Experiences with Invisible Fences --

[herefordlovinglady]

ETA: I guess mainly what I am looking for is feedback on the invisible fence. My main fear is that Bessy will bust out of it.

Two Dogs:

Andy: Lab/Border Collie Mix
Bessy: Beagle/Bassett hound Mix

Both spayed/Neutered

I am trying to decide if I should put up a dog pen (gives the dogs 50 x 80 area) or do the invisible fence (gives the dogs about ½ Acre).

Pros for the regular fence:

Bessy and Andy would be contained during the day only, Andy would be able to be out at night. (actually the only reason I keeping Andy up is because Bessy can't run and I don't feel like it is fair to her. Andy is used to being either in a fence or out and about.
I can visually see the containment.
I would not have to train the dogs.

Cons for the regular fence:

It would be a much smaller area
More expensive to install – I couldn’t do this myself
Can't take it with me.
Not a big deal but I would have to leave the house to put them in their pen.


Pros for the Underground fence:

Lots of space to run (still can't go to the woods, which that's where Bessy wants to go)
Easier on me to let them out.
Much Cheaper than a regular fence -- And actually I could install it myself.
Can take it with me when I leave

Cons:

have to train the dogs
I can't see the containment
I am afraid Bessy will bust through -- she is so determined to go hunt.

Andy has never been on a leash, so I will have to start at square one with him. He doesn't need to be contained, but I am afraid that if he runs in and out of the fence area, it will tempt Bessy more and she would be more determined to leave.


Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Curious, as I am debating this also. I have a lab who likes to wander.

 

[silkielover5]

well i guess it depends on how motivated your dog is. cause our dogs would sit next to it and listen to the buzzing noise and kill the batterie just by sitting there then jump over it. our neighbers dog wouldnt dare pass that line she wont get within 4 feet of the fence.

 

[FireTigeris]

The underground/invisible fence will not keep people that can see/reach your dogs from taking/hurting them, the real fence would slow them down or give them no reason to...

(friends dog got maced while running the border of the fence when a jogger when by... "Oh didn't see the invisible fence markers... thought i was going to get attacked..."

The underground/invisible fence will not keep out the local feral dogs, coyotes etc. A real fence won't keep them out completely either but there seem to be fewer instances of feral dogs attacking inside a properly maintained fence.

The real fence will work even w/o batteries or when the power is out.

Some dogs are difficult to train to the fence, they learn the wrong thing even when everything is done correctly, "If I come home it hurts... or- It'll only hurt a second then I can play in the woods"

 

[they'reHISchickens]

I suspect with the beagle/bassett it will need to be a visible fence. I understand those breeds are notorious for putting nose to ground and following wherever the scent leads.
That is why I was so fussy on the breeds we were looking at. No use fighting Mother Nature!

 

[yinepu]

i despise invisible fences

my mother had a collie named Gracie.. she decided she wanted to have a nice yard 'without a fence'.. so she bought the invisible fence system and had my brother and father install it.. trained Gracie as to how the system worked and figured everything was fine

well.. first it flaw with it.. it never stopped other dogs from coming into her yard.. so she had to be on the lookout for that...

second flaw .. luckily for my mother Gracie was a sweetheart to people.. several times she found other people's kids in her yard messing with Gracie (who just laid there and let the kids climb all over her)

third and worst flaw.. about 3 months after the fence was installed Gracie saw a squirrel across the road.. she hated squirrels with a passion.. went charging after it.. through the line of the invisible fence and chased the squirrel up a tree.. sat there for a moment staring at the squirrel (according to a neighbor who witnessed it) then went trotting back to her yard.. but she got hit by a car while crossing the road on her way home

in retrospect I doubt she would have been able to get back across the fence line since she was in a calm state when she went back towards her yard anyway.. when she crossed it before she was hyped up with the thought of getting that squirrel and ignored the warning she got

either way I have hated those fences since they came out on the market.. sure you may have no problems with your dogs respecting it.. but it does nothing to protect them from strangers or strays.. and it certainly didn't work well for Gracie when she saw that squirrel

 

[joskt0204]

I have a petsafe wireless fence, and in my circumstances, it is wonderful. First, I have aussies - and they are smart, trainable, eager to please dogs. The wireless fence sends out a barrier 90' from the unit (I have two, so it covers 180'). The boundary is larger (40' I think), so the dog can't just blast through and take the shock, and the dog is not corrected when re-entering the boundary area. My dogs are confined to the back of my 7 acres, around my house, so they aren't near the road (which is private anyway). It is true that it doesn't keep other animals or people out, but that's not a big issue in our circumstance. I love it, because my dogs are truly integrated into our family life. They aren't in a fence, separated from what we have going on. I have the front five acres fenced for my horses, and I really didn't want to add another visible fence - and well, I spent all my money on that lovely three board fencing. It has worked amazingly well for us, and I am considering adding a 3rd unit to further expand their area.

Another plus is that the chickens have figured out where the dogs can and can't go, and they stay on the edges of the dog area, safe from the dogs, but close enough that the dogs keep predators away from the chickens.

 

[jerseygirl1]

IMO

No to the invisible fence

Like the previous post, I had a friend who had it installed for his two huskies

One managed to escape, and was picked up by a stranger and driven 10 miles from home, then let out of the car and run over, killed instantly

A good samaritan stopped and tried to help, when she couldn't, she retrieved the dog's ID and contacted my friend.

Sad day, their other dog was older and cried constantly without his companion

So, they are not invincible

 

[chrissum]

We use this one at our farm:
http://www.sportdog.com/Gear/E-Collars/All-Purpose/SportDOG-In-Ground-Fence-100A.aspx
Works well with our 3 dogs. I will also say that since we installed it, almost 3 years ago, we have gotten rid of our mole and possum problem!

 

[annanicole18]

My parents have a lab beagle. she is now 15+ years old cant quite remember and she was started as a pup and rarely challenges the fence. if she hears the beeping she backs off you have never seen a dog brake so hard after being in hot pursuit of a squirrel. My dogs had never been on an invisible fence ever. I was curious how they would do. Reinforced the property markers at my parents walked with them to show them the limits slapped the collar on and turned them loose one at a time. First one went wandering in the woods ignored the beeping got shocked and ran back to me. Dog two took off after a bird got zapped and came running back tail between legs. Neither of them have tried to wander out of my parents yard again. Just with on short lesson they learned the boundary. Would I trust my bike hater on one heck no but if you have a stable dog that doesn't have something so tempting as a bike then it would be fine. My parents dog has never broke through for a squirrel, cat, groundhog, other dog, nothing. She knows where the line is. Just takes training.