Does the underground or "invisible" dog fence really work??

Question

Does that shock really hurt the dog? Ideas on cost? And will it keep other dogs out of ur yard? My moms moving to a new area and the house has no fence...But she would like to let the dog out in the yard with the kids with no leash...Thanks

Answer 1

Chell: invisible fences only work on non-aggressive dogs. If your dog does leave the property despite the shock, he's NOT going to want to come back because he'll be shocked again. Also, the fences do NOT keep other animals off your property...the only animal who receives a shock when he crosses the invisible line is your dog who is wearing the shock collar. We just put up a physical fence for our 2 boxers and are very happy with it. It's worth it.

Answer 2

Great question!!!
I have an invisible fence as they are called and it is amazing!
Its contains the dogs very well and still allows them a lot of space to play around. This fence really only works with dogs that don't have a mindset to break through no matter what the cost. The fence does not hurt them, rather gives an electrical shock when they pass over the wire underground. The fence gives the dog(s) a warning beep when they are too close and that will tell the dog to back off if he/she doesn't want to get shocked. The cost varies. The Invisible Fence Company is expensive but will train your dog for you and give good advice. There are lower cost brands at stores such as Petco but you can't be sure of their reliability. The dog will get a collar to wear while in the fence and you will get wire to install underground. A company will install it for you. If you want more info go to: http://www.invisiblefence.com/ Hope this helps!

Answer 3

It works great. It is a buried wire that broadcasts a radio frequency that is strong within a short distance of the wire. The dogs wear a collar with a radio receiver and a pair of spikes that are connected to a high voltage low current power supply. When the receiver picks up a signal because it is close to that wire buried along the edge of your yard it beeps and then turns on the shocker. As soon as the dog backs up the shock stops. It feels like when you shuffle your feet on a wool carpet in wintertime and get a shock from touching a metal object in the house. It does not feel like being in the electric chair.

It will not keep a random dog from crossing the line since they would not have their collar on.

You need to train the dog by walking with it on a leash and showing it that if it tries to cross it will have a problem and if it backs away it will not. If you are too lazy to do that the dog will repeatedly try to cross and will get painful burn marks on its neck. That is a sign of a bad owner not a bad fence. Any dog that is trained will be back from the invisible barrier so quickly it will not (even accidentally) get hurt.

I have heard of really tough dogs with really bad tempers that will run through the "fence", ignoring the pain, and end up on the other side of it no matter what. I have never seen any dogs that really do that (including knowing friends with some very large and aggressive dogs) but it is a legend.

Answer 4

I hear they work real well. I have not gotten one yet but will be getting one soon. I have a couple of friend who have them and they love them. There dog stays in the yard just like they want with out having to put up a fence. They do shock the dog but it does not hurt them. You have to train the dog you can't just put the fence in and put the dog out side you have to teach the dog where the boundaries are so they know. I don't think it will keep other dog out of your mom's yard. The cost is dependent on which system you get and how many collars you need and if you install it your self or have it done professionally. Hope this helps

Answer 5

As others have said, it works well for some breeds but not others.

It is ineffective against Siberian huskies (which is why I won't place puppies/rescues with anyone who wants to use one!)

Seems to me that it works best on dogs with:

1. Short coat -- the electrodes can't get to the skin on double coated/heavily coated breeds.

2. Low drive to escape/chase -- if they want to get out of the yard, they'll take the shock and run anyway. If they're mellow and just need a "reminder" not to go past your yard, the fence will work.

As others have mentioned, the drawbacks to this kind of system are:

1. The fence doesn't keep dogs from coming into your yard and bothering your dog. Only the dog wearing the special collar (i.e. your Mom's) will be affected by the "fence".

2. If the dog ventures outside the boundary, they will be shocked for crossing back into your yard just as they were shocked for crossing out of it -- which may result in negative associations with the area.

Not sure about cost.

Answer 6

Skip the invisible fence.

Yes the shock hurts, no it won't keep other dogs out of the yard. Many dogs will also run through the fence. If the dog sees something it can't resist it may "take the shock" to get to it. However getting a shock to come back in, isn't worth it, so the dog ends up lost.

I've also heard stories of dogs running through an invisible fence, getting shock and then becoming to scared to run out of the shock zone. These dogs panic and freeze, become stuck in the shock zone and keep getting shocks until someone comes to get them.

I have also seen these ruin once happy friendly dogs. Some dogs just can't handle it. I've seen a couple that after that first shock, they basically retreated to their houses and wouldn't come out again. I've also seen dogs become aggressive after their owners got the fence.

They aren't worth the risks, have your mom go for a real fence instead.

Answer 7

I guess that it depends on your dog. I have 2 American Bulldogs and it did not work for me. They would run out of the yard like they were trying to get away from whatever was biting them. I have a large yard with a field beside of it that I keep my horse in. I have a electric fence around it so I just added on to it and fenced in my back yard with the electric. It works perfect nothing comes in and nothing gets out. It is way cheaper @ $130 for everything and @ 1 hour worth of work. It only took 2-3 days and now I do not even have it turned on, my dogs stay clear of it and the neighbors dogs avoid my yard at all cost.

Answer 8

The shock dosen't heart the dog. It will not keep other dogs out of your yard. Most dogs respond well to the fence if trained. You can search online for coasts and other information. We have had dogs with the fence and they enjoy the freedom, after a while we didn't even need to use the collars anymore.

Answer 9

Well I might as well add my opinion. We have had the Invisable Fence brand underground fencing here for 4 years. I love it. Yes it doesn't keep other dogs out of your yard. Now with our system my dogs were trained with the trainers and my myself from the company. With my system we have numerious settings for the collars to adjust the correction needed to keep our dogs in our yard. I have 2 big Goldens and have had only 1 break through. It was entirely my fault for not getting the company back to adjust the collar and corretion on my youngest Goldens collar. Both my husband and myself did test the collars on us and yes they did feel uncomfortable to us but enough pain to double us over it was not. Also with our system our dogs get a warning beep when they approach the boundries limit. It give the dog enough time to back away before it get the correction. It took our 2 big Goldens 2 weeks to learn the boundries and they have not challenged it since. I would rather keep my boys safe and secure then have them wandering about the neighborhood. I have 1 acre and the cost to me was $1,200.00. The biggest cost is the collars.

Answer 10

I have 2 problems with Invisible fences.
1. I worked in a impound facility for 8 years and can't even count how many strays come in with that collar on. They seem to run right thru the shocks.
2. If your dogis trained enough to stay in the area, it will not prevent other animals from entering the yard. What happens when a loose dog comes along and picks a fight with the dog who is confined by the Invisible fence?

I'd go for a regular old fashion fence. It will keep the dog and the kids safest!