Foo - In ground electric dog fences

Ok - my lab/border collie mix is an escape artist it turns out. I hate crating her all day, which I've had to resort to. Not only that but when I'm home and I let her out in the back yard I pretty much have to go out there and watch her. I'm thinking the only solution is one of those in ground wireless fences that sends a little zap to the collar when the dog gets too close. I was thinking of getting this one:

http://www.pet-super-store.com/html/Basic-In-ground-Pet-Fencing-System.html

Mainly because its cheap and I've spent a bazillion dollars on dogs already this month. ;) Any thoughts or suggestions for a first time dog owner? :)

This is a great entry level electric fence system.


ahahahaha entry level dog fence.

My friend has one of those for her dachshund. The dog has free reign over a few acres with no fence. I think she said it took about three weeks and the dog knows the borders of where he can't go now. So she doesn't use it anymore.

I asked her if it hurt him, she said it didn't appear to.

They don't seem to work from what I hear, although I have -no- first hand experience with the systems. I've heard first hand of some of these systems malfunctioning where they will shock the dog to death or insanity (zapping it 24/7 for days on end), and other stories where the dog doesn't even notice.

The other worry is that if the dog is running fast it may go through the electric fence regardless of the shock and then get shut out.

The other worry is that if the dog is running fast it may go through the electric fence regardless of the shock and then get shut out.

I have a physical fence also. She's pretty fond of digging holes underneath it though. The in ground electric fence option would just keep her from digging holes, and the physical fence of course will keep her from running through it.

Here are some reviews from another forum I'm on...

http://www.ultimatedressage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=126994

We have the PetSafe. I think Radiofence sells metal stakes to hold the wire down while the grass grows over it. Get the heavy irrigation wire. There is also a wireless one a friends uses and you can take it with you. It extends to a 90 ott radius.

We have had it for about 6 years. Works great with our Lab but does not work well for some knucklehead dogs.

http://www.petsafe.net/fencing/in_ground.php?c=28&xc=16

http://www.radiofence.com/dog-fences/petsafe_dog_fences.htm

Very good warranty for lightning and good service.

A neighbor has a pair of weimaraners that are contained with the invisible fence. I have never seen them outside of the fence perimeter. They act just as mean and vicious as a dog behind a fence but are the friendliest dogs once you get inside their "fence."

They don't seem to work from what I hear, although I have -no- first hand experience with the systems. I've heard first hand of some of these systems malfunctioning where they will shock the dog to death or insanity (zapping it 24/7 for days on end), and other stories where the dog doesn't even notice.

We have never had a problem with ours---and we have three 80-lb. labs and a 65-lb lab/golden retriever mix. If they are trained properly, and the fence is set up properly, they should not get out. We have over an acre, and it has worked great for us.My one boy, who is now three- did bolt through it once when he saw our neighbors "foo-foo dogs"--toy somethings or other (they looked like the mitt you would use to wash your car), but the shock he took going through it sent the message, and he hasn't been through it since.

Part of the training is to stand on the outside of the fence with dog treats to see if they will go through it---and they just sit there, and, in their own doggy way, they flip you off.
Ours has been a God-send for our canine carnival, and they do not even thik of getting close to the border.

Tim C.

My dog is neither inground nor electric, so I cannot post in this thread.

My dog is neither inground nor electric, so I cannot post in this thread.

Good grief, you sound like one of my former students! :D

My dad contains a 160 Rottweiler and a wolf hybrid with one. Works fine, but power outages can cause a problem if the right distraction shows up. Goober wants to eat the big brown truck (all others ar fine, he got clipped by UPS once) and once dragged a St. Bernard into the yard by it's head, but otherwise never an issue.

We have never had a problem with ours---and we have three 80-lb. labs and a 65-lb lab/golden retriever mix. If they are trained properly, and the fence is set up properly, they should not get out.
Training is critical. I know people who've had success with shock fences and collars, and other people it didn't work at all for. An invisible fence does zero against a charging dog -- they run through it full throttle, get shocked as they leap 6 feet in the air, and can't get back in. That's why they have to be trained to recognize the border properly.

As a matter of principle, I will not subject a dog to anything that I am myself afraid of. A few years back, I strapped one of the collars, turned it up and those things can REALLY hurt. I was literally knocked off my feet. There's no way in hell I'd subject any dog less than 150 lbs to what I did to myself. If you get one, train the dog properly and be sure you have it dialed in to an appropriate setting.

Yeah, i've zapped myself with one of those collars, not fun. I wouldn't use it on anything less than a +100lb dog, even if the stun is adjustable. Problem is, I don't think it can replace training. Because it actually trains the dog the incorrect principle, that the discomfort is temporary. I've known plenty of dogs that had figured out that the zap only last for a few seconds and then you're home-free. They just get a fast running start, hop over the fence and keep on going as fast as they can to get out of range...

I am going through this with a lab/border collie too. I reparied all my fencing when I moved in and replaced about $10K. Slowed the Lab/collie down for hummmm about 5 min. Seems it really does not have to jump the fence, kinda climbs over the chain link part. I dont know what else to do besides an electric fence. I hate shocking a dog though, but I dont think there is any other way to keep this dog from running off. Usually he runs around the neighboorhood and comes back but he has already got hit by a car once. I will wathc this thread. Let us know how it goes.

