Meg lost

Years ago I lost Meg on the main road......
See below..this is what I would use if I had a garden 


Should You Install a DIY Electric Fence for Your Dog?....this made me think cos of something that happened to Meg a few years ago.....she escaped from the garden and ended up a few inches from the main road at rush hour .
Welsh terriers have no road sense btw

Keeping your dog on your property is the best way to ensure their safety. If you have a large yard, your dog benefits from being able to run and roam around it to their heart’s content. In order to allow them this freedom with maximum safety measures in place, you need to fence in your yard with either a traditional fence or an electronic dog fence. If you opt to use an electronic containment system, a DIY electric fence is the least expensive way to do it - it can save you thousands of dollars as compared to a professionally installed fence (electronic or not). Before you purchase a system, however, here are some of the things to keep in mind. 

Is a DIY Electric Fence Right for Your Dog?
The convenience and unobtrusiveness of an electronic dog fence are some of its potential benefits, but its most important purpose is to keep your dog safe. As such, the first thing you must consider is whether or not an electric fence is right for your dog. Most dogs will do well with an electric fence, especially dogs who are already well-trained. Dogs who are determined escape artists, like those who enjoy digging underneath the fence, are particularly great candidates for the use of an underground dog fence, because it’s more effective at keeping them contained than a traditional fence. 

Some dogs, however, should not be trained with an electronic dog fence. If your dog is pregnant, younger than six-months-old, physically disabled, or chronically ill, it is not recommended that you use an e-collar system with them. Also, aggressive dogs should not be contained with an electric dog fence as the only barrier around your property. An underground dog fence only offers one-way containment, so people and animals can potentially enter your yard. Because aggressive dogs can be dangerous in the right circumstances, you don’t want to risk it. The best way to keep aggressive dogs contained is to use both an underground dog fence and a high traditional fence with no gaps. 

What Goes Into Installing a Dog Fence?
You can install your own electric dog fence as a weekend project, even if you have little to no DIY experience. The average time it takes, including planning and breaks, is about 10 hours, and the process is not too labor intensive. Once you’ve planned the layout, mounted the transmitter box to the wall, and laid and spliced the wire, the next step of burying the wire is the most physically demanding, unless you opt to use a trencher. Connecting and testing the system is fairly simple, even if there is a break in the wire you need to find and fix. 

The key to successfully installing your own electronic dog fence is to plan carefully. Read the entire instruction manual before you begin. Online instructions and videos can also help make the process easier. Understand what you need to accomplish before you begin, or you could run into unexpected challenges that will eat up time. Part of the planning requirements is to call your local utility company so that they come and mark underground utility lines in your yard; be sure to call a few days before you want to install because you cannot dig safely without doing so. 

How is a Dog Trained on an Electric Dog Fence?
Once your system is up and running smoothly, it’s time to train your dog. This is the most important part, because your electric fence will be useless if your dog doesn’t understand the expectations that come with it. You will train your dog three times a day, 15 minutes each, for two weeks. You begin by marking the boundaries with flags and walking your dog around them. You’ll teach your dog that when they get too close to the perimeter, a warning tone from their e-collar will tell them to turn and retreat. If they don’t retreat, they’ll experience the corrective shock. They’ll learn that the only way to avoid the corrective shock is to observe the boundaries. 

In order to effectively train your dog, you must follow the training instructions exactly. Again it’s important to read through all the instructions and understand them before you begin. If your dog isn’t properly trained, they’ll feel the corrective shock on a regular basis and end up fearing to go outside. If you cannot commit to three 15-minute training sessions per day, then do not get an electronic dog fence. Consistent, adequate training is absolutely essential to safe, proper use. 

Which Containment System Should You Choose?
There are many different electronic dog fence systems on the market, and it can seem like a daunting task to choose the best one for your dog. However, online comparison charts and reviews of wired and wireless dog fence systems can help you make an informed decision. Different systems have different size capacities, so you’ll need to know the total area of your yard (or the area you want to enclose). If you have more than one dog, you’ll also need to choose a system that can support the appropriate number of e-collars. If your dogs are different sizes, you’ll need e-collars that have adjustable correction levels. 

Beyond those important specifications, there are other features you can choose from. For example, some e-collars have remote training capabilities, where you can correct unwanted behavior, such as barking or digging. If the electricity is prone to go out where you live, you probably want to choose a system that has a battery backup. Carefully reviewing the features of each electronic dog fence will help ensure you choose the best system for your dog and yard. With a little research and careful planning, you and your dog will be happy and content with the installation of your new electric fence. 

