[Windsor]

I live in one of the most heavily populated counties in Florida (in the middle of suburban sprawl) and we have coyotes....but even assuming there are no 'wild predators' you can't be sure that every dog that passes near you property is friendly or under an owners control. A dog charging to the edge of your property, even if they stop at the edge, is seen as a challenge to any other passing canine. Some will ignore it, some will not.

If you can be 100% certain that
1- no wild life capable of inficting harm on your dog (even if your dog 'wins' in the end) will ever enter your yard
2-every single dog that comes within barking distance is either friendly or totally under human control
3-every adult and child who passes will have the good sense NOT to enter your yard to 'say hello'
4-your dog will respect the invisible fence every single time something outside the fence attracts his/her attention

then by all means, get an invisible fence. If you can't be certain a solid fence is far safer for your dog. Even a solid fence isn't 100% secure, racoons can climb, coyotes can dig...but it is the best you can do short of being outside within grabbing distance of your dog each and every time they set foot out of the house.

As an aside, most of the rescue groups I deal with will not place a dog in a home with an invisible fence.

[Highlander]

Our family has 15-20lb dogs (usually terriers) and we have had invisible fences for years with a lot of success. Our dog knows the borders of the fence, and now won't even challenge the border, even when the collar is off. It's also nice b/c my parents and sister have the same systems installed at their homes, so when we visit we just bring our dog's collar and let them roam.

For about $100-150, you can install an invisible fence for a large backyard. Compared to a couple thousand for a split rail fence of the same size, it's a pretty cheap solution.

I've heard that people with bigger dogs have more problems keeping the dog in the fence. I also wouldn't reccommend one if you plan to leave your pet outside when you're not home. It is critical that you train the dog to understand how the fence works (there's usually a video that shows you how). Just throwing the dog out in the backyard doesn't always work.

As for annoyances, you have to replace the collar battery about once a year, and unless you check regularly there's no warning when the battery is running dead. Also, if you accidentally cut the wire (say with an aerator or shovel), the fence won't work until you repair the break. That could be a big problem if the line is buried and you don't know where it is broken.