When to start with a pet fence
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Monster Mom wrote: We have a 16 week old puppy and are planning on using a pet containment fence. Our vet recommended waiting until she is 6 months old. I was wondering if anyone started using one sooner? Our little one does not play very well on a long leash and needs to get some energy out. When we got her about a month ago she was really shy and is starting to be more out going. So I don't want the shock collar to undo the progress we have made. We need to decide fairly soon or the ground will be to frozen and we will be waiting for spring.
If she is shy and starting to come around that will certainly change things for her...and not in a good way. Why not put up a real fence? I would never use anything electronic on my pets. I find it cruel and a torment for the animals being subjected to such treatment. Besides, they can easily cause behavior problems down the road. The dog can relate the pain from the fence to something passing by...and then you get a dog that doesn't like....whatver....and you will have another problem to deal with. |
| Although some people use them with some success, an electronic fence is something I wouldn't recommend. If for no other reason than, although your dog may be contained, anything else can get in the yard-- animal or person-- and then you can have some serious problems. |
Bosley's mom wrote: I would never use anything electronic on my pets. I find it cruel and a torment for the animals being subjected to such treatment. .  DITTO! |
| We have friends who have one for their golden retriever. It works really well for them. They live on a quiet cul de sac and know all the neighbors. I agree with the previously posted concern - it keeps your pet in, but doesn't limit other animals (or naughty kids) from getting to your pet. I think the fence works OK for a situation like our friends - they have limited activity and as much control over the external neighborhood as possible. Their dog was 18 months old (adopted from RAGOM - rescue a golden of MN), so they didn't have to worry about a young puppy. They have used theirs for over a year and are very happy with it. |
| Hi!
I think the collars kill the hair under the shock mechanism, or maybe it was sores..I can't recall. BTW, you can go ahead and get the fence put in while the ground is soft, and then when you are ready to use it, that is when you could put the collar on. We tried the electric fence with our lab, and the first time she got a shock, she ran the wrong way, right through the barrier and took off running she was so terrified. I have never felt so bad!! We now have a fence enclosing our yard, and everyone is much happier. Good luck with your decision, I know lots of people around here who use them and have no problems. Stacey |
| I have 2 sheepies and put in the electric fence and I am thrilled with it. We never had any problems. The fence people came out for 3 training sessions and I worked with them for about a week and it is probably the best thing I have done. My street is quiet and we do have many children , but they don't come into my yard. |
| Ask the vet for the reasons for waiting 'til pups are at least 6 months of age. There must be a very valid one if he/she has recommended this.
Just my thoughts on this subject- Be aware that the only time you know that an invisible fence is not working is when the dog has escaped. The two neighbors on the corner continuously had their dogs escape from their protected yards and were fortunate they had not been hit by cars like a couple of other neighbors dogs. The office cat at our vet's office was also kept in an invisible fence protected area... he too kept escaping and one client found him under her car (fortuantely BEFORE she left). He now lives happily in the country with the receptionist. And with invisible fencing you will still have to supervise your pup while she's outdoors... other people's loose dogs can still enter your yard so you have to be ready to protect her from harm should this be a problem. |
| The fence our friends have has a monitor. It flashes and audible alarms if the fence is not working. They found out it works a couple weeks ago. They had some patio and driveway cement work done and the guys accidentally cut the underground wire. Man, it was loud and very obvious!
Scout is out only when they are home and able to supervised. They went through the week by week training exactly as the company recommended and had no trouble. They also are very religious about taking his fence collar off when he is in for the evening, and putting it on again in the morning. He has a lot of coat and has not had any sores, or problems with the collar not working. |
We have one friend who is extremely happy with his invisible fence. His dog respects the boundaries, only tested them once or twice actually, and does GREAT in the environment. The people who helped with the training were wonderful and came by with training sessions until they felt sure the dog was ready to handle being out without the trainers around. BUT he is a spaniel and has quite a different temperament than the OES I've been in contact with. A bit less boisterous, etc. I'm not sure I would make the investment unless I was sure it would work all the time. Obviously, if you have deed restrictions in your community, or something similar, it may be your only option!  I would ask you vet, talk to the adviser's, and weigh your options until then. |
| There have been a few discussions on the forum already about the Invisible Fence if you would like to do some searching.
