Back when I lived in the country, everyone in the area had a dog. There wasn't much traffic on the road and there was a lot of space between the houses, with plenty of wild area for roaming. That's why you could expect to see friends' and neighbors' dogs while you were out. It seemed a lot like some of the dogs were just neighborhood dogs, but each of them know where to go when it was time to go home. When I started driving, I remember seeing my dog about a mile away from our house. I knew she'd had a good time exploring and getting into trouble, but she looked tired, so I gave her a ride home.
I do have some pretty happy memories of those times, but I also understand that it doesn't work like that today. Our streets are far busier than they used to be, and people are a lot more concerned about other people infringing on their space. Dogs may no understand clean street laws, leash laws, and property rights, but people do. Irresponsible dog owners mean that we even have to worry about lawsuits about our dogs. This is why most areas now have laws that say owners need to have a way to reliably keep their dog in the appropriate space. Even though I have some great memories of times when this wasn't the case, I have to admit it's not a bad thing.
There are many options available to achieve this containment goal. The obvious include traditional fencing or just keeping your dog on a leash every time he is outside. Some people choose outdoor pens or tying the dog to a cable. There are benefits and drawbacks to each of these methods. Finally, a method that is relatively new on the scene uses a radio frequency to establish a boundary for your dog (a.k.a. wireless fences or invisible fencing).
Let's take a quick look at some of the benefits and drawbacks to these methods.
Traditional fencing - Can be very effective if your dog is not prone to climbing or digging, but it becomes ineffective if a gate is left open by mistake. This is also a fairly expensive containment option and is usually limited to only the backyard.
Outdoor Pens and Cable tethering - This is very restrictive to the dog and the cable option has the potential for harming the dog if he gets tangled. In most cases that I've seen the dog stays in one spot in both of these situations, even when the pen is fairly large or the cable is long. Extensive use of these methods can cause stress to the dog that often translates to a variety of behavior issues.
Wireless Animal Fencing - This relatively basic technology will help you train your dog and teach him or her where the boundary is. It also provides some encouragement for your pet to stay in the yard.
We all know how the traditional methods work, so let's take a look at the newest one and how it functions. Here are some common questions about wireless fencing.
Why Wireless Dog Fences?
There are lots of reasons to pick this option for helping contian your pet. In many cases, your community may not allow a traditional fence, since community groups prefer an open look. However, even in areas that allow traditional or chain link fences, wireless fences might be a useful option. If you choose to contain your dog with this method, digging under or jumping through or over the fence is impossible. You can also give your pet access to both the front and back yard, and you don't need to worry about leaving the gate open.
This technology is based on a radio transmitter installed inside the home. It sends signals to a collar worn by the dog, which can detect its position. The user sets a boundary, and when the sensor on the collar tells it that the dog is about to leave the area, a warning tone sounds. Electric stimulus is used if the dog does not move back towards the transmitter. Proper training will allow any dog to quickly learn the boundaries and where to go to avoid an unpleasant stimulus. It's a very simple idea, though there are lots of features and options available on some sets.
People ask a number of questions when they first find out about this type of technology. The first one is whether or not it actually works, and the answer is yes. Ninety nine percent of cases report success.
The next question is, is it cruel? Well, this can easily be debated at length, but in my opinion the answer is a resounding "no". Not because the negative stimulus isn't unpleasant, because it is (if it wasn't it wouldn't work!). What most people don't know is that a properly trained dog may only receive this stimulus a small handful of times in his entire life (most during the initial week of training). In exchange for this handful of negative experiences your dog will obediently stay in his own yard and avoid the possibility of truly serious injury or possible death from getting hit by a car. In addition, your dog will avoid spending endless hours at the end of a cable or chain or prison-like confinement in a pen.
If you already have a regular fence, you may wonder if you need this technology. You might not, but there are a number of reasons you may want to have it anyway. If you dog always stays in the yard and is unlikely to leave if a gate is left open, you may not need this type of deterrent. However, many dogs feel like a regular fence is a puzzle they need to solve. They learn how to dig, chew, or push through a traditional fence. I've even owned a dog that could break welded wired fencing and pull apart chain link fences. When a storm was approaching, he could even climb some fences! If a traditional fence offers successful containment for your pet, you may still want to get some of the benefits that wireless fences can offer, such as access to the front yard and a deterrent to running through open gates.
There are lots of things you need to think about when you own a pet, and safe, successful containment on your property is one of the most important. Opening the door and allowing your pet to run where he or she pleases could be really dangerous. We need more today to be responsible pet owners than we used to, and a wireless fence can help.
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