Invisible Fencing for Dogs

[CNYSkinFan]

Ok I know we got some dog lovers on here so I thought I would throw this out there. As some of you know I have 2 great dogs that I love alot, a 110 lb yellow lab named Shakespeare and a 50 lb shiba Inu mix/mut named Karma. The wife and I recently bought a house with a fenced in yard, a double lot, that they can run around in and that has worked pretty well for the last few months. However now we got a problem.

Bordering our neighbors yard is a small 4' picket fence. They have 2 dogs that get along pretty good with our dogs. One of there dogs, Shanti a coon houn/lab mix has always been able to jump the 4's fence and soon after we moved in Karma followed her lead. This was no real problem because their yard is fenced in as well with a 5' stockade fence and chainlink (standard fencing) which Karma never seemed to be able to or want to jump, and neither could their dogs.

Well this weekend Karma learned how to jump the 5' fence which is both amazing and scary considering her size. So now we are faced with a decision, to we tear down all our fencing and replace with 6' or even 8' stockade fencing, which would give us more privacy but also be very expensive, or look into that invisible fencing that some places have.

Does anyone have invisible fencing for dogs? How good is it at keeping dogs in the yard when they are motivated/ Karma has a high prey drive and loves chasing cats and many of our neighbors have outdoor cats which is motivating her to jump out of the yar (Which I hate outdoor cats but that is another story). What kind of prices are we looking at?

Any help and advice would be appreciated.

[ryflan47]

I have invisible fencing. My dog is scared to death if you try to carry him past the boundries, and you can set up the fence so the dog can't go into certain rooms in your house.

We have one room with a leather couch, and don't want the dog to tear it up so we put the fence there and he stays far away from that room.

[SpicyMcHaggis]

What's an invisible fence? I've never heard about it over here..if it works, I want one.

[CNYSkinFan]

I have invisible fencing. My dog is scared to death if you try to carry him past the boundries, and you can set up the fence so the dog can't go into certain rooms in your house.

We have one room with a leather couch, and don't want the dog to tear it up so we put the fence there and he stays far away from that room.
Do you know what the cost was/is? What the size of your lot is?

[CNYSkinFan]

What's an invisible fence? I've never heard about it over here..if it works, I want one.
It's a way totrain your dog to stay in your yard. Around the perimeter of the yard is a boundary and when your dog goes beyond it or goes near it they get a small shock on a collar they wear. Most dogs adjust easily, I am worried about Karma as her prey drive is so high and I doubt she will react to the shock or will risk it to get a cat.

[chrisbcbu]

Do you know what the cost was/is? What the size of your lot is?

I think for a good one its starts around 300.00

[SpicyMcHaggis]

It's a way totrain your dog to stay in your yard. Around the perimeter of the yard is a boundary and when your dog goes beyond it or goes near it they get a small shock on a collar they wear. Most dogs adjust easily, I am worried about Karma as her prey drive is so high and I doubt she will react to the shock or will risk it to get a cat.
Mmmmhhhh...IMO opinion, but it's just an opinion, you need something that will keep you free of worries, other than your dog in the yard. Even if your dog never jumps over the fence, but you are constantly worried, it doesn't sound like a good solution. I love my dog so much that I know that in your situation I would be constantly worried. It probably works, I have no idea, but I would not feel safe without a physical obstacle to stop the dog from running away. But then again, I don't know how the economic side of the matter shapes up..

[SkinsASchamps]

It's a way totrain your dog to stay in your yard. Around the perimeter of the yard is a boundary and when your dog goes beyond it or goes near it they get a small shock on a collar they wear. Most dogs adjust easily, I am worried about Karma as her prey drive is so high and I doubt she will react to the shock or will risk it to get a cat.

It works for some but my dog has a high drive too and she wont stop if she sees a certain cat or squirrel or anything she wants. She goes and gets it even with the shock. Most systems let you turn the shock up but even that doesnt bother my dog. My other dog, however, is scared to death of it. It depends on the mentality of your dog. I would say dont get it if your dog likes to jump over this fence. Thats just me tho. Good luck.

[danny's stogie]

If your dogs have figured out they can jump the fence to escape then I doubt an electric fence is going to stop them.

[SpicyMcHaggis]

It works for some but my dog has a high drive too and she wont stop if she sees a certain cat or squirrel or anything she wants. She goes and gets it even with the shock. Most systems let you turn the shock up but even that doesnt bother my dog. My other dog, however, is scared to death of it. It depends on the mentality of your dog. I would say dont get it if your dog likes to jump over this fence. Thats just me tho. Good luck.
There you go Dustin, I think your problem is solved. (Unless you want to electricute your poor dog, but I don't think that's the case)

[CNYSkinFan]

There you do Dustin, I think your problem is solved. (Unless you want to electricute your poor dog, but I don't think that's the case)
Looks like I am fencing in the yard...but that will cost a good amount of money!!! (around 4k)

[SpicyMcHaggis]

Looks like I am fencing in the yard...but that will cost a good amount of money!!! (around 4k)
That's why I got a Newfoundland..he's big and furry but has no intention of jumping over any fences ;) (But I really think you should get the real fence)

[danny's stogie]

Looks like I am fencing in the yard...but that will cost a good amount of money!!! (around 4k)

Peace of mind is priceless. Or just look at it as an investment into your home. Or do it yourself.

