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 You know by now that one of the best ways to
keep your dog safe and healthy is to keep him from running off.
Keeping your dog on your property can protect him from cars, getting
lost, eating toxic materials, and running into aggressive dogs or
other dangerous animals. It can also protect you from the liability
you have for any damage your dog might do to a neighbour’s property
or, in a worst-case scenario, an injury he might cause a person.
While the most traditional and some say, the
most effective way to keep your dog in your yard is with a ten-foot
fence and a locked gate, that's not always an option. Buried (or
electronic) fences are becoming a popular solution, but they're also
a bit controversial. Seen by some as a catchall answer to straying
dogs and by others as cruel and unusual punishment, these fences
have both advantages and disadvantages.
Here’s how it works
 Underground fences were first developed nearly
20 years ago, and they've been proven over time to be reliable.
Their installation is usually very straightforward; it simply
involves running a wire ‘antenna’ around the boundary of your
property or the area you wish to protect from your dog. While it is
recommended the wire be buried just below the surface for safety,
this is not always necessary and depends on individual
installations.
Your dog wears a collar that receives a signal
from a transmitter in your house or garage, via the antenna. When he
approaches the wire, the collar makes a noise to startle him. If he
keeps walking toward it, two metal connectors in the collar will
give him a mild static shock, or behaviour correction.
Pros
Underground fences require less maintenance
than the traditional kind. Bad weather or an overly enthusiastic
animal can’t damage an underground fence.
It also doesn't have gates that can be left
open by accident.
Dogs can't dig under an underground fence.
Also, dogs that are jumpers can't jump over one without receiving a
slight correction.
Your back yard looks much more open. The cable
can block off pets from a specific area of the yard, such as a
garden or pond, without blocking it from view. Also, buried fences
may be an option for homeowners who can't build a fence due to
neighbourhood restrictions.
Cons
With the underground fence, you still have to
train your dog. The fence is not meant to train your dog not to
leave your yard. You are supposed to train your dog not to leave the
yard; the fence simply reinforces your training.
 You begin training by putting up a line of
small flags where the cable is buried, (usually supplied as part of
a kit). You then put a cover over your dog's collar so he won't be
‘corrected’ and walk him around the yard. When he comes close to the
cable (and the flags), the collar will emit its warning sound. When
you hear the sound, say "no" and lead the dog away, showing him that
the sound means he should move away from the flags.
Once your dog has learned to associate the
warning sound with moving away from the flags, you can take the
cover off his collar and let him try wandering outside the
perimeter. If he ignores the warning tone, he'll get a small
correction to remind him.
The fence doesn't necessarily protect other
people or animals from your dog. An underground fence will not keep
people from coming onto your property. Children in your
neighbourhood could easily wander into your yard to play with your
dog, as could neighbours' pets.
The fence generally doesn't work on dogs under
six months old. Any dog that has a hard time learning commands,
whether due to age or cognitive disability, will probably have a
hard time learning to stay away from an underground fence.
Some owners object to "shocking" their dogs.
Though manufacturers maintain that the electrical stimulus from the
collar is a lot less than the static electricity you might pick up
from a doorknob, some owners feel that a traditional fence is more
humane. The correction causes no injury, however, and on some models
it can be adjusted to a dog's size and comfort level.
No one system is right for every pet or every
owner. The way you restrain your dog will depend on your
environment, your needs, and your dog's size and temperament. For
more information on underground fence solutions please
visit our shopping area. |