If you need help installing a DIY electric fence, check out the detailed instructions, FAQ’s, and videos at DogFenceDIY, our partners in electronic containment education.

24 comments:

  1. If I didn't know better, I would hazard a guess that someone has a new job as ' Dog Fence' salesman for Dogfence DIY .....the NHS's loss is the "canine safety and road awareness" gain ......God knows that industry has needed a shot in the arm for far too long now !!!!!

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    1. Its a good product jace x

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    2. I don't doubt that , and no one appreciates the importance of keeping domestic pets safe indoors John , especially at night ....don't forget I've seen ' chicken run '

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  2. I have known many friends and family who have used an electric dog fence very successfully. But you are so correct in the comment "Know if this is right for your dog" We have always had Cairn Terriers. They are tenacious and will "Take the Hit" to go after a squirrel, no matter how well trained, every single time. But of course, they will NOT take the hit to come back. That's our accepted lot in life. We love our Cairns, but absolutely cannot use an e-fence with them. Little buggers. X

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  3. Would NEVER have one....many dogs will run through them, regardless of the electric being in. Dogs can easily come onto your property and attack your dog. Your dog can get it's collar off...or someone could remove it, and your dog could run free. Would rather have a regular fence around my yard....which I do....

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    1. I will ask this question

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    2. And if you are in an area where you have coyotes, they'll charge right across that fence and grab your poor little dog. Unless they get it by the collar and get zapped, too, your little dog is a goner.

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  4. Anonymous12:51 am

    Very interesting. I expect they would be successful because of the initial training that goes into the dog. The article does suggest a normal fence as well to keep out unwanted visitors.

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  5. I would use one for a determined escape artist, but never on its own. Another dog can enter your property and attack your dog and they can't escape, or if they are so frightened by another dog or thunder that they cross the barrier and get a shock, then they will be too frightened to come back over the line to get home.

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  6. Even if they work, I think they are cruel. My brother's dog was trained to one, and he said it only took one shock to train him, but I still thought it was cruel!

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  7. Cruel. When my dog is in flight mode he d run right thru it then be afraid to return

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  8. Most dogs in my neighborhood are kept in their yard by the invisible fence. Dogs don't run free because of three things happening: they will get hit by a car, they will get lost, they will jump on a stranger and that stranger will sue you.

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  9. We have a standard fence; the invisible fence wouldn't work for us. Even here in our small city there is too much tempting wildlife for our four to resist and the added danger of of coyotes, rabid animals and the occasional cougar stopping by. Abby would also be tempting for people looking for a bait dog.

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  10. My nephew and his wife installed an electric fence when the got a puppy two years ago. It wasn't DIY, but they have been really happy with it (probably more happy since they didn't have to do it themselves).

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  11. The way Len the sprollie is behaving at the moment, I'm more likely to install an electric chair! He is being a total shit! Good job we have Budge the elderly springer to restore some balance...not!

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  12. My boss has a rescue dog whose former owners had used an electrical training collar; she was horrified to find they'd used it so much to stop the puppy barking he had burns on his throat and was terrified of noise. I know this isn't the same but some people are horrible.

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    1. That is so nasty. I'm glad the dog was rescued, maybe the original owner should be wearing the collar!

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  13. A much better use for an electric fence is to keep foxes out.

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    1. And all we need now is a volunteer to put the collars on the foxes ...

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  14. We have a large fenced yard so we wouldn't need one, but if we didn't I would certainly consider some sort of invisible barrier to keep my darlings in. It would have to be humane definitely, nothing that would shock the bejeezus out of the animal. We are on a busy bus route and although in the suburbs, you'd think with the way people drive they are on the highway.

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  15. Dogs and electricity do not get on so it would be a big NO from me. OUr Border Collie never learnt to respect the chickens electric fence and would run at it and howl over and over in an attempt to get to her beloved chickens for rounding up purposes. She could be taught anything else but did not understand electric shocks.

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  16. I'd love to know the failure rate; our springer ran through them.

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  17. No, not something we'd ever use, and thankfully we don't need it. Fortunately our two girls don't have any inclination to roam, they stay very close to us, and any food!

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  18. Isn't that the same as hurting your dog when it does something wrong? no, not for me at all. Teach with kindness and reward not pain.

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I love all comments Except abusive ones from arseholes