Best Invisible Fences For Keeping Fido In The Yard
Benefits And Uses
The benefits of electronic fences, or hidden fences, as they are commonly known, are many, ranging from practical to convenient.
To start with, hidden fences are much more affordable to install than standard fences.
A basic privacy fence could cost upwards of $1500 to install, whereas a hidden fence surrounding the same amount of land could cost as little as half that price.
Once installed, a hidden fence requires much less maintenance and upkeep than a traditional fence and are much easier and quicker to install up front.
Hidden fences are highly versatile and can be set up over practically any terrain. Regardless of whether you live in a flat area, or in a hilly, rocky terrain, many brands of hidden fencing can be placed wherever needed to provide a safe area for your dog to hang out.
Hidden fences can fit nearly any size yard, as their range stretches from a small quarter acre to up to 25 acres of area. If you have water on your land, a hidden fence can even be placed to allow a section of the water to be accessible to your dog.
Some people even use hidden fences inside in place of baby gates to keep pets out of certain rooms and areas.
Wireless Fence Vs Invisible Fence
Hidden fences are available in two types, buried wire fences, and wireless fences. As the name states, buried wire fences consist of wire that is buried along the perimeter of the designated area.
A containment collar is placed on your dog and gives off an audible tone of warning when your dog approaches the boundaries of the fence followed by electrical stimulation should your dog choose to continue his approach.
The wireless system also utilizes a collar but uses a radio signal to transmit warning and stimulation to your dog, rather than a wire.
PetSafe Wireless Pet Containment System
The PetSafe Wireless Pet Containment System is a circular wireless hidden fence that can cover an area of up to half an acre or 180 feet in diameter.
The system is designed for pets that are 8 lbs or heavier and the lightweight and waterproof collar utilizes a 6-volt battery.
The transmitter sends a radio frequency to the dog collar that then gives off a warning tone to alert your dog when they are getting too close to the boundary line.
If your pet chooses to continue getting closer, then he will experience a startling static correction that is effective and yet not harmful.
This system should only be used on dogs that are 6 months of age or older. The system is simple to use. Manuals for set up and for using the system for training are included when you purchase this setup.
The transmitter is easy to plug in and the entire system is portable allowing you to provide your pet with safe and secure areas to roam even when you are on vacation. The wireless transmitter is positioned in the exact center of the wireless fence area and the circular area is a fixed shape and cannot be reshaped into a rectangle or square shape.
This system is also not guaranteed to work on any terrain and some topography or interfering objects on your terrain may interfere with the operating range.
The set up for this system is quick and easy taking usually only less than an hour and not requiring any digging for burying wire or installing any stakes.
Once the transmitter is plugged in, the only thing left to do is define the boundaries of the safe area by putting up the flags that will work as a visual aid for your pet.
CLICK HERE to view the PetSafe Wireless Containment System!
SportDOG 100 Acre In-Ground Pet Fence System
The SportDOG 100 Acre In-Ground Pet Fence System is a great, convenient option for keeping your dog contained and away from danger. The hassle-free system is easy to install and no special equipment is required.
Although this system is designed to be a buried wire system, the wiring can be surface installed by stapling it into the ground with yard staples. It can even be laid on top of a driveway with the use of asphalt crack tape to hold it down securely.
Many people prefer this method because they live in terrain that might be difficult to dig in or they are wishing to enclose a very large area. This option also makes repairing breaks or relocating the wire a lot easier.
This system is low maintenance and there is no need for constant battery changes. Both the batteries and the system last a very long time.
The collar uses a 9-volt battery and has a very long battery life. Battery life is made even longer by the inclusion of the anti-linger feature.
The system comes with 1000 feet of wire and 100 flags to use as visual aids for outlining the boundaries of the enclosed area. The included hardware is high quality and the wire is very sturdy.
The system works even in the snow. Collar has a vibrate or beep option for a warning. The correction stimulation can be adjusted to four levels of intensity. You can also adjust the range of the warning area. The receivers are waterproof.
Easy to follow directions and installation guide is included as well as a training guide for use with your dogs after installation. It is recommended to use heavier wire for a larger installation.
The system can be expanded to work with any number of dogs. Simply purchase additional compatible collars. This system is for use with dogs 10 lbs and over and is safe and effective.
Click Here to view the SportDOG Pet Fence System on Amazon.com.
