Can anyone think of a way to make a young dog aware of a wire hanging over their head that could really zap them? I have overthought it so much, I don't know where to start now
My IDEAL end goal would be that they stop at each crossing of the wire off leash, but it seems like such a tiny thing to notice as they run and play!
Is it impossible? I sure don't want to have them afraid of going to the farm!

They learn quickly although they may very well learn to go under it if thee is room.

I used one yrs ago in the house.

I had just built and installed a floor to celing bay window and my dogs at the time (Two Kerrys and a Norwich were jumping and scratchit it all up when anyone cam to the house.

I put a large piece of aluminum plat on the floor and wired around the window.

None of the dogs took more then 1-2 tries until they learned to keep back from it.

My then 3yr old son on the other hand seemed to feel the need to grab it at least once a day because he "wanted to see if it was on."

Also usedone on top the side fence when I had three large dogs.

One of the dogs fence fought with the dobe next door so we hung tarps over the fence.

That only made it worse because they then stood on theirrear legs and foght over the fence with serious results.

That's when we wired the top of the fence.

stopped two of my dogs after one try but the third hit it and then actually attacked the fence.

After 3-4 tried he finely learned to stop from going on it.

Two of the dogs learned with one lesson

My dogs learned to respect the fence after hitting it once. They were never afraid to go out to the pasture, but they made sure they were low enough not to hit the fence when they scooted under - they even tucked their tails when they went under.

If you don't want the dogs to get hit by the fence, you can try to rig up a boundary (radio) fence along the fence line. They will get a tone when they get close to the hot fence and if they continue, they get a stim. The collar stim is not nearly as bad as a fence hit - especially if you have something like a weed burner hot fence.

I guess I'm just being too soft! We go in and out of several pastures separated by two lines of wires, so they WILL run into them. We just upgraded to a higher shocking box because of the addition of a bull. It turns him back, and it will almost make you forget your name when you hit it! I just hate to expose them to that... I guess I could just turn it off.
I just knew that if I made them understand it was there through training, they would think it was me delivering unbelievable judgement on them if they failed to notice a strand! They love going to the farm tho.... I really don't know that anything could change their mind about that.

Thanks Bob and Kelly for the replies!

I think "proximity" is a hard concept for dogs to understand. You can probably teach it, but you would have to be absolutely consistent each and every time they approached the fence, and I think that's somewhat unrealistic - especially on a working farm with multiple dogs and livestock running around.

I once knew a farm dog who crossed under the electric fence several times a day. He always had his tail straight up in the air and he always let out a yelp when the tail made contact, but he never developed a fear of the fence, and he was never deterred from traveling the farm at leisure.

OTOH, I had a squirrel dog that got shocked once and would never ever get close to an electrical wire or extension cord again.

Electricity and dogs is a hard thing to predict. Personally, IMHO, were it MY dog, I would do what I needed to do for my livestock and let the dog work out the fence for himself.

I basically have overthought this.....typical. I guess I fear the fence more than anyone, it seems! (Maybe I should be conditioned?!)