# Training Collar and Invisible Fence?



## milkmoney11 (Feb 11, 2010)

Hello all. New to the site. I did some searching through the forums on here and couldn't seem to find anything exactly like I was looking for so I thought I would just ask the question. Sorry if it was posted recently or its in a sticky...i couldn't find it.

I live in a association subdivision and one rule is there can be no fences so my only option for a "fence" would be an invisible one. My puppy is only a few weeks old so I don't actually bring him home for a few more and I wouldn't be putting anything in until the end of the summer so I have time to research. 

1)Does anyone recommend a particular brand/style of invisible fence for a GSD or are they pretty much all the same? I would be installing it myself. 

2)I have a co-worker who's GSD was hit by a car after running through an i.fence. Said she always would just run through it and it didn't deter her. Anyone else see this?

3)I have used electric training collars for past dogs I have had and have always liked them because you can control the amount of stimulation given based on the unwanted behavior. Do most of you support the use of these type of collars?

4)If you do use a training ecollar...do you have any advice on what one to buy. I had a basic model and haven't had it for 5 years so I'm a little in the dark now. 

Thanks in advance...


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I have the Invisible Fence(brand) in my front yard, just as a security blanket. Never use it though. And I know Kacie would zip thru it to get to the neighbor dog that she hates. We thought it would be great to have in case a gate was left open or just to have the dogs out front while doing yardwork. I don't trust it for both of my females. My male has great recall and isn't reactive to others, so he is ok out front without the collar on.
I would not train a pup with this til it is at least 6 months old and be very sure the equipment you purchase is reliable as far as stim goes. I'd rather spend more so the collar is reliably on the level you set.
Until then, have your pup be soooo into you, that nothing else matters. And of course, never leave pup outside unattended. 
You can set up some flags and train perimeters without having to use a collar, the dog would get into the habit of backing away at the lines when it gets near the flags, use a marker word when you train it. 
Still nothing is as reliable as a 6 ft fence.

Remember that just because your pup won't wander outside the perimeter, doesn't mean other dogs/animals can't come in.
As far as e-collar training, there are threads on that, and Lou Castle is the electric guru.


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## LouCastle (Sep 25, 2006)

milkmoney11 said:


> 1)Does anyone recommend a particular brand/style of invisible fence for a GSD or are they pretty much all the same? I would be installing it myself.


I recommend the ones made by Dogtra but read on. 




milkmoney11 said:


> 2)I have a co-worker who's GSD was hit by a car after running through an i.fence. Said she always would just run through it and it didn't deter her. Anyone else see this?


Efences get mixed reviews. Some are failures as with your co–worker. Others report good results. The problem is with a driven dog who will ignore the pain of the stim to get to something that they want to chase. If your dog is like this, and you won't be able to tell until it's too late, the fence won't work well for you. With any dog though, if they get past the line, they can't get home without being stimmed so many will stop trying. 




milkmoney11 said:


> 3)I have used electric training collars for past dogs I have had and have always liked them because you can control the amount of stimulation given based on the unwanted behavior. Do most of you support the use of these type of collars?


Again, you'll find mixed reviews. Some here are avid users, some hate them and some allow for their use only in certain situations. 




milkmoney11 said:


> 4)If you do use a training ecollar...do you have any advice on what one to buy. I had a basic model and haven't had it for 5 years so I'm a little in the dark now.


 


There are three brands that are top quality, Tri–Tronics, Dogtra and Unleashed Technology. I favor the Dogtra line. You'll find people who will favor other brands than these but usually the reliability of those other brands is second tier.


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## milkmoney11 (Feb 11, 2010)

onyx'girl said:


> I have the Invisible Fence(brand) in my front yard, just as a security blanket. Never use it though. And I know Kacie would zip thru it to get to the neighbor dog that she hates. We thought it would be great to have in case a gate was left open or just to have the dogs out front while doing yardwork. I don't trust it for both of my females. My male has great recall and isn't reactive to others, so he is ok out front without the collar on.
> I would not train a pup with this til it is at least 6 months old and be very sure the equipment you purchase is reliable as far as stim goes. I'd rather spend more so the collar is reliably on the level you set.
> Until then, have your pup be soooo into you, that nothing else matters. And of course, never leave pup outside unattended.
> You can set up some flags and train perimeters without having to use a collar, the dog would get into the habit of backing away at the lines when it gets near the flags, use a marker word when you train it.
> ...


Yes...of course. This is why I wouldn't be installing until the end of summer. Thanks for the reply.


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## milkmoney11 (Feb 11, 2010)

LouCastle said:


> I recommend the ones made by Dogtra but read on.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Great! Thanks. This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for.


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## smerry (Dec 5, 2009)

something else to consider is that when a dog goes through a e-fence, the stimulation is more painfull coming back in than it is going out of the yard. So if your dog goes through it and escapes your yard, he/she may not come back ....

Just something to be aware of, if you werent already ...


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## milkmoney11 (Feb 11, 2010)

smerry said:


> something else to consider is that when a dog goes through a e-fence, the stimulation is more painfull coming back in than it is going out of the yard. So if your dog goes through it and escapes your yard, he/she may not come back ....
> 
> Just something to be aware of, if you werent already ...


Yeah...that is true...which is one reason why they may not work well for people apprehensive to turn up the stimulation to avoid pain to the dog. That is...if you have a fence that allows for different levels of stimulation for crossing the line. 

But...without the possibility of having a real fence you almost have to resort to a leash. I guess its better than nothing.


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## smerry (Dec 5, 2009)

Well, it sounds like you have a pretty good handle on the ins and outs of the efence ... I am lucky, and have a fenced yard so i dont have to worry so much ... The only other thing I remember worried me about them was that while they might keep your dog in, they dont keep others out. 

Def. better than nothing  ...


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## BuoyantDog (Aug 21, 2009)

I have seen a dog go through an invisible fence. Any dog with a decent prey drive might find themselves on the other side, but not come back because of the shock. My dog would probably go straight through it just to get to a neighbor's dog that she doesn't like. As an alternative, I am currently training my dog on a 30 ft. long line in the front yard.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I looked into e-fencing and discovered it wouldn't be any cheaper than a real, physical fence. The more I read, the more it seemed that "you get what you pay for", and thus a cheap, DYI e-fence job would not be what I need. Also I have a problem with keeping unwanted dogs and people from coming IN. In the end, we spend a day putting up an agricultural type fence, cost about $300 and we did over 2600 sq. feet (which is just a fraction of our yard but I use other spaces for training, tracking, etc). Once we settle, we'll probably do a wood privacy fence.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

"1)Does anyone recommend a particular brand/style of invisible fence for a GSD or are they pretty much all the same? I would be installing it myself. 

2)I have a co-worker who's GSD was hit by a car after running through an i.fence. Said she always would just run through it and it didn't deter her. Anyone else see this?

3)I have used electric training collars for past dogs I have had and have always liked them because you can control the amount of stimulation given based on the unwanted behavior. Do most of you support the use of these type of collars?

4)If you do use a training ecollar...do you have any advice on what one to buy. I had a basic model and haven't had it for 5 years so I'm a little in the dark now."

1. I am not a fan of invisible fences because they cannot keep other critters out or people, and dogs can get through them. But you cannot put up a visible fence. Is there no chance that you can take the dog/pup out on lead, or put a small chain up by the door for doing his business. 

My parents use a chain, and they set the timer for five or seven minutes and then let the dog back in. 

I think this is safer than trusting an e-fence. 

2. I have never had an e-fence, but I have heard this enough to have this discussion with puppy buyers. 

3. Your pup is only a few weeks old. I think that if you intend to use an e-collar, then you should at least wait until the dog is six or more months old. So you have a little time. If you start the dog in puppy classes and then go into basic obedience classes, you may never need a training collar of any sort.

I prefer to set a pup up to succeed and praise him for it, than to set him up to fail and punish him for it. This works for me. So I have no need of training collars. When I feel a correction is warrented, I change my voice and give them the look, and that is all I need to do for a correction or rebuke or even a reminder. 

There are many people who swear by these devices, but if you are tallying, I do not care for them at all.


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## milkmoney11 (Feb 11, 2010)

Yes...I will take the dog out on a lead but would like to let him move freely throughout the yard if at all possible. I plan on putting one in, but more for a safety net. I still will work with the dog, train it and such, but it is just nice to know it is there. Sounds like I should never trust it to just let the dog out the door for long periods without supervision. 

I won't be installing it until the end of the summer so my pup will be 6 mo. old by then.

Oh...a think a few people who responded missed that it is NOT an option to have a standard fence since my subdivision association does not allow visible fences.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

you could teach your borders. i taught my dog where
he's allowed to go if he's in front of the house.
he knows not to go into the street. if i'm playing ball with
him and his ball rolls into the street he stops and won't pursue it.
if he's playing with a dog and the other dog goes into the street he stops.
if i have my dog on a leash and i walk into the street he stops.

teaching my dog borders wasn't hard.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

my yard is fenced in but i never leave my dog outside
unsupervised for any length of time. i've left my dog outside
deliberately because i wanted to see if he would leave our property. 
i watch him from the inside. so far he hasn't left our property.
once he realizes he's alone he lays down a the bottom
of the steps. i need to test him with distractions. 

i'm going to leave him outside and have someone he doesn't know
walk by and call him or i'll have someone walk pass with their dog
and call him. now i curious about what he'll do with the distractions added in. 



milkmoney11 said:


> Sounds like I should never trust it to just let the dog out the door for long periods without supervision.


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## ShatteringGlass (Jun 1, 2006)

I have an underground fence for my dogs, our property is set very far back from the street and we're surrounded by woods all around, only neighbors to the left and right, but we are still separated by woods. It works well, but like most said, dont leave your dog unnatended, Sydney has bolted thru numerous times chasing after turkeys, but I am always outside with them, so I am able to tell her to stay while I come after her, remove the collar and guide her back into the fence line and put the collar back on.

I think if you were worried about her crossing the line, they're is a way to set it up were there is a wider "zone" of correction, by criss-crossing the wires over a large area, so that way if she were to bolt thru, its not just a quick correction, it is an extended correction until she turns around. Call a Invisible Fence installer and ask them about it.


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## Gunther (Feb 28, 2010)

*Wireless Fence*

Anyone out there have the wireless fence? If so, are you happy with it?


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