Petsafe Stubborn Dog Radio Fence System
The Petsafe Electronic Dog Fence System is convenient for keeping your pets contained. The system has two different adjustable zones that you can vary to your liking.
The collar is waterproof and can be adjusted to eight levels of stimulation for correction.
The system comes with 500 feet of wire and includes 50 flags for visually outlining the boundaries for your dog.
Overall this system is easy to install. The system comes with an energizer CR2 battery which is designed to have at least six months of battery life. Collars come with two contact points to work with dogs of all hair lengths; short for short haired dogs and long for longer haired dogs.
Additional receivers can be purchased so that the system can be used with more than one dog. Correction distance and warning distance can be adjusted individually, and this system is the only one currently on the market that provides you with that option.
An easy to follow installation guide is included. It is recommended that the collars be taken off when you let our dog inside as the signal from other electronics around the house can interfere with the receiver and can possibly send the warning beep or correction stimulation to your dog when they are nowhere near the boundary line.
This system is a great value for anyone looking for a convenient and easy to use solution for keeping their pets in a safe and securely contained area.
Click Here for your Petsafe Electronic Fence.
Invisible Fences Can Stop The Most Determined Escape Artist!
The strange number shows up on your phone’s caller id. You answer it tentatively “Hello?”
“Hi! Hello! Do You know a Max? Because he’s down at our house.”
And there you are, stuck at work while your dog runs the streets.
Thankfully, I’ve only ever lived in small neighborhoods. But even the smallest, quietest neighborhoods pose dangers from passing cars and dognappers (even hazards like antifreeze).
(Not to mention in our town it’s like a $60 fee if the city picks up your pet)
For those of you with dogs who keep getting out, let’s see if we can’t stop them from their Houdini act and finally keep your dog from escaping.
Figure Out The ‘Why’ Behind The Escape Artist
Boredom
It’s boring when you are not around. Very boring. Soooooooo boring!
Some dogs are good at self-entertaining. But the smart ones need a lot more interaction.
Here are a few things I’ve seen be quite effective in reducing a dog’s urge to escape:
- A Long, Hard Walk. I know your morning is already rushed, but if you can get a good walk (or run) out of the way, your pet is going to be much more likely to take a nap right after you leave. It’s hard to escape when you are napping.
- New Toys. Especially chew toys. But having toys to rotate out throughout the week, can give your dog something fun to look forward to as you are leaving. The trick is to rotate them every day (or every other day) in order to give them something fresh to play with.
- A Playmate. Never underestimate the value of companionship. If you get a small dog that is unable to jump fences and too weak to dig through/under/around them, they can be an excellent “anchor” to the yard. Plus, they double as chew toys (winky face).
Separation Anxiety
If your dog exhibits a lot of nervous behavior (whining, scratching, frantic chewing), they may be suffering from separation anxiety. This can be caused by a lot of things, but most likely they were left along a lot in their past and they are terrified of it.
Separation anxiety is a hard one to work past. You can try distracting them. Hide dog treats around the yard or house for them to find. Get a dog bone (like this one) that you can fill with flavors such as cheese whiz or peanut-butter. Give it to your pet just before you leave and they can learn to associate your departure with something fun.
However, separation anxiety is not something to take lightly. If not repaired, it will only get worse and can spread to other unwanted behaviors, such as nervous peeing or biting.
The bottom line is, if your dog truly has separation anxiety, they should probably stay with a friend or sitter while you are at work. During the night-times and weekends, you can work with them by closing them on the other side of a bedroom door for increasingly longer periods of time and rewarding them for their patience
You can also spend this time to do crate training with them.
By helping them slowly build an acceptance to the fact that when you are gone you will come back, you can often overcome separation anxiety in your pet — and stop the escapism. But for starters, you may need someone to help watch your loved one while you get them accustomed to the idea.
Seeking A Mate
This is most common in un-neutered males (although, occasionally you will get a female that wants to wander. )
Fixing your pet can help with this. In addition, using the anti-boredom tricks above can also go a long way towards fixing this issue by distracting your pet.
Finally, you can invest in more and — better fences. However, unless you erect a privacy fence, going down the “barrier” route normally results in a system where you have fences inside your fences.
Which is ugly, and doesn’t solve your pet’s real problems. But it can work if you invest enough.
I hope some of these ideas help.
