Shock from electric fence

JKM · 04-08-2011 2:49pm #1

Hi,

Just looking for some advice. My sister was out for a walk a short while ago with our familys two dogs. She was on a loop walk that we walk daily with the dogs. A lot of other dog owners use it as well. It's great because you can leave them off the lead for a splash in the river and a good run. Anyway, a fence was put up on part of it recently, the bottom part is electric. Our border collie Cassie ran under it today, she was wet from a dip in the water, and got what must have been a really bad shock from the fence. She took off like a bullet and ran the whole way home. My sister rang my brother who left her into our yard.

Anyway, she is very quiet at the moment, and her eyes seem a little red. My question is does she need to go to a vet or did she just get a bad fright? The other dog took a bit of a rap from it as well and jumped around a bit but didn't react as bad. In his former home they used a shock collar on him so maybe he is more used to it?

We're really annoyed because that part of the walk was given to the community by the farmer that owns the land, but he leased it and the guy that is in there put up the electric fence. It must be a really strong electric current to cause her that much pain. He said the fence was because he was putting cattle in there, but why have the electric part so low then. I get if he want's to keep dogs out of the field but what if a young child grabbed onto it or something?

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks

ppink · 04-08-2011 4:11pm

One of our dogs pee'd on an electric fence and would not come out of the shed for days after it. He got the fright of his life. He was fine after it and did not need the vet.
your dog probably got a good bang from it as she was wet. not too sure about the eyes but maybe you should be safe and call your vet to ask them about it.
It does not need to be a very strong current to give a wet dog a good belt either. Not too sure about the situation with the farmer but you can ask him to insulate that section or the next time you come to it drop a stick on it yourself and earth it before passing through.......just be sure to remove the stick after so it keeps in the farmers stock.
growing up on farms kids hit electric fences all the time......well we did anyway!

amacca · 04-08-2011 4:14pm

JKM wrote: »

He said the fence was because he was putting cattle in there, but why have the electric part so low then. I get if he want's to keep dogs out of the field but what if a young child grabbed onto it or something?

Thanks

sorry I cant really help with advice on the dog....my gut would be that the dog will be fine if it was just a normal everyday run of the mill electric fence....but if the red eyes are linked to the shock then thats something I've never heard of...are the red eyes a direct consequence of receiving the shock...did the dog have normal eyes this morning?

in relation to why the fence is so low.......I sometimes leave a fence low or even run a second strand at a very low height if im putting calves out

I doubt the farmer has the fence connected to the mains ...which could as harm/kill a young child or indeed any person/animal that comes into contact with it etc...but if its just a standard fence and the farmer hasnt altered it..it shouldnt be endangering anyone ..the dog may have got a strong shock because it was wet and that coupled with it being completely unfamiliar with getting a shock may have caused the dog to panic etc?...just a thought.

carwash_2006 · 04-08-2011 4:37pm

Does the dog have any burn marks? If not then I would say it wasn't that strong a shock, but was probably intensified by the fact that she was wet and possibly meant she got an allover shock rather than just the normal jolt.

Touching an electric fence does hurt though, otherwise it would be pointless, so I'd say it was just shock and she is probably feeling the after effects of it. Just make sure she is comfortable and not likely to get cold, although in this heat I doubt that's much of a worry.

JKM · 04-08-2011 4:48pm

Thanks for the replies. She seems a bit better now. My brother was out playing football and she was joining in as she usually does.

I just hope she's not permanently scarred. We fell so terrible for her because she probably thinks we done it to her or something, and she was just out enjoying her walk as normal. She's not going to understand that she didn't do anything wrong.

I didn't see her eyes this morning so don't now if this is linked but they just looked extra red this evening. She was shaking quite badly as well, but again this was probably just from the fright.

@ppink; The fence actually runs along the full lenght of two fields at the side of which the walkway is (if that makes sense) and we don't actually have to cross it at any point. Cassie and Echo just like to run into the field for us to launch a few tennis balls for them to fetch.

@ amacca: I didn't think about calves being put in there, that makes sense. I suppose he has to keep his livestock in. It's just a pity because they really enjoy that particular walk and I hope I don't have to keep them away from it now. They are very obidient though and excellent to stay at my heal when I instruct them to, so i'll just have to stop them from entering the field and keep enjoying the rest of the walk.

Thanks again.

Discodog · 04-08-2011 7:00pm

Once a dog of mine walked into an electric fence that was hidden in tall grass. From then on & for years after, he would walk down the path & make a wide detour around where the fence had been - he never forgot.

Graces7 · 04-08-2011 7:12pm

The fields we run the dogs in, with permission, have electric fences and both the dogs have learned that this hurts. Such a yelp and I share that reaction. Caught me a couple of times when am picking berries etc.

For a dog, it must be so much more painful.