[Keino]

I would never want to put somehting on a dog that may discourage it from leaving the yard for a legitimate reason. Shock treatments could have the efffect,as th Dogs aren't savy enough to know the nuanced differences between when is and when isnt a proper time to leave the yard.

I would opt for the 6 foot fence in the alternative, as the benefits that you yourself have noted are not merely keeping the dog in, but you have more privacy and frankly it is a selling point should you ever put the house on the market. More expensive, sure, but look at it as a Home improvement investment.

[SpicyMcHaggis]

Peace of mind is priceless. Or just look at it as an investment into your home. Or do it yourself.
Exactly.

[LATrueRedskin]

I'm not too much of a fan to shocking dogs. Just my feelings on it. Also, I've seen it work great and I've seen it not work at all. I've seen dogs run right through it without hesitiation, absorbing the shock without care. But I've also seen dogs who are scared to go outside their boundaries because of the shock. It really depends on the behavior and size of the dog.

[redskin_rich]

Looks like I am fencing in the yard...but that will cost a good amount of money!!! (around 4k)
Have the lumber delivered, call a few friends, buy some pizzas and beer and do the work yourself. Digging the post holes is the only moderately difficult part, all depending on what your soil is composed of. I live on a small mountain, so I have 2-3 inches of dirt on top of solid rock and I had to rent an auger to drill my holes. It still was a heck of a lot cheaper than paying a somebody else to do it.

[BurgundyNGold]

Don't shock your dog if you don't have to and you can afford to get the fence. Get the 6' fence if you're sure she can't jump it. Otherwise, get the 8' fence so your dog can stand alongside it, look through to other dogs and scream "Avenge me!" like that guy in "Red Dawn".

[CNYSkinFan]

Any suggestions on removing the old fencing. i think I can do the work of buying the lumber and doing the new Fencing myself but what about removing the old fencing. IT is a chain link fence. I am pretty sure I can take it apart pretty easy but the fence posts are another matter. What do you suggest, digging around the concrete?

[redskin_rich]

Any suggestions on removing the old fencing. i think I can do the work of buying the lumber and doing the new Fencing myself but what about removing the old fencing. IT is a chain link fence. I am pretty sure I can take it apart pretty easy but the fence posts are another matter. What do you suggest, digging around the concrete?
It would probably be easier just to cut the poles at ground level but you could also dig them up and reuse the holes for the new posts. I would start with that and if it's too much trouble than go with cutting them. Do you have a trailer to haul of the waste? If not, rent a dumpster. It's much easier than making a bunch of small runs to the dump.

[rskinsfan10]

Man, I remember when I worked for a furniture company during the weekends while I was in HS. One Saturday this dog was hell bent on getting at our truck as we drove through this pricey neighborhood. He was at full speed and almost at the street when all of a sudden it looked as if someone had dropped a piano on top of it. One of the most amazing things I have ever seen in my life. That was over 15yrs ago and I remember it as if it were yesterday. I thought the dog had died, but there he was sitting in the yard when we were leaving out the development. Needless to say, he didn't chase the truck when came around the second time.

[IowaSkinsFan]

I think for a good one its starts around 300.00

You can also get a training device for $100.00. It is the shock collar and a remote control and you zap the dog when the get to the area of your property you don't want them to cross. Eventually they get conditioned to stay within a certain area. The downside to this is that it involves much more one on one training time with the dog and master.

[GolfFreak]

We have an electric fence ... I love it. My dog only got shocked once or twice for it to do the trick. She’s only been on it for 3 months, now she doesn’t even need the collar to go outside since we won’t dare go near the line.

If I were you I would keep your current fence and put the electric fence right underneath it. This way you still have some privacy and save money on the new fence.

I think you can get the entire kit for about $300.

One thing to keep in mind is that the fence needs to make a full circle, so you may have to cut through a driveway or sidewalk to complete the loop.

[ryflan47]

Do you know what the cost was/is? What the size of your lot is?

No clue, my dad would know though. I'll try to get a hold of him later.

[Minnesota Mike]

That's why I got a Newfoundland..he's big and furry but has no intention of jumping over any fences ;) (But I really think you should get the real fence)

A Newfoundland could go through a fence, instead of over it.

[SpicyMcHaggis]

A Newfoundland could go through a fence, instead of over it.
Yeah, I guess he could..but he's lazy, and really has no interest whatsoever in cats, so mine in particular isn't a threat to go anywhere anytime soon...