Radio Fence

Radio Fence
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How reliable are the underground radio collar dog fences?

I have a pitbull and I want to know he can't get out just because of the stigma against them

·The "invisible" type of fence consists of three things. First is the wire which is buried an inch or two into the ground. This wire defines the outer perimeter of the containment area. You can also block off areas (flowerbeds, pools etc) within the containment area. Some experimentation may be necessary in this. Second is the transmitter which is mounted to the wall indoors and connected to the fence wire, and third is the collar that the dog wears. The transmitter sends out an AM radio band signal that the collar will sense if your pet gets to close to the electronic field. The collar will then deliver a correction. Some of the better ones will give a warning beep prior to delivering a shock. Though it is a strong shock it will not harm the pet in any way. Small marker flags are placed along the inner edge of the field about 5 to 10 feet apart during the training period and removed (every other one) as the pet gets used to the fence.

Huskies are escape artists. We have 14 of them. The only thing that I have found that they can't go over or under is invisible type fencing. Some folks say that it doesn't work on Huskies. They don't know what they are talking about. You can't buy the cheap stuff, like what they sell at Lowe's or Home Depot or PetSmart etc. The best I have found is the Smart Dog 2100 by Innotek. You can find it on line at several sites, discounted for less than $300.00 with 2 collars. Extra collars are about $80.00. The kit has everything needed. The collars are rechargeable (unlike the "Invisible Fence" and most others where you have to buy the proprietary (one place to get it = expensive) batteries every 3 or so months), has battery backup for the transmitter, run through prevention, waterproof, etc. Innotek now owns Invisible Fence brand. Be sure to use heat shrink type splices in the wire if needed. They are available at marine supply stores. Do not use the "weatherproof wire nuts" from Lowe's etc. They will not work for this application. Use an edger to dig the "trench" for the wire. The wire only has to be buried 1 or 2 inches down. The yard will “heal” within a few days normally.

The key is taking the time to train your pet. I have known of people to pay big money to install a fence, strap the collar on their dog and then complain that the fence is junk when the dog blows right through it. Also, you do not mention the breed of dog. Longhaired breeds require a longer contact probe on the collar (these are included with the system above). Training may take awhile, one of ours took 18 months (she was a bit stubborn) before we trusted her, most were pretty good in a month or so and we have one that it only took 3 days! The amazing thing is that we can take the collar off, put them on a leash and when we head towards the perimeter their brakes come on immediately! You can also block off areas of the yard that you don't want them in. When hurricane Isabelle came through we had no power for 3 weeks, the terrain was changed with all the fallen trees, and the underground wire for the fence was damaged and NONE of the kids even tried the fence. As I said earlier, the people who say that it doesn't work don't know what they are talking about. We have 14 Huskies (15 until we lost one over the summer due to medical reasons), all free to run around, contained in our 6 acre yard. And no I am not a dealer ..... just a satisfied customer with 14 hardheaded Huskies most of them rescued as adults. We can leave them outside unsupervised for hours with no problems. However, we do not leave them outside when we leave the house.

It will not keep other animals out including the neighbor’s brats. Neither will a 6 foot stockade fence ... this I learned when I lived elsewhere and was attacked by a neighbors dog in my backyard. As far as people being scared of dogs, well if a 15 to 20 foot barrier field isn't enough, neither would a chain link fence be. Besides, if the pet stays on your property who cares if they are unreasonably scared. As far as a dog running through ... well yes, that could happen, however, with proper training it is unlikely. Huskies have an extremely high prey drive. Where we live we have a lot of wildlife, large and small. The kids will line up along the edge of the field and watch the rabbits, geese, deer etc. They won't challenge the fence. The deer and geese have learned where the kids can and cannot go and will stay just outside "Husky country". Sometimes within 5 feet of the kids. As I said it does work. The key is training. That is the most important part of the installation of the fence.

Some people advocate the “wireless” type of fence. You have little control over the coverage area. The other problem with them is "dead" areas caused by obstructions to the signal by things in your walls, trees and such. Your dog WILL find these areas.

Others advocate tying a pet out “because “invisible” fences are so cruel!” Or “why do you want to electrocute your dog?”, however, think about what could your pet do if attacked by another animal while tied? Where is he going to go to get away? At least with an “invisible” fence or a conventional fence he has a decent chance of evading an attacker or fighting back.

Please note though ..... you MUST not leave your dog out 24/7 with the collar on. You MUST bring him in at night and remove the collar. If you do not remove the collar he WILL most likely develop sores were the probes contact the skin which can become infected quickly opening a whole new can of worms.

25 years of being owned by Siberian Huskies. I currently have 14 Huskies most of whom were rescued by us from people who didn’t know what they were getting into

Underground fencing is actually underground fencing that sends out a radio signal through an antenna to a battery in the dog's collar. The battery shocks the dog, sort of like static electricity, and the dog backs away from the fence line. It should be pointed out, though, that some dogs have higher pain thresholds and can run through the barrier if properly stimulated, such as a rabbit running by. The problem comes in when the dog runs through the barrier, he receives a shock when trying to come back into the yard and so sometimes he won't return to the yard due to the barrier.

This type of fencing is gaining popularity for a number of reasons. The primary reason is that there are so many homeowners' associations now that restrict fences in their neighborhoods. Another reason is that some pet owners feel that a visible fence looks like a prison and they want the illusion of freedom for their dogs. Last, but certainly not least, in-ground fencing is less expensive than visible above-ground fencing.

Believe it or not, these types of fences were invented in the 1970's but grew more popular starting in the 1990's and are marketed by multiple vendors using different brand names for the same underground fence technology.

An underground fence system is comprised of wire marking its boundaries, a transmitter, a receiver, a test light, training flags, and a sign. The correcting shock that touches the skin on the dog's neck comes from prongs in the collar where the received is attached.

There are a couple of phases involved in training and adapting your dog to an electric fence system once it's installed. During the first week, the dog wears the receiver collar and is retained by a long leash. For that first week, each time the dog nears the fence, a warning tone emits from the receiver on his collar (the prong is taped over so it doesn't touch the dog) and the dog is retracted away from the fence and praised for backing away. After a few days of conditioning to back away from the boundary when the tone is heard, the tape is removed from the prong and the dog is allowed to experience a correction. Then it's back into the safe area for play and praise. Only during the second week do you allow the dog to run free in the yard without the leash so that he learns that the collar shock comes from nearing the fence line, not from you or the leash.

The advantages of in-ground fencing are both aesthetic and involve providing a boundary for your pet to keep him safely inside your yard.

We've already mentioned one disadvantage to in-ground fencing and that is for those dogs who run past the pain of the shock through the fence border who won't re-enter the yard. There are other potential disadvantages that we should probably explore as well.

The whole purpose of in-ground fencing is so that people can't see the fence, but when they see your dog in the front yard running toward them on the sidewalk and don't see a fence, they assume that your dog is going to attack them. Once the little white flags come down marking the eletric dog fence borders after the first couple of weeks, strangers or visitors won't realize that Fido is going to stop at some point and they may mace your dog or run away. Without a physical fence, there's nothing to stop other animals from entering your property, distracting your dog and causing him to run after them.

If you feel like an in-ground fence is a good solution for your dog's needs, there are companies to install them and there are also do-it-yourself in-ground fence installation kits.

This article was written by Brian Spilner a provided by pet-super-store.com a site featuring: wooden dog crates and dog car seat covers.

• Wireless Fence
• Invisible Fence