Hmmm article on invisible fences - Page 1

Just wondering what the various viewpoints are of people on this database and why.  I am against shock collars of any sort and that is my own personal belief system.  I believe in positive reinforcement and of course consequences that are not out of my control or eyesight and are in line mutual respect earned with hard work.  JMO

http://www.apbc.org.uk/blog/ethics_of_pet_containment_fences

Nope, just one run thru and it's over.  dog is out.  Sorry, bad idea.  Nan

I have known too many dogs that have run through the "fence" and either gotten hit by a car, shot by an irate neighbour, or ordered to be put to sleep by the county because they were a nuisance animal, and the owners did not contain them. I personally would never use an invisible fence.

Depends on the dog and if the owner does it the way Invisible Fence recommends. I had one. First do not buy a electronic fence to install  yourself. Have the Invisible Fence Company install it for you. They will teach you how to train your dog to the fence. You cannot let the dog outside alone, the collar must be tight and the batteries must be fresh. An Invisible Fence is not intended for an owner who wants to open the door  and let the dog run. They say that upfront - do not ever let your dog oustside unsupervised when using an Invisible Fence. 

My first GSD was very dog aggressive, he broke through the fence several times until we had his receiver beefed up. If you get offended thinking that Rintie is going to suffer permanent damage from taking a corrective shock, then don't even think about using an Invisible Fence. It wont kill him anymore than an ecollar, but if you have an adversion about that, pass on an Invisible Fence.

My second GSD took one correction and never went near the field again. A filet woud not have convinced him to do it.

Don't condemn others for using an Invisible Fence, Some communities don't allow fences so it's either the IF or no dog. 

An invisible fence was never an option for me when I had Sibes--they'd bolt through that correction and keep right on moving.

For dogs that aren't as one-track-minded about freedom and running at full speed, my other reservation about these fences is that even if they keep my dogs IN, they don't do anything to keep other creatures [2 legged or 4] OUT of my yard.  I do understand that there are places where this type of fence is the only option, and if that's the case then one must do the best they can to keep their dogs safely confined to their own property. Long before the technology existed for the underground fencing, trainers taught boundary training techniques, but those, too, were never meant to be counted on if the dog was outside without supervision, or the temptation on the other side of the fencing was too strong for the dog to resist.

Invisible Fences should never be used to contain multiple dogs,  untrained dogs, or by owners who can't or won't teach their dogs boundaries. If you have a dog that obeys and understands it's boundaries, an IF will work fine. They are not recommended for arctic breeds, some terriers, or dogs that don't respond to corrections. Of course they don't keep other animals out, that's why IF says - always stay with your dog when using an IF. One  of the few times I allowed a GSD to go outside without me, he got hit by a skunk. A big lesson learned for me. 

My mother always boundary trained our dogs while I was growing up; I also have successfully boundary trained multiple dogs, so I know it works, and can work very well. However, in my personal experience the IF has never been used correctly, (not saying there are no responsible IF owners, I just have never known any), hence, my distrust of them.

Nothing works well if it's not used as intended.

The invisible fence may or may not keep your dog in but they never keep other dogs or critters out.  My personal opinion and experience is that electronic gimmicks all have their shortcomings and limits .. they must be used wisely and are never a substitute for the real thing.  A three foot wooden fence is inadequate for a GSD and so is an electronic fence if you want to keep the GSD in and the pit bulls out.  Invisible fences may be better than nothing so long as you realize they are not as good as the real thing and treat them accordingly.

 A few notes on the article:

1. "As no animal is the same, this level of punishment will vary between individuals. This means that we risk using a much higher shock than is necessary to “do the job”. "    This is not true of IF.  Each correction is talored to the dog.   There is a training phase, where the correction is very mild; enough for the dog to recognize something negative, but not enough for a strong reaction.   The training phase is to teach the boundry.   Once training is complete, the "all stop" correction varies by dog.   In order for this to work and not be "too much"  the owner must really know their dog and have really worked at the training phase.

I have used IF for almost a year now.  After the training phase, none of my dogs have ever tested the fence since; even the hard headed, but lovable Lab x.

2.  "the invisible fence does not prevent other animals from entering the containment area."   Well, no duh.  If an owner is using IF and does not recognize and resolve this limitation, they are missing a few light bulbs and shouldn't be using the fence in the first place.

I live in the country.  Anything that enters the yard, my dogs or I resolve; this is part of the reason for my dogs to be outside "keep the rodents out of our yard."   We do watch for cyotes very closely, as my dogs are not a match for a pack of cyotes.

3.  If the system fails, well, it fails.  If you have trained the dog correctly, the fence will not be tested; no matter the temptation (yes, I have very throughly tested this part; before we went past the training phase).  If it is crossed the dogs have been trained on what to do to stop the correct (turn around).     If this still does not stop a dog, well, I doubt a regular fence will either, so the dog should either be inside only or in a fully enclosed kennel.