Invisible dog fences can be a great way to give your dog the freedom to run around your yard without a leash and without an actual fence. It’s a really nice luxury to be able to let your dog simply run out the door and not have to worry about them running away or escaping the yard. Many people have the ingrained impression that these invisible fencing systems are out of reach, either due to expense or due to the complexity of installation.
It used to be that the only way to get reliable results from an invisible dog fence was to go with one of the in-ground systems where you have to physically bury the wire to create a barrier for your pet. However, according to The Pampered Pup’s recent article, the wireless dog fence systems have become increasingly more effective than they once were. The nice advantage of the wireless dog fencing systems is that they are incredibly easy and straightforward to install. There are no wires to connected and no leads to put underground.
If you’re new to the idea of invisible dog fences it can be helpful to have a little background on how they function. Essentially your dog wears a battery-operated collar that communicates with the fence systems base station. When the dog gets too close to the border the collar will send some sort of signal, usually audible or a mild static shock, to let them know that they are getting close to the boundary. When your dog is just getting used to the system you actually mark the invisible boundaries with lawn flags. This helps your dog get accustomed to where they can and cannot go, and it helps them make sense of the signals that they get from the collar.
One concern that many folks may have when they start looking into these types of systems is what will happen if the collar gets wet. Your dog may jump into a pool or a pond, or it may even just rain outside. Will the device cease to function? Could it potentially hurt your dog? Luckily, it’s almost become the standard these days for the collars used in invisible pet fence systems to have at least some level of waterproof resistance.
Then, of course, there is the matter of price. Most people are surprised to hear that these systems only clock in at a couple hundred dollars. Some systems may be a bit more costly depending on how sophisticated and extensive your needs are. For example if you have a large farm it’s going to take more resources for a large boundary, or if you have many dogs it’s going to take more collars and potentially more receivers. Other than that though the only other prices you’ll encounter are installation (if you choose not to do it yourself) and the ongoing consumable batteries for the collars. Compared to the price of installing a nice fence, these invisible systems are actually quite an attractive option.
So all of this is well and good, but what about people’s thoughts on these systems after they’ve had a few years of experience with them? Well, there are some places where the technology could be improved, that much is for sure. It’s simply not 100% reliable, as most things wireless are not. You just need to learn how the system works and make sure you use it properly, it may take a little training on your part as well. However, people have grown accustomed to what they can expect, and they are generally happy with them.