I have heard too many stories of dogs taking the pain and running out of the area.

I have also heard stories from owners of dogs that claim their dogs know when the power is out or the batteries in the collar are getting weak. I guess the dogs don't feel a tingle as they approach the line.

The examples cited above are from people with just house pets, not working dogs. A true working dog may have better obedience than a pet, but then again the working dog will also be more driven to overcome the obstacle of momentary discomfort for the victory of reward.

I also did not go with invisible fence as even if it can keep the dog in, it won't keep children out. The last thing I need is for a kid to go running through my yard while chasing a ball and kick in the dog's prey drive.

I have 6 acres enclosed in the SD2100 for my 2 Malinois and Lab.

One of the Mals went through the fence when she was younger... she has not do so for about a year now. The other dogs won't go near the barrier. They hear the warning tone and back off.

I love the fence for my dogs. It opened up the horse pasture to them so they can run as much as they want.. with Mals this is important.

However, my dogs are NEVER out without Paul or I with them. The fence is not meant to be a babysitter for your dogs. You still need to be there with them.

It is a problem if the dog goes through though. When Toni went through, we would have to carry her over the line to get her back in the yard (after taking the collar off of course). Getting home is apparently not worth taking the hit for.

Paul and I both can attest to the fact that the shock is no little carpet shock. Paul was holding on to it and crossed the line once.... he never did that again!! There was much swearing involved. I had one in my front pocket and heard the beeping.. wondered what it was and then the shock hit me. I danced around trying to get it out of my pocket... never occurred to me to actually move AWAY from the barrier....

ahh ok you know what when you have a large area like that it does make sense but i was thinking of a house in the suburbs lol

Our old house had a large area invisible fence (2 acres?) and our old dog knew when the power was out. She wasn't a working dog, though.

My big issue with invisible fence is protection of my dog. Invisible fences don't deter wild animals from wandering through (our old dog attacked a deer once), and it leaves your yard WIDE open for neighborhood kids or people to wander right on in to "play with the nice doggy!" I do understand that fencing is hella expensive, so like others have said, if you get it, supervise. :P

I think i'll bite the bullet and save for the wood.

I agree in keeping things out of my yard, and I think it will help with barking at night. they will not be able to see the prey ....

thanks, I'm glad I waited.

ted

I have an invisible fence that I had to install as a reinforcement to my existing fence. My dog just climbed over the fence before I installed the invisible fence.

I would not trust an invisible fence to keep my dog in the yard and I would also be concerned about the stray dogs that wander through the neighborhood. I don't leave my dog out for long periods of time, but I needed some confidence that the fence would keep the dog safely restrained for the few hours a week I am gone. The combination of my regular fence and the invisible fence works very well. I set the invisible fence area up so the dog can not get close to the fence (to climb over it) without getting quite a jolt. Then I spent several weeks acclimating her to the fence boundaries. So far, it works very well.

julie

We had a neighbor that had an invisible fence. That dog got out all the time. One reason was that the battery on the collar was dead and another was that the system was laid out incorrectly and created a weak area for the dog to go through. Even so, the invisible fence does not keep everybody else out like a wooden fence. If you are worried about the dog jumping over a wooden one, add an electric fence to it. We did and it worked well.

 Quote: Denise Hau

We had a neighbor that had an invisible fence. That dog got out all the time. One reason was that the battery on the collar was dead and another was that the system was laid out incorrectly and created a weak area for the dog to go through. Even so, the invisible fence does not keep everybody else out like a wooden fence. If you are worried about the dog jumping over a wooden one, add an electric fence to it. We did and it worked well.

The combo suggestion sounds best to me, if you're worried about a physical fence not being 100% reliable. I too don't like the idea of things (animals, people, wildlife) still being able to get IN with an electric fence, PLUS I know a few dogs who have become VERY savvy about their electric fences - owners let the batteries run out on the collar or forgot to plug in the whole system a few times and now the dogs test it EVERY MORNING to see if they're free to roam or not. Apparently, even when the fence works correctly, if a dog chooses to run through, they only get zapped for a period of seconds before the correction stops altogether - so a pain tolerant dog wouldn't have to endure much for his freedom...

~Natalya

 Quote: ted efthymiadis

I think i'll bite the bullet and save for the wood.

I agree in keeping things out of my yard, and I think it will help with barking at night. they will not be able to see the prey ....

thanks, I'm glad I waited.

ted

Well nothing beats supervision and training for a Mal. I found that when I left my girl in the back yard for any length she always always destroys something (digging or chewing) and once that behaviour cycle starts it is a real PITA to break. You should really reconsider leaving a Mal in a large backyard without supervision. We have a 48" chain link fence my Mal could clear it in a single hop if she wanted but I really think she considers it her territory and doesn't want to venture off. She alas got out twice by bouncing into the fence chasing a rabbit and it sprung the fence to where she slipped under the fence .. bad. To add to fact that the backyard starts to look like a moonscape.

IMHO even the best fence always has weaknesses whether it be wood, chain link or an invisible fence.

Have you just thought of just using a Chain link kennel? At least you can take it with you if you have to move. You could easily get a prefab 4'x12'x8' for under $800. Use the money you save for for a Dogtra 1700 and a year of Shutzhund or FR training.

The other answers have pretty well covered it -- just a few more points. 1 - You don't have to dig under the concrete drive -- a wire-width trench will suffice and my installer covered it up quite effectively; 2 - Yeh, some dogs will blow through, particularly heavy-coated guys; 3 - Most installations start with a sound as the dog approaches the fence; once the dog is used to the warning sound, it can be muted because the dog knows what the warning is about; unfortunately, my dog was afraid of the sound and refused to go out--we had to remove the electric fence; 4 - A less expensive alternative to a traditional fence is the "frontier fence" -- either similar to those in horse paddocks or more rustic -- back by "invisible" wire mesh. If you go that route, make sure that the installer digs a 6"-1' trench around the inside of the fence and fills it with gravel. That will prevent the dog from digging under.