Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My two dogs and I are moving from the city to a suburban house. We've heard a lot about invisible fences - has anyone out there used them and what do you think??? Thanks

My dad has used them for his dogs and he loves it.. It works so incredibly well.. For a while he only had a 35lb mix and it doesn't matter what's going on on the other side, she will not cross that line. Now he's training a young Irish Wolfhound and although she's a big, big girl already and she won't cross that line either. My aunt also has a huge black lab that won't cross theirs.

Most of them come with a video on how to train the dog to the fence. Use it, and the dog will likely be trained within a few days (although you'll still have the flags up in your yard for a few weeks). Just beware that for the first few months, depending on your dog's size, age, and tolerance for the shock collar, you will very likely have a few "accidents".. There will be an irresistable person or squirrel on the other side and the dog will just forget that the fence exists. Depending on the fence and the intelligence of your dog it may not work for you either. Our fence has a 3' radius around the wire. I've heard of some of the taller breeds like greyhounds and wolfhounds learning to jump over the signal area as if jumping an actual fence. That's why we have to be so careful with the new wolfhound's training.. already her neck is almost above the radius of the fence. Most are adjustable though, so you can make the radius bigger if you have to.

One final thing is that it you have a mastiff breed or even some larger labs, or any breed with a lot of hair like a Newfie, St. Bernard, or Chow, I wouldn't recommend it. Some of the mastiffs and labs are large enough to tolerate the shock from the collar and will run across the fence really fast so the don't really feel it. With the hairier breeds, often the prongs on the collar won't even touch their neck it will just rest in a pile of fur..

Hope this helps

I know some people have luck with it, but most people I know it doesn't work for them. We have 6 neighbors that have tried it and only 1 works for their dog. Maybe it was the owners fault, I don't know.

I don't care for them because it may keep your dog in, but it doesn't keep other dogs out, or other predators. IF your dog decides it is going to go through it, your dog won't come back through it to come back into the yard.

Everyone has to make their own decision about it.
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Melody/PHFasDog
Email me at PHFasDog

My furkids:
Shadow, Jadzia and Lyta.
Kira waiting at the bridge.

Dogs come into our lives, and too quickly go leaving pawprints on our hearts, and we will never be quite the same again.

The training methods described with the fence my dad's dogs have says that if they run it, you snap on a leash and walk them back into the yard, period. I didn't like it at first but it does work (with those dogs at least). However you have to catch the dog first.

I guess it works so well for my dad because he uses it to contain them to a few acres of the park that's on his property. The entire park is surrounded in 8' privacy fence but it's 20 acres so you could lose a dog in it. The invisible fence keeps them within a manageable space.. I never really thought about it but the privacy fence does serve to keep predatory animals out and if the dogs do get out they still have to stay on the property.. I guess it really does depend on your living situation as much as your dog..

Over the years, we've used two different varieties of invisible fence with our 5 Newfoundlands and before them, a Tibetian terrior. They haven't been without their downsides, but, on the whole, I'm a believer.

For one thing, most dogs do have to be trained and that can be a very painful experience (not so much for the dog, but for you the trainer). Your beloved pet MUST understand the risk and for most of them, that means actually getting the shock. Try it on yourself first, it ain't that bad, but it does come as quite a surprise. The flags are important, the dog has to understand the boundaries and it's your job to teach him/her.

Yes, it is not effective in keeping other animals out. That's one down side. If the wire breaks, a smart dog will figure it out quickly, and if so inclined, will take off. In the old days, if the electricity went out, so did the dog. These days battery back up minimizes that risk.