Invisible fence? How big of an area?
 

Been thinking of invisible fence for a dog, been without a dog for a while and don't want one roaming. I wonder how large of an area you can fence? Does the wire have to be buried or can you attach it to fence posts? Fence is already there, ground is like digging in rock. Any brand better then another? Just how much of an investment is this going to be? I always laugh at the free dog line. I guess this will be another free dog that costs a bundle.

I had a invisable fence that controlled about 5 acres. part hung from the fence, part hung from the caragana and part buried. Any wire left above ground got chewed by gophers--Richardson Ground squirrels. Bury it. Also make sure your transmitter is big enough for that large an area.

My big male dog would run through it to get to a gopher. But after he was through he would sit on the outside and whine to be let back in.

Personally, I think an invisible fence is the worst kind. I've seen lots of dogs get hurt with them.
It doesn't keep out or even slow down another dog that wants to fight with your dog.

If it breaks or shorts out you won't know until there's been an accident.

Some dogs learn that it's worth the quick jolt to be able to go where they want.I've know this to be the case with many dogs, of course I train so people call me when things go wrong.

The worst, this happened to a friend and I've heard from other people that it happened to them as well. My friend lived in town and had an invisible fence. She saw her little Shih-tzu go streaking after a squirrel. The little dog was going after that squirrel so fast she was past the fence before she realized. My friend came out the front door to see her dog trapped on the wrong side of the line. The dog tried to come to her, got shocked again, got confused and was hit by a car in the street right in front of my friend before she could get to her. I've probably typed about it before when someone else asked about an invisible fence. - When the dog gets out, the fence keeps him from getting back in and coming home.

When someone calls me because they've had problems with an invisible fence, I just tell them to get a real fence. If you already have fence posts, just get a roll of wire mesh fencing and staple it on.

I don't like them either.

The dog that killed our cat in our yard in July went right through his.

I have one just laying top of the ground covering a couple acres. before i laid the fence down in the woods my labs would take off every morning and come home plastered with deer ticks, now i know where they are and we don't have to dig ticks out of them every night.

I have both - wire mesh fencing and the invisible, or radio, fence. I thought the field fence I installed around the perimiter of my 14 acres would do the job, but my dogs learned they could push through the larger squares in the mesh. So we ran the radio wire around the top of it, and they get zapped - hard - before they even get next to the wire fence. Because they have lots of room, I have the radio fence set fairly high and the collars turned up to the max. Since it takes a little longer for them to crawl through the mesh rather than just zip right through, it's been very effective for me. Can't say for sure that it would stop them if it were the only deterrant, but with the combination the four dogs don't even try get out. I love it.

Things I learned by doing them wrong first? Make sure the signal generator works with the radio wire strung near metal - the first one I bought didn't and I didn't realize it until I had strung all the wire (did I mention it's a perimeter fence around 14 acres?) and it wouldn't work. Bought a different model that does work with existing metal fence (look for one that works with chain link) and it was great - until some outside animal (not dogs - we don't have strays where I live) started going through the fence regularly and would tear the wire down. I had originally strung it tightly at the level the dogs were getting out, but it kept getting broken by these intruders. So, I restrung the wire around the top of the field fence, rather loosely, and have not had it broken since.

Care to share brand and cost?

Lots of misinformation and pure nonsense in this thread and particularly in that post.

I have two German Shepherds contained by the invisible fence, one of whom is extremely strong willed. I will acknowledge her training was a bit of a challenge, but was unquestionably worth it. I live on a four lane 50mph highway and have over 10,000 vehicles a day pass by my place. I have never lost a dog to the road.

My family and I just came back from a 10 day across country trip, and came home to find our two dogs faithfully patrolling our property. They spent the entire time running loose, and protecting our five acre property. This is probably the 10th time we have left the dogs "loose" during our extended absences.

My dogs regularly chase (and kill and eat) wildlife, and stop at the line like they ran into a pane of glass. I don't think either has been corrected by the fence in at least a year.

I can't drag, call, beg or bribe my dogs into the "shock zone." The system works flawlessly. With any good size dog buy the stubborn or big dog collar, keep it tight and spend a little time training your dog according to the manufactures directions. I have the Pet Safe brand, with two stubborn dog collars.

Pete

If I can find the information I'll be happy to. I'm thinking the main unit went for about $400 or so, and the wire comes on 500' rolls at about $25 each - Home Depot carries the wire and has the best price, unless you can find it cheaper online. Hopefully I can get back to you on the brand - it's a heavy duty thing for sporting and hunting dogs..... oh, and any additional collars will run you about $75 - $80, depending on the size you get. The batteries on three of the ones I have are regular 9 volts, and last a long time. Once the dogs figured out their boundaries, it lasted even longer! LOL!!

I have invisible fence (Radio Fence/Petsafe) for 8 years around our 2 acres for my 2 Springers. It definitely works, but I never let my dogs out for more than a few minutes alone. They do go through the fence once in awhile if I am not being proactive, but I wouldn't be without it. Ours is buried except on the fencerow where it is layed on top of rocks. We rented an edger and had it done in less than a day. I know they have systems that can cover 15 acres or more. I will say that a year after I invested in the fence, we also bought a remote collar to reinforce my first dog! Innotek has a system that is a fence and a remote trainer so that you can do it all with one collar. They work pretty well as long as you train the dog properly. I thik we payed about $300 with the first kit & extra wire.

Whether or not an underground fence will work depends on the training and the dog. A GSD is methodical as well as a boundary dog. If you are getting a GSD and train him properly, he will stay within the el fence boundary. If you are getting a pit bull you are wasting your money. If you are getting a dog with long or thick fur you have to shave the underside of the neck so the el probes have contact with the skin.

If you know the breed(s) of the dog you are getting, contact breed rescue or the AKC club for the breed and ask people how well this type of fencing works with this type of dog.

Absolutely consistent negative reinforcement only works on certain dog breeds?

Absolute nonsense!

If a dog goes through the invisible fence it's because it didn't hurt the dog enough. Tighten the collar, shave the neck, then put a stronger shocking collar on the dog. If that fails, put two or three collars on the dog at once. Trust me, at some point or another the dog will decide that the pain is not worth the freedom.

Pete


Pete

What type of wire is used? Any difference in the buried wire to wire you can run above ground? Is this special invisible fence wire or a common type wire? If you put the controller in a barn or shed how do you run the wire to the perimeter?

I will have to get my DH to answer the technical questions but I can tell you that ours is 2 acres, and works wonderful for our lab.
He used a turn plow on the lawn tractor to dig a trench to bury the wire.
Now we did have to get a replacement serger when lightning stuck the tree line near the wire.

Any wire we put on top of the dirt gets chewed up

on the news a few yrs ago, there was a puppy being carried away by a coyote up in Connectcut and when they got to the invisable fence, the coyote dropped the puppy when it got shocked from the receiver on the puppy

pete
you really don't understand bullbreeds do you?
my bullcross didn't like it when he got zapped w/ a hot shot, didn't cry, yelp, whine or even flinch. he just calmly turned around and bit the head off the guys hotshot. a hotshot throws way more juice than the dog collars. some bulldogs are just too hard for their own good (at least as pets). NOTHING in life is an absolute what works for your hard GSD might still be inadequate for a good hard bull or mastiff breed.

Pet Stop
 

we have about 1.5 acres with the underground wires. We had a system we put together our self to save money, and it was nothing but problems. I think we bought it from one of the big dog catalogs like Dr Fosters. Anyway lightning, collar batteries that would go out all the time. dogs running through it. When we had part above ground the deer would push through it. Anyway, we had enough and payed a company called petstop to install one. Can't be happier. We have one irish setter that has no brain and is totally instinct when she see a rabbit or especially birds. She used to run through the old one and get out all the time. She has not been though once. I didn't believe the installer when he said that she was no problem and that he could dial it up a lot more.

I really like the diagnostics. If there is a break, like last week when the well drillers took out the fence, it sounds a rather loud alarm. If the collars batteries are getting low, a light starts to blink.

I paid about 1200 dollars for it and don't often feel happy about shelling out that kind of money, but in this case I couldn't be happier.

http://www.radiofence.com/dog-fences...fence-4100.htm

Anyone have this system? It says you can install the wire above ground.

I just returned one to to the store on Thursday. It said you can't leave the collar on the dog more than 12 hours a day. SO unless I put in a pen to contain she to take off the collar, it would do no good. Plus, a man walked up the street with an unleashed Pit Bull and that got me to thinking the she would have no protection against a dog coming in. I'd invest in building a nice sized fenced area for the dog.

We have one going round 2 acres and Love it. For the money I couldnt have built a fence that would have kept our two dogs in, one a collie that eats wood and the other an Irish Red and White setter that will clear a five ft fence from a standing start.

Yes, they have their faults, our bitch is in heat so she has to stay inside all the time now and if the fence goes off its a bit of an annoyance to find the break, we have our wire just drapped along the hedge line and it does go every now and then. The unit sounds an alarm so at least you know its gone.

Oh, and having a second collar charged is handy for when the first one goes and needs recharging but if your dog is any way normal they will stop testing the bounderies pretty quick and you will have ages to get the collar back on them or the wire patched.

I LOVE our invisable fence and wont be without it ever!

Hey Great, I found it :happy: I have been looking for this thread for ages because I forgot to add something neat about an invisable fence............

You can use it inside too! I have a loop of it running under the kitchen counter and over the garbage/compost pail so the dogs dont do the help yourself to what you want thing in MY kitchen. You cant see the wire but you can sure hear when one forgets her/him self and goes for some tempting treat ;)