subject: Electronic Dog Fence - A Beginner's Guide [print this page] One way to keep your dogs or livestock within your area is through physical fences. These are erected high enough to keep animals from getting out, and in the case of other animals, from getting in. They may be electrified or not. If you're worried your dog may never come home again from his neighbourhood strolls, such a pet containment system is available. Some studies show, however, that a pet boundary control system, without the use of erected fences, tend to be more cost effective over time. Further, they're more preferred in areas where ordinances prohibit installing physical fences.
What is a fence without a fence?
The goal of this containment system is simple - to keep your dog inside the "fence." An electronic dog fence is essentially an area bound by buried wires instead of erected fences. The boundaries are marked by small flags outside of which the dog is not to venture. When the dog approaches the boundaries, his collar gives off a warning sound. Should the dog walk past the boundary, he will receive a static correction from his collar. Over time, the dog will behave inside the fence as though he could not get out of it - heeding both the warning sounds and the shock correction.
So even though there are no physically erected fences publicly visible, there might as well be, since the dog will keep inside the area marked by the flags. Humans and other animals not wearing the collar are naturally unaffected by the virtual or hidden fence. Some dog owners prefer this electronic dog fence to actual fences for the sense of space reclaimed.
Other ways of keeping your pet inside a marked perimeter
There are other ways to set up a pet containment system. Marking the boundaries of the area, in an alternate set up, makes use of radio signals broadcast from a central device. A designated radius replaces the buried wires, and when the dog nears the edge of that boundary, it receives a warning sound; should it continue to ignore that sound, a mild shock follow. Another system is possible via the use of the Global Positioning System, which some dog owners find more sophisticated compared to the other two. Should the dog try to ignore the warning sound, the static correction sets in - this is the same condition that applies for all three sets ups: the buried wire, the radio signal set up, and the GPRS system.
The corrective shock to the dog can be calibrated to increase in intensity and frequency, depending on the setting the dog owner chooses. It must be emphasized that the dog takes some time getting used to interpreting the warning signal, hence the dog must be trained to and rewarded when he decides to remain inside the electronic dog fence.