Our collie gets red eyes often.I think it is simply a stress thing.
She suffered so much abuse her first five years.

Thankfully I can turn the fence off in our house.

As the water pump goes off when there is a power cut and has to be reset, I never forget to reconnect the fence etc.

There are two strands here also.

Where we enter the field, there is a section with a handhold so you can unhook the fence to get in and out. Bad description but i think youy understand

liquoriceall · 04-08-2011 9:40pm

I dont think your dog will analyse this as much as you think
I grew up on a farm and god knows how many shocks I got (more than the dogs I reckon) it does no harm the only way it could harm them is if they somehow became trapped to it and got hours of repeated shocks but in the meantime they would of created so much noise they would of been rescued
She will get over it they all do

DBB · 04-08-2011 9:58pm

I hope your dog "gets over it" OP.:eek:
The physical damage is probably negligible in this case. It's the fear that'll do the damage.
It's one thing a human being shocked by a fence: unlike dogs, we're able to rationalise the experience, and realise "it's only a shock" and "I won't die".
But a dog getting a shock for no apparent reason can make them quite phobic in similar situations, because they just can't understand why it happened, or what it was.
Fear of this unknown cause of pain, however fleeting, may make the dog generalise her fears to other things that happened to be in her environment just as the shock happened.
So, from this point of view, it may be precisely because the dog can't over-analyse what happened that could cause a problem.
OP, see what happens tomorrow if you bring the dogs back to the area tomorrow and bring lots of really nice grub with you. Try not to change your own demeanour or attitude in case you tip her off! And make certain she can't get near that fence again! Shovel nice grub into her as you get closer to the fence. You should get a good idea whether she feels fearful in the area it happened again.
Good luck!

Cú Giobach · 05-08-2011 8:52am

OP:
You can be sure every day numerous kids and animals of all sorts get shocked by fences, I couldn't even begin to guess how many times I got wacked as a kid, they won't do any physical damage.
The only issue with a dog could be associating the shock with something else, when one of my dogs was about 8/9 months old she got hung up on one after jumping over a ditch, it took me about 30 secs to get over and release her (I hope to never hear the sound she was making again as long as I live), unfortunately she thought it was me hitting her and to this day that memory breaks my heart.
Don't worry about it, (don't know about the red eye though).

Zimmerframe · 05-08-2011 9:00am

Discodog wrote: »

Once a dog of mine walked into an electric fence that was hidden in tall grass. From then on & for years after, he would walk down the path & make a wide detour around where the fence had been - he never forgot.

+1 m8
Had a red setter, got a shock from an electric fence. He ran away and didn't return home for about 36 hours.
For the rest of his days, he did as you said, detoured around where the fence had been.

betsie · 05-08-2011 10:26am

amacca wrote: »

I doubt the farmer has the fence connected to the mains ...which could as harm/kill a young child or indeed any person/animal that comes into contact with it etc...but if its just a standard fence and the farmer hasnt altered it..it shouldnt be endangering anyone ..the dog may have got a strong shock because it was wet and that coupled with it being completely unfamiliar with getting a shock may have caused the dog to panic etc?...just a thought.

I would think what he meant by connected to the mains is that the fencer (which regulates the voltage) is plugged into the mains on the farm as opposed to a battery fencer that would be connected in the field, the 1st tends to be a little stronger though not always.

The dog will be fine as the OP said because he was wet the shock would have been felt that bit more but will do no long term harm (all 4 of our farm dogs have done this at some stage) as for the fence being low.....you'd be amazed at where cattle especially younger animals can get out under fences!!!

Graces7 · 05-08-2011 10:42am

liquoriceall wrote: »

I dont think your dog will analyse this as much as you think
I grew up on a farm and god knows how many shocks I got (more than the dogs I reckon) it does no harm the only way it could harm them is if they somehow became trapped to it and got hours of repeated shocks but in the meantime they would of created so much noise they would of been rescued
She will get over it they all do

As others have said, it is the fear that matters. And it does matter. More so than the physical pain. I echo this from my own contacts with these fences. Dreading any more. Our landlord/farmer shows off by holding the fence when I am there.... I tell him that that is one more brain cell gone!

Yet when he accidentally touched a tall thistle, he winced in shock!

I think it was ppink in a different thread who highlighted the difference.

One morning last winter, someone wired our gate to the fence and the shock was horrible.
It was frosty and so damp of course.

And the yelp from the dogs when they have hit the fence lacerated me. Clearly pain.

betsie · 05-08-2011 11:29am

Graces7 wrote: »

As others have said, it is the fear that matters. And it does matter. More so than the physical pain. I echo this from my own contacts with these fences. Dreading any more. Our landlord/farmer shows off by holding the fence when I am there.... I tell him that that is one more brain cell gone!

Yet when he accidentally touched a tall thistle, he winced in shock!

I think it was ppink in a different thread who highlighted the difference.

One morning last winter, someone wired our gate to the fence and the shock was horrible.
It was frosty and so damp of course.

And the yelp from the dogs when they have hit the fence lacerated me. Clearly pain.

Well anyone that denies it hurts would be lying (they wouldnt be very effective if they didnt hurt) but long term the damage should be very minimal, other than a slight fear of wire fences.

DBB · 05-08-2011 1:34pm

Some dogs are more resilient emotionally and bounce back from these things, but ask anyone whose gundog got a rap out of the blue and who will now no longer work... It's not just a mild fear of electric fences.
The experience can literally shatter a dog's confidence for months, years, or for life.

amacca · 05-08-2011 3:01pm

betsie wrote: »

I would think what he meant by connected to the mains is that the fencer (which regulates the voltage) is plugged into the mains on the farm as opposed to a battery fencer that would be connected in the field, the 1st tends to be a little stronger though not always.

Oh I know that..he didnt mention connecting to the mains at all...I did (and I meant in the dangerous sense of what a lad near my cousins place used to do, which was connect directly into esb wire.....exceptionally dangerous/ lethal in fact)......it would be the only way I could imagine a shock having an effect like the eyes reddening if it would have that effect at all.

I use both types (battery fencer and safe connection to mains) myself.

betsie · 05-08-2011 4:08pm

amacca wrote: »

Oh I know that..he didnt mention connecting to the mains at all...I did (and I meant in the dangerous sense of what a lad near my cousins place used to do, which was connect directly into esb wire.....exceptionally dangerous/ lethal in fact)......it would be the only way I could imagine a shock having an effect like the eyes reddening if it would have that effect at all.

I use both types (battery fencer and safe connection to mains) myself.

Seriously someone actually did that?? :eek: what does be going through these peoples heads!!!

amacca · 05-08-2011 6:16pm

betsie wrote: »

Seriously someone actually did that?? :eek: what does be going through these peoples heads!!!

lets just say the lad didnt like people and would not be talked to.....the first one is fair enough in my book...the second...not so much, especially when other peoples lives are at stake through what was presumably ignorance.

he was not the only ive seen cases of this reported in local papers...in one a guy threw a line over an overhead wire right next to a main road.....how that worked I dont know as I thought all over head wires were insulated.

Graces7 · 05-08-2011 6:46pm

amacca wrote: »

Oh I know that..he didnt mention connecting to the mains at all...I did (and I meant in the dangerous sense of what a lad near my cousins place used to do, which was connect directly into esb wire.....exceptionally dangerous/ lethal in fact)......it would be the only way I could imagine a shock having an effect like the eyes reddening if it would have that effect at all.

I use both types (battery fencer and safe connection to mains) myself.

I think that this is a collie stress reaction; I have seen red eyes often in our abused collie and in others of this breed. It fades of course. Fear will do it or any stress.

JKM · 06-08-2011 6:26pm

DBB wrote: »

I hope your dog "gets over it" OP.:eek:
The physical damage is probably negligible in this case. It's the fear that'll do the damage.
It's one thing a human being shocked by a fence: unlike dogs, we're able to rationalise the experience, and realise "it's only a shock" and "I won't die".
But a dog getting a shock for no apparent reason can make them quite phobic in similar situations, because they just can't understand why it happened, or what it was.
Fear of this unknown cause of pain, however fleeting, may make the dog generalise her fears to other things that happened to be in her environment just as the shock happened.
So, from this point of view, it may be precisely because the dog can't over-analyse what happened that could cause a problem.
OP, see what happens tomorrow if you bring the dogs back to the area tomorrow and bring lots of really nice grub with you. Try not to change your own demeanour or attitude in case you tip her off! And make certain she can't get near that fence again! Shovel nice grub into her as you get closer to the fence. You should get a good idea whether she feels fearful in the area it happened again.
Good luck!

Thanks DBB. That's exactly what i'm worried about. She's a very clever dog, would practically talk to you but like you said, she's not going to be able to rationalise like a human would.

I was away at a wedding all day yesterday but my sister brought her again for her walk. She went in the general direction of where she got the shock but avoided that exact area. This is the same sister who had her out when she got the shock. Cassie was running on ahead of her and when she came near the gate that goes into that area she ran back to my sister and hid behind her until they passed the gate, then ran on aheaad again once passed. At least this means that she isn't associating the 'bad thing that hurt her' with my sister but with the actual area.

Great idea with the treats, i'm going to try that in a while when I bring them out.

I tell you one thing, it has 100% put me completely off the idea of using shock collars. Our other dog Echo used to have one regularly attached to him with his previous owners. Although he doesn't seem to have suffered any long-term effects I think Cassie would be very badly affected (if her reaction to this shock was anything to go by).

Thank again for all your help.

Shock from electric fence

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