Keep Your Dog Safe With A Electric Dog Fence
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As a dog owner today, most of us are encountering new challenges with our dogs – that is – keeping them in our own yards – especially with ever restrictive leash laws. We know that you want to not only keep your dog safe, but you also want to make sure that he’s got plenty of room to run and get his exercise. You should try a dog fence.
Whether you elect to go to your local pet shop or shop online, you can find all the answers to confining your dog with the most reasonable method: Fencing. There are three options when it comes to confining your dog. They are:
The Traditional Fence
This is the option that most readily comes to mind – whether it’s chain link or wood, these are typically the choices of most pet owners. The right fence not only helps keep your dog safe and confined but it has the added benefit of keeping other animals out of your yard. If you elect to use a wooden fence in place of chain link it has the added benefit of increasing your privacy.
There are some drawbacks to various types of fencing – and they’re really dependent on your dog – if you’ve got a ‘digger’ (such as a terrier) they can dig under a wooden fence and get away quickly. Other dogs can actually climb a chain link fence and break away! The easiest way to overcome these obstacles is to make sure that you’ve trained your dog on his boundaries and by making sure that they aren’t bored by making sure they have company as well as plenty of toys to play with and of course plenty of water.
The traditional fence, although a great option, isn’t the only one. You may find that they are expensive to purchase and install, and some neighborhoods may not allow you to put up a fence. If this is the case, you should consider an invisible fence.
The Invisible Fence
The next option is an electric dog fence. This system uses an electric wire that are buried about 3 inches underground. Basically, pet owners outline the area they want their dog to remain in. This is hooked up to a central control box. Your dog wears a special receiver. It looks like a regular nylon collar, except that it has a black box with two metal nodes attached to it.
As the dog wanders and gets close to the set boundaries, the receiver will give out warning beeps. If the dog gets too close to the boundary, a small electric shock will go through the collar. The level of shock will depend on the settings, which the owner can control. The system is also equipped with flags. These warning flags will give the dog a visual sign that he has strayed too close to the boundary. As you train and work with your dog, he’ll begin to learn that he needs to back away from the boundary when he gets shocked.
Some manufacturers offer an invisible system that is wireless but works much the same way as the in-ground wire system, they are called wireless dog fence. The wireless system allows you to set the radius that your dog can roam before he receives a warning with a beep and subsequently a shock much like the in-ground system uses.
Believe it or not, you can install the invisible fence yourself, and the cost is less than installing a traditional fence. However, because there is no physical confinement, your dog can still leave the invisibly fenced area. If he gets further out onto the other side of the fence, the collar cannot receive signals.
Liabilities
Although you might see your breaking out pup as merely a frustration or a source of embarrassment, there are other concerns that you should be aware of. First, your dog can hurt himself, or worse yet, hurt someone else. While you might not think your dog won’t bite, if he comes frightened he might bite a stranger. Your dog could also damage someone’s property (digging up a flower garden, under a fence, etc) and you can be held liable for that damage. Sadly, your dog may also be hit by a car, or if a child begins to chase your dog the child could be hit by a car as well.
Many escaped dogs are looking for a mate. Spaying or neutering your dog could lower the chances that they will stray far from home. A bored dog will look for more entertaining things to do. Don’t leave your dog alone for long periods of time. Provide toys and rotate them to keep them occupied.
As our communities become more and more congested it is inherently important that we keep our pets properly contained not only for the sake of our community but for the safety of our pets. Make sure you make wise decisions about methods of keeping your dog contained for your peace of mind and to keep your dog happy, healthy and safe.
