Invisible Fencing

[morelcabin]

We have this dog, a 2 year old boxer. She is very high energy and we can't keep her in the yard. As soon as that door opens she bolts for it and is gone. She doesn't even come home at night. Anyway we finally decided to buy an invisible fence. I flagged the yard today, and took her with me on a leash to show her what I was doing, then turned it all on and put the collar on her. Walked her back out on the leash, and she got zapped twice. Now she has a huge fear of little white flags and won't even walk around the yard! I do have to say though that this is the first day ever that I can get out the door without her running for it, she is hiding behind it....Ahhhhhh dogs!

 

[love-my-wolves]

I had a bad experience years ago. We had a pit mix puppy (40 pounds) well, lets just say that thing had her on the ground!!! It was when they first came out, and the new ones are much better, but I know I will never forget that experience where she couldn't move, and cried so bad. I have considered one at my new house, but will probably go with privacy fence instead. I'm sure your baby will get better with time. And the flag thing, well....

 

[AhBee01]

Here is what I would try to do.
You need to work with her on the running out the door.
You put her on the lead, and then have her sit, by the door, open the door and tell het to stay, tug her lead if she goes to move, then repeat stay.
Keep practicing, when she gets that, then try it without the lead. Working you way to her sitting while you go out the door first then her.
It takes time, but the dog should never be let out of the door first, and when you have company
you will be able to have her sit while you open the door, and she wont run out!
I have done this with my black lab, but I started the minute we brought her home, cuz my last dog would bolt and chase people that may be outside!
That should help with her bolting out of the door, and the fence will keep her in her yard!
As for her not moving in the yard, walk her on the lead, so she know it is ok to move.
I wounder if there is a fence like that for my Ducks,so when they try to go across the street, they would think twice! It would have to work when they tried to fly out of the yard too!
It is gonna cost a lot of bucks to have a fence put in!
Brenda

 

[Nugget]

Morel, do you have the real Invisible Fence? There is a difference between the ones you buy at pet and hardware stores and 'Invisble Fence'. We bought the IF 3 years ago and love it. It cost us about $1200 to fence our yard and for 2 collars. They installed it for us and trained us, and our dogs. They don't leave you alone until they are satisfied that your dog is trained, and it takes about a month. They even did a 'final exam' where they came to my house with their border collies and threw balls for their and my dogs, running together, then throwing it into the woods. Their dogs ran into the woods, mine stopped dead and watched the others get the ball.

IF uses graduated strengths of correction. You use the lowest effective correction while training. My airedale needed the highest strength to get her attention, the beagle needed little more than the beep. My guys use almost 100% of their available range and were never fearful. I've heard of problems like yours with the ones you can get at pet and hardware stores.

They told us that if you have sensitive dogs who hesitate to leave the step, spend lots of time playing with them on leash far from the boundaries of the yard and take a break from training for a while, then work with them to gradually discover how much of the yard they can use. If you do have IF, you should be able to talk with your distributor for help.

 

[tiffanyh]

I use to install these for a vets I worked for...and train the dogs.

It is okay that she is a bit frightened. A healthy fear of the boundary is almost inevitable after the first shock. Just keep her on leash and show her the SAFE areas. Maybe play with her in those areas. Right now she is not relating the flags to the shock and it instead relating the yard to it. Play in safe areas and when training her, tap each flag and say "careful" or what ever word you use to teach her the boundaries.

I have a hyper dobe. Works GREAT for her. She is a spaz but ALWAYS respects teh boundaries. I will work, just give it a week or so of consistency and you will be AMAZED at the results.

 

[morelcabin]

It is a wireless one by petsmart. It puts a 'fence about 90 feet all around the yard. We had to go wireless because we have alot of rock here...our house is built on a cliff.

Well, she is much better today:>) She will walk our into the yard with us but really stays close...what a different dog! No bolting or trying to run away! We actually took her off her lead just before we got to the door on our way in and she came in with us. What an amazing difference. She is still afraid to go within 20 feet of those white flags, which is good. We have turned the collar down so that if she does get shocked it will be more of a warning this time instead of a huge jolt.

She knows what the wires are around my chicken pen, she hasn't gone near that fence since last summer:>) She really hates getting zapped...which surprises me because physically she is one tough dog.

Anyway we are working on her training, and she is finally docile (scared) enough to be able to be trained

Thanks for all your advice!