Buried electric fences

eddie12

Just looking for a bit of advice well before we get a dog.
What do people think of those "invisable" fences? I know people who use them and are very happy with them. Their dogs seem to be happy too with a large area to run around in.
We have a site of 4 acres and I was hoping to be able to give our future dog the run of it. There are invisable fences for that range. I work mostly from home so he could come in and out of the house as he pleases and have 4 acres to knock about in. It is fenced for horses but to fence the whole lot for a dog would cost a fortune. I could build a run of course and let the dog out for a supervised run around. Will bring him for walks too of course.
What would be the best option?

ISDW

I'm totally against them. They are useless for the breeds that I have, siberian huskies and alaskan malamutes. Their coat is too thick, and they want to escape so much that they will take the pain of an electric shock.

They also don't stop other dogs coming into your property and attacking your own dog.

If your dog does get out through it, theres no way its going to take the pain of a second shock to come back in.

I can see where you're coming from, having 4 acres to run around in would be fantastic for a dog, but if it was me, I would fence off a part of it for the dog to be in whilst I'm not with him/her and then just walk the dog regularly.

Toulouse

Agree ISDW, I've seen dogs in the pound with those collars on so they're not 100% and I think they're barbaric. I'd build a good run, bring him out for a supervised run around and walk him, like you said.

eddie12

Thanks for the advice. I can only imagine the hassle if it did manage to get out. There are sheep around so I dont want to take any chances. I'll more than likely just fence off the 3/4 of an acre the house is on and let him/her have the run of that. We'll probably go up the Remi and Helena in ASH to get some sort of mongrel when the time comes as its only going to be a pet.

Toulouse

You're much better off, that sounds perfect. Where there's sheep there's trigger happy farmers.

Keep us updated

messygirl

If you could get some mesh wiring it would be easier to do it yourself.

our neighbour has them and if the battery dies or there is a glitch then the dog can just wander off!

Depends what kind of dog you are getting. Got my OH a golden and he has no interest in jumping (cos he is not built for it as well!) but collies will jump over no problem, and german shepherds can scale 7 feet fences. The golden has destroyed the garden from his puppyhood through digging so it might be easier to just section it to reduce damage. If you have a few shrubs and trees and hidey places and places to sun himself then he will do really well on 3/4 an acre! To make it more interesting you can hide treats sporadically and let him hunt for them. Teaching the dog recall is pretty important as well, although the golden we have is totally independant and has no interest in coming back if he is busy chasing a smell of checking out a dog! It depends on their stimulation as well.

Electric fences are preferablt to the dog being shot by a worried farmer but they are not totally failsafe.

(also if you cut down the amount of space they are a roaming you cut down on the space they are a pooping! Trust me, its hard cleaning up a 3/4 acre place from poop, 4 acres would be a nightmare! Walking barefoot will not be an option)
Best of luck!

One thing about trigger happy farmers, my boyf dad is a farmer and he is the biggest softy when it comes to animals. on the one hand he would never kill a dog or animal, but on the other when he sees the lambs being chased he wouldnt know if the dog is just running through the field or part of a wild dog gang (and they are around). Pregnant ewes could go into premature labour which costs the farmer vet bills and the lambs life and the sheep could get sick, all because a dog got loose. They don't make that much money (small farmers) so they have to protect their livelihood.

Maybe if there are any farmers around that you know maybe you could introduce your new dog to them? That way if they see him running around they can contact you. With the golden we had him all around the farm and all he wanted to do to the lambs was smell them as if they were strange looking puppies! When i was younger we had a small jack russel who was forever chasing our neighbours sheep and he told us that he couldnt have his livestock in danger which is fair enough and he gave us a few warnings and we kept her in control (hard to do since she was a live wire and loved running around). Ironically it was the smaller dog who was much more agressive and snappy, the golden would just wag you to death

eddie12

Thanks Messygirl,
I come from a farming background myself and know the farmers in the area very well. Like you say, the margin of profit for farmers is tiny and ewes losing lambs can be a disaster for them. Its my responsibility to have my dog under control and I wouldnt blame farmers for protecting their livelyhood. Dogs will roam and chase sheep if they are not contained properly. So if my dog gets shot its me thats wrong and not my dog or the farmer that shoots them.
I'll make sure the fence is very secure.
Between horses and sheep, theres lots of poop around the field as it is:D

Inexile

another downside to the radio collar/electric fences is that another dog can chew it off the dog. I know one couple who got them and it was effective, until one ate the others ones. They bought a replacement (which cost a few bob) and it was eaten again. I would prefer a fence or run myself.

Sigma Force

If it's timber post and rail fencing you have for the horses then you could pop some heavy chainlink wire on it, ie if the fence is high enough and the dog isn't a jumper and not too large.

4 acres would be a lot to wire but perhaps 1/4 of it could be chainlinked and then sectioned off with some more fencing and a gate.

It would be well worth getting the fencing done, esp. as you haven't got the dog yet even if you have to wait a good while before you can get the dog so you can get on with the fencing. It will save you a lot of trouble and heartach in the long run.

Heavy Chainlink ie the good quality stuff that lasts is 1 euro per foot ish.

Green Hornet

Hmmm. We've had one of the fences in place for a Boxer for about two years and had absolutely NO issues with it at all. She knows the boundary (ca. 2 acres and never goes anywhere near it but is very happy clowning around the enclosed area.

We got it because she was getting out to the road and was a danger to others and herself. Problem solved.

It was difficult personally to train her the first time but it just took one shock (unavoidable unfortunately) and she immediately associated the beeping/vibrating with a shock thereafter. The collar sounds feet away from the actual shock so all going well the first one will do it.

There is the issue of other dogs visiting but thats okay.

Works great for us but each to their own I suppose. We're happy and the dog is happy.

Very low maintenance (check and change the battery in the collar occasionally and thats it.

ValerieR

What about trying to train the dog to stay within the bounds of your territory. I agree it's not innate in all dogs to listen and apply these rules but, on the other hand, it might work. I have spent a good bit of time with our lab-collie cross when he was a puppy and he stays within the limits of the garden though we have no gate and the fencing around is not that secure. I was well worth the time investment : what ever passes by on the road (people, kids, animals ...), he stays in and, the best of it all, applys it to all other gardens too.
ValerieR

eddie12

Thanks very much for the advice everyone.
I'll have a word with the animal shelter too before deciding what to do.
A lot depends on the breed(or combination of breeds:D) I end up with too. IMHO bitches seem to be easier to train than the dogs and they dont look to head off rambling as much. Its hard to know with the electric fences really. Most people involved in animals rights tend to hate them. In my opinion they have improved the lives of many dogs that would otherwise be on the end of a chain and never walked. However, if I can come to a solution without having to resort to using one, I will.
I think I will have a go with the chain link, starting with the site and gradually extend it to enclose the field.
Thanks again

Sigma Force

Bottom line is you cannot trust that a dog will stay within the grounds 100% of the time, even well trained working dogs make mistakes or get distracted at times.

Also those elec. fences might keep your dog in but will not keep other dogs out, males are just as easy to train as females but both must be spayed/neutered a rescue will insist they are if they aren't already done.

For sure the elec. fence are far better than a dog being hit by a car a small shock is better than a broken pelvis or worse. But they should be a last resort if they must be used. So many people have had bad experiences with them, batteries going dead, dogs escaping when they spot something they can't resist chasing etc.

The chainlink is great also there are a number of dog runs that are available that you can make to any size although works out much dearer.

Every so often I wish we had a postage stamp sized garden, people with dogs often dream of having a country house with large garden or fields for their dogs but when it comes to fencing and maintinence they can be a real pain and a money pit.

I can't wait to move to a townhouse lol.