I am going through this with a lab/border collie too. I reparied all my fencing when I moved in and replaced about $10K. Slowed the Lab/collie down for hummmm about 5 min. Seems it really does not have to jump the fence, kinda climbs over the chain link part. I dont know what else to do besides an electric fence. I hate shocking a dog though, but I dont think there is any other way to keep this dog from running off. Usually he runs around the neighboorhood and comes back but he has already got hit by a car once. I will wathc this thread. Let us know how it goes.
If you already have a chain link fence, you could combine it with an electric fence. You can make sure he gets an auditory warning as he gets closer to the fence and only get shocked if he's right up on it. You don't have to shock the crар out of him to get the desired effect -- all you need to do is get him to keep a little distance from the real fence so he doesn't try to escape.

just run the wire inside the chainlink?

My dog is neither inground nor electric, so I cannot post in this thread.

I remember the electric light up dog you posted a looooooong time ago. :)

That was you right?

Guys and gals - I have a physical fence too. There is no way the dog can run through the "invisible" fence without running through the real one. Just want to keep her from digging under it is all.

Guys and gals - I have a physical fence too. There is no way the dog can run through the "invisible" fence without running through the real one. Just want to keep her from digging under it is all.

That's the best use of an electric fence I have ever heard of. They do occasionaly fail of course, however it sounds as if your dog will not have the excitment (chasing) motivation that a dog might get without a physical fence in place too.

Great Idea for constant digging! I wonder if the makers of the fences market them this way too? Might be good to protect a garden adjacent to the dogs area.

A favorite prank phone call that i came up with when i was about 15...

Call up invisfence, start to ask them how much a 10x10 square would cost. Often they'd question why such a small area, if not you just tell them anyways. You explain to them that "the lady" i outta town this weekend and that there is a big game on TV and that you can't be bothered to watch "those damn kids".

I don't think i sounded too manly at 15, so i'm surprised how many people came across so baffled and appalled by my proposition.

This is hilarious, my lab/border collie mix is Harry Houdini and can literally jump a standard 4 foot chainlink fence, so I invested in the PetSafe fence when he was a puppy. It works great, but keep the receiver box where you can hear it if it gets a break in it. I had to run the wire over some sidewalk and lay quikrete over it, and there are other places in the yard where tree branches can break the wire, (I have a big, weird yard.) Make sure you keep the batteries fresh, as well. My dog is like the velociraptor from Jurassic Park, as soon as that thing quits working, he figures it out and bails. Then I get a call that he's run up to some stranger at the grocery store and jumped in their car because he loves to go for rides. This is why I never take his ID tags off. He's amazing.

Also, to all the PETA-nutz, it gives a warning beep well before the actual shock, and since I would never shock my dog with something I had not tried out on myself, I can say from personal experience that the shock is not painful but distinctly uncomfortable. The dog responds to the warning beep, not the shock. Use the training guide that comes with it and it works well, and is vastly preferable to keeping a dog on a chain all day or letting him roam free so BikeForum members can post about how they were attacked by a dog.

This is hilarious, my lab/border collie mix is Harry Houdini and can literally jump a standard 4 foot chainlink fence, so I invested in the PetSafe fence when he was a puppy. It works great, but keep the receiver box where you can hear it if it gets a break in it. I had to run the wire over some sidewalk and lay quikrete over it, and there are other places in the yard where tree branches can break the wire, (I have a big, weird yard.) Make sure you keep the batteries fresh, as well. My dog is like the velociraptor from Jurassic Park, as soon as that thing quits working, he figures it out and bails. Then I get a call that he's run up to some stranger at the grocery store and jumped in their car because he loves to go for rides. This is why I never take his ID tags off. He's amazing.

Also, to all the PETA-nutz, it gives a warning beep well before the actual shock, and since I would never shock my dog with something I had not tried out on myself, I can say from personal experience that the shock is not painful but distinctly uncomfortable. The dog responds to the warning beep, not the shock. Use the training guide that comes with it and it works well, and is vastly preferable to keeping a dog on a chain all day or letting him roam free so BikeForum members can post about how they were attacked by a dog.

Conditioned stimulus...

This is hilarious, my lab/border collie mix is Harry Houdini and can literally jump a standard 4 foot chainlink fence, so I invested in the PetSafe fence when he was a puppy. It works great, but keep the receiver box where you can hear it if it gets a break in it. I had to run the wire over some sidewalk and lay quikrete over it, and there are other places in the yard where tree branches can break the wire, (I have a big, weird yard.) Make sure you keep the batteries fresh, as well. My dog is like the velociraptor from Jurassic Park, as soon as that thing quits working, he figures it out and bails. Then I get a call that he's run up to some stranger at the grocery store and jumped in their car because he loves to go for rides. This is why I never take his ID tags off. He's amazing.

Also, to all the PETA-nutz, it gives a warning beep well before the actual shock, and since I would never shock my dog with something I had not tried out on myself, I can say from personal experience that the shock is not painful but distinctly uncomfortable. The dog responds to the warning beep, not the shock. Use the training guide that comes with it and it works well, and is vastly preferable to keeping a dog on a chain all day or letting him roam free so BikeForum members can post about how they were attacked by a dog.

Will the shock zap them somewhat; the answer, of course, is yes. But if they are trained, they will not take the zaps. I also live on a state route here in beautiful northen Ohio, and I would rather them get a zap then get hit by a semi. I have taken a jolt from the collar--it was nothing that I liked, but I thought seriously that it would not harm the dogs. I actually feel tha chaining up a dog (in my case four) all day is actually more cruel..this way the boys can run and enjoy my entire yard.

Tim C.

I agree, I think they can potentially work well when combined with a physical fence.

I would recommend against using them on their own.

Oh, also to be clear, I have a chainlink fence, but the dog is uncanny and the radio fence is all that keeps Melvin in it.

My dog is neither inground nor electric, so I cannot post in this thread.

a bit of concrete and a shovel and we can solve part of that.... ;) :D

what? I kid...I kid...