We have Canine Fence Invisible Fence brand & are thrilled with it. This basically is top of the line, out of all the the electric containment systems, but is still cheaper than buying a physical fence. To be honest, I would have preferred a physical fence but zoning laws in our town prohibit it. We started training our OES pup at 4 months. Not sure the reasoning to wait until 6 months but if your dog is shy, maybe that's not a bad idea as puppies go through a fearful stage btw 4-6 months. If she is in fact shy, it might be best for you to try to get her more socialized by bringing her out with you in public, including going to dog parks. The Old English breed's temperament should be quite the opposite of being shy. Especially if she's a pup, you really need to try and get her more socialized. Our system also beeps if the line's been cut. We've cut it several times and the beeping is obnoxious enough that you can't miss it. They also offer a battery plan for the collars so that you change the battery every 3 months just to make sure that it never wears out. I do have to add that we also DO NOT LEAVE OUR DOGS UNATTENDED so that's a big help with anyone/thing coming onto our property. A plus side to owning the invisible fence is that your dog learns its property boundaries. By chance if the dog runs out the front door accidentally without its collar on, 99% of the time it will not leave the property. I've heard some awful stories about dogs getting out of fenced yards, or open front doors, and just going. Lastly, our sheepdog only received one "correction/zap" to understand that he should not go through. Certainly it might be considered cruel to have your dog get zapped, but the alternative would be getting hit by a car. I have also tried the collar on my own neck, much to the amusement of some neighbors, and even though there is some mild pain involved, it will not leave any type of marks on your dog. If you go with Canine Fence Brand, you will train your dog for a couple of weeks to hear an audible beep everytime it approaches the fence, and to associate that beep, as being in a danger zone. Some dogs will retreat from the audible sound before they even have their "correction" day. The trainer will bring all types of distractions to test your dog to not run out of the fence. We have all 3 of our dogs on the fence. They are all very well adjusted to the fence, and run around like it's not even there. Just like all other behavior modification, it's all about the training, so it's really important to take the time necessary to do it the correct way. |
| Thanks for all the input. I am new to the forum and Milye is our first OES. We got her in August after our flat coat retriver (Max) of 14 yrs past away.
She is bringing much joy to our life but going from an elderly dog to a puppy is a big change. We are in puppy socialization and I am trying to find busy places to walk her. Our vet suggested to wait 6 months because she thougt the training would go better after if she was a little older. We are definetly in training mode so I was wanting to add the boundry concept in now. I think that I am probably rushing it so we pass on the fence and just be patient. |
| I had a neighbor with a lab and another smaller beagle type dog on the electric fence and we had tons of rabbits in the community. It worked fine for her. The dogs never went through it but she spent tons of time training them. I think the idea is to go around with a leash on them showing the boundaries first, not just letting them run through it to get zapped. Worth it in the end for her. She had tons of windows facing the yard, so she also kept on eye on them. They weren't out unsupervised for long. The lab was about 2 and the other one 10. They did not lose fur where the collar was. I think an older more mature dog would do better though.
Also, with a big dog, a fence won't always contain them either. I had a husky that could clear even a 5 ft. fence and run away - a fenced yard doesn't mean they are any safer than and open yard. Bottom line, training and supervision. I have a 6 ft. solid wood privacy fence thank goodness. Not taking any chances. My biggest fear is that the puppy would get stolen. |
| we very successfully used an invisible fence with our 120 lb rhodesian ridgeback. before the invisible fence he was constantly escaping from the house. luckily we live at the end of a quiet cul de sac, but of course he could have gone further. we considered solid fencing, but our ridgeback demonstrated his ability to clear quite high barriers, and also we live on about 3 acres. we could never have afforded to sold fence the whole property but definitely wanted him (needed him) to be able to run around and expend energy. he never once crossed the fence after he was trained and showed no strange behaviors with people visiting, etc. he learned the boundaries of his yard and stayed inside it. we loved being able to let him out and watch him run like he was meant to run, knowing he was safe. certainly the training takes time, particularly with a stubborn breed, but it was well worth the effort. incidentally, we had invisible fencing my entire growing up and all of our dogs did quite well with it. |
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