Electric fences for dogs: the good and the bad
Website design By BotEap.comThere are many ways to keep a dog confined to a certain area, but each method seems to have its drawbacks. For example, you could build a traditional dog fence around your lawn or property. However, this is usually quite expensive and also time consuming, especially for those who have a very large yard. And on top of that, if you don’t own your own land and rent, then there’s a good chance your landowner won’t even consider allowing you to put a fence around the property you live on.
Website design By BotEap.comSo how about chaining your dog to a tree or using a “dog run” (which is basically a longer chain when you think about it). While people do this kind of thing on a regular basis, the general theory nowadays seems to be that this is very inhumane to a dog, which in a way it is. Just think how boring life would be for you if you could only move back and forth a few feet, and were confined to the same tiny area day after day.
Website design By BotEap.comOn the bright side of things, technology has given us a much more humane option, something that is extremely effective and very simple and fairly inexpensive to implement. What I am referring to is the electric dog fence, which has become extremely popular nowadays, at least when it comes to dogs. Also, another great thing about these electric dog fences is that many owners have no problem with their tenants using them to confine their dogs.
Website design By BotEap.comDespite what you may think, an electric dog fence is not a physical wire fence with electricity running through it; those types of fences are used for cows, sheep and horses. An electric dog fence is invisible; it’s just a specific parameter that you can set up around your yard like you would a normal fence. This perimeter sends out radio signals that communicate with a special shock collar that your dog wears when this type of fence is used. If the dog enters (or passes) this special fence perimeter, then it receives an electric shock.
Website design By BotEap.comSo now that we’ve gone over the benefits of these fences (which are worth their weight in gold in all honesty), let’s also go over some of the bad things about them. For starters, if a dog gets excited enough, for example if he sees a small animal running, then he may force himself to run outside the perimeter of the fence, ignoring the pain of impact. This is a pretty bad scenario, because once the dog is outside the fence, he will be afraid to go back inside, for fear of being shocked when he crosses the fence boundaries.
Website design By BotEap.comAnother bad thing about these invisible electric dog fences is that they allow other animals (or even humans) to come and intimidate your dog, and there is nothing your dog can do about it, since they know that they cannot cross the limits of the fence without being zapped. Yes, the disadvantages of electric dog fences are minimal compared to the benefits, but you still need to keep them in mind. Also, if you decide to use one of these fences, it’s best to keep an eye on your dog from time to time, just to see what’s